The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1900-09-03
Majority of the Voters
Favor Prohibition.
Large Congregation Present at
Yesterdays Meeting.

every
seat was present at the afternoon meet.
Ing of the Congress street Methodist
church yesterday to listen to a stirring
temperance sermon by the pastor, Rev.
W. S. Bovard. Several days ago Mr.. Bo-
ward had announced that he would sneak
on the subject, Rum Rule in Maine.
Can the Tyranny be StopDed?'' His SER
mon was listened to with the closest at
tention and at the conclusion of his speak
Ing of nearly an hour ripple of applause
was accorded the pastor.
1.-The saloon power may be Iikened to a
great monster, many headed and with
numerous heads in every direction, " be-
gan Mr.. Bovard. He receives this earth
~ power at the hands OF the great drag
on, called the devil Well may the public
raise the question, is there a power fit
to cope with this monster? Our language
IS not sufficient to describe this world
monster. Many efforts have been made to
crush him and know OF no better efforts
than those In the state OF Maine; but al
though there have been many rounds
fought the fight has just begun. Some
years ago a committee which was
called the committee of fifty attempted to
study the temperance legislation of the
country. The members came to Maine
and the first effort begun in this state was
at East Machias in the year 1927. 1t was
called serious undertaking on the part
OF moral men who wanted to see il they
could arrest the evils of intemperance.
L might cite many cases to show the
disregard which many people at that
time had regarding liquors. At a funeral
of a prominent merchant of PhiIadeI-l
phia people attending drank freely. The
minister in writing about it said that he
and the grave digger were the only two
persons at the funeral who were not in
danger of falling into the grave through
incompetence. Vermont a man who had
become convinced of the evils OF intern
perance had barn raising and sent out
word that he did not intend to have anv
liquors on the occasion. Men who had
been invited to attend said they would
not go unless the liquors were brought
forth Thus it came about that some cit
liens thought that something should be
done to stop the evil The method was
to pledge everyone to absolute intern
perance. The result twas that the con-
sumption of ardent spirits was reduced
one third In the state of Maine and that
a marked change took place in the senti-
ment OF the people. Just about this time
a man came from Massachusetts, to Port :
land and within very few years was :
hOnOred with an election to the Iegisla- 7
ture. This was in 1887 and the man was
James Appleton. AS the chairman of s
the committee on temperance he made a s
report that tho prohibition law be estab- {
lished. This report made a profound i'm l
preston but the proposed law did not t
pass. But it was passed In 1841 and re- 7
1ealed In 1916, many rum riots having oc- 7
CURED as well as other troubles which
the people thought were caused by the q
aw. In 1848 the present law was enacted
md from that time to the present there
las been a perfect maze of legislation
'lther to assist in the execution of the q
aw or makeJ it's evasion easier. In 1874 i
heIfr1ends of the law tried to anchor 1T +
nto the constitution of the state: and al I
most every year since, temperance Iegis- 7
alton has been enacted, While 1 believe '
hat the result of this revolution has been +
great victory and that Maine is the best b
tate in the union to cope with this gi- II
antic monster, I am by no means blind il
0 the fact that there is much needed to a
ssist the law. The excuses about the n
MYSTICAL system, that the longings must Y
70 satisfied by liquor are among the d
auses of 1ntemperance. Then Tthere is 7
heIsocial custom of treating. 1t is almost h
npossible in some quarters TO entertain n
ntil the stimuIant of che social glass has n
cen administered. We look over the I
)untry and obtain statistics on this tenn O
7rance question. In city of 80, 600 pop- n
lation there were on Saturday night 1915 OF
en in saloons and on the next Sunday q
orning only rs of them were found in d
luroh 1t has been estimated that fully Il
le-haIf of the male population in this n
ate use In some form some kind of intox- tt
at1ng beverage. 1t is a rare thingto find II
hotel or pharmacy that has not ASSOCIATE u
with it violation of the laws of our n
ate. This law v1olater behind the hotel fa
lrs and the counters of the drug stores -
never so happy as when in politics and u
lie to 1nt1midate the voters so that we z
ze sheep will follow him. These are o.
1t some OF the WAYS in
hichsour liberties are entrenched up in p'
r state and city. Some say that we must III
treat and repeal the law In Kansas NJ
, find excellent results and in our own N
ate you can see good results in the
untry towns. Our jails are flied with "
9 victims of 1ntemperance and our pl
dyes say that there is no room for the Ia
alers. A majority of our =,
liens are in favor of absolute u
Ohibition from moral conviction. IN
lven't you wondered why the bar asso. 81
Ition could meet in its annual gathering
d have such a carousing as has been re-
rted am reliably informed shat the
wspaper reports of that revslry and
unkenness on chat occasion were by no
cans exaggerated. What does this thing its