The Portland daily press., 1900-01-29
Rev. ". 7. Berry's Address Yester.
day Afternoon.
The Civic League and
It's Work.
He Begins q Campaign Here to
Last q Month.

At the Congress street Methodist church
yesterday afternoon, Rev. W. II. Berry.
the former pastor Of that church. hut
who Is now engaged as the field feore-
tary Of the Maine Civic League. opened
the campaign Of the league In Portland.
There was hardly vacant ssat In the
church. Among those present were Mrs.
L. NJ. n. Stevens, president Of the Nation
al W. U. 7. u, and many county and
city officials. Mr.. Berry had spoken In
the morning ct the st. Lawrence church
aud he said that he intends to speak In
every church in Portland during the
next month II IL Is possible. and to wind
up the campaign BY gigantic mass
meeting in order to show the strength
of tho league In Portland. In the course
OF bis address MIR. Berry said that he has
travelled thousands Of miles In Maine
In this work and spoken to thousands Of
people about the league and Its work.
Every where he has found that great In
tsrest Is manifested In the Civic league
and its purposes and the people are TAX
ing hold Of Reinforcement with enthusi
asm. The press Of the state has treated
him well excerting In two instances
and what these two papers said against
him and the work has helped the cause
more than they would II they had spok-
en- for the work.
Mr.. Berry went on to show the inti-
mate relations existing between the
church and the state. We must have a
good state to have a good church and q
good church to have q good state. That
mans duty Is not performed who goes
to church, but does not take an interest
In the affairs OF his state and govern.
ment. Tbs machinery Of tine state de-
Ponds on the attitude Of the people to-
wards 1t. Sentiment does something,
but the votes do every thing. MIR. Berry
said he was not present to traduce any
official. The offices Of Portland and
Cumberland county are the peoples ser
wants, and they will do what the people
want them to do. You can't get honest
administration through dishonest men,
and the only remedy is to put good men
In office and stand behind them. On no
case does the responsibility rest to a
greater degree than II does on him who
says that Christ dwells within him. Our
failure is that We do net sustain our
officials after we place them In offics.
There Is no supervision. You would not
run your business that way, and yet tbs
state, whose welfare is SO intimately relat-
ed 10 you and your business. is left to be
run without supervision. We turn
our interests over TO rom, Dick and Har-
~ and that is the end OF It. We hurl q
stone o. two at them now and then. but
that man IL not performing his duty to
them or the state who allows his interests
In the affairs OF state to end after the
election Is over.
Today the officials of Maine are manag-
ing affairs as the people seem to want
them managed. You should interrogate
your officials and Investigate the affairs
of state and city as the banking firm
which failed reosntly Is now being ex-
amined.
MIR. Berry went on to show what law
does for the citizen protecting him In
his property and his rights, aficrding
him safety and freedom. Inc law should
never be allowed to be broken. Is there
any reason why gambling houses, brothels
and ether things which are disastrous to
the welfare Of the community should be
allo wed to exist In Portland? Is there
any reason why the saloon should be al
lowed to run wide open in defiance of the
law In this city? There are two hundred
saloons running wide open here. Law
Iessness In on the increase as result
of the 500 men who are engaged In a
lawless business being allowed to break
the law without punishment. There were
40 per cent more prisoners in the State
prison in 1898 than In 1884; l09 per cent
more were In jail in this state in 1898
than In 1884; 145 per cent more persons
were arrested for drunkenness In 1898
than In 1854. There have been eleven
murders in Maine during the last year
on account OF drunkenness and two Of
theyrnurdersrs committed suicide. Up in
Skownezap, Judge Whitehouse OF the
Supreme court was forced to discharge
a jury with a reprimand, because they
would not convict a man for shooting
deer illegally, although the evidence was
clearly against him. Tbe county at
torney of Aroostook county got evidence
before the grand jury to convict every
rumseller In Houlton. but the grand jury
refused to indict them "because 1t had
bsen the custom only to fine these men
once q year, in April, and they did not
deem it, wise to fine them in September,
too" Up in Penobscot county q man
was mobped and ridden on rail. Seven
persons were arrested and although the
evidences was overwhelmingly against
the grand Jury refused to indics them.
Mr.. Berry said that II any assault should
be committed on him the same thing
might happen. He said that . shuddsr
went through ths state whsn 1t was an.
nounosd that . new plan had gone into
operation In Bangor. That the munich