Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1901-06-03
50TH ANNIVERSARY
Of Passage Of the Prohibitory
Law Observed
By Address by Rev. W. +. Berry on
Liquor Traffic Curse.
4 Forceiul Statement and Presentation Of The
Facts in the Case. ..

| The Congregational church was well
filled, last evening. to listen to Rev. W.
r. Berry OF Waterville, secretary of
| the christian Civic League Of Maine.
who made an address on the curse of
the liquor traffic. This was the JCth
anniversary of the passage of the
Maine prohibitory law and the choice
! of Mr.. Berry as the speaker for the
, evening was happy one. The service
| was begun with an organ voluntary by
George B. Goodridge. Followed by the
| song. Send Out Thy Light by the
| choir. Scripture reading by Rev. +.
| f. Newbert. solo by Miss Robinson,
| prayer by Rev. c. A. Hayden. organ
| solo by Mr.. Goodridge and then Mr.
Berry was introduced as the speaker of
, the evening.
Mr.. Berry said in part: "Thc Chris
tan Civic League was organized for
the purpose of arraying itself against
lawlessness and the promotion Of
/ Christian righteousness. | recognize
the right Of men to believe in license
as well as in prohibition. But when
any business is established what effect
does that business have on the general
| good? man might drink the same as
| man might ride a bicycle daily on
| the sidewalk but sometime that bicy
Gle rider might run over a child or an
| old person. thereby causing harm. 1t
is no sin to take a glass of wine or ride
on the sidewalk as long as the lives or
property Of the community is not en-
dangered. And when any commodity
| cndangers the prosperity of any com
n,nnitV that cntnynnditV should he
pleced under the ban of the law
Mr. Berry then asked if the au-
dience thought that the saloons in tn"
city added anything to the welfare of
the city or the happiness of their
homes. He laid the death Of three per-
sons at Shirley to the door of man
whom he said had been drinking ac-
cording to the testimony of a hotel
clerk at Greenville. and said that if the
man was convicted rum and rum alone
was responsible. He said that he be-
lieved the people of the State were
awakening to the danger. The railways
were ceasing to employ drinking men.
the great commercial houses no longer
hire statesmen who are addicted to the
drink habit.
Then followed statements as to the
way the liquor traffic is carried on in
the various cities of the State. He told
| Of the number of places in Augusta
where liquor was sold and Of many
| other cities He said that it was the
Cuty of the city officials to see that the
law be enforced and claimed that the
officers who neglected to do so were
rebels. He said that Deputy Marshal
| Scannell Of Lewiston. had been at work
and had closed 66 per cent of the sa-
looms of that city.
| He then told of the good work of the
Civic League in closing up the bust
| ness, and said that despite the many
| ohsta Giles to be encountered the league
| had done great work and that through
their efforts in large measure the
| counties of Androscoggn. Cumberland.
Franklin and York might now be term
| ed practically dry. He claims that the
work of the justices in sending men to
Jail instead Of fining them is of great
| benefit to the league. for the fine syS-
TEN fosters the liquor traffic while
many men were driven out of the bust
ness through the fear of Jail sentence
who could and would be willing to
| nav their fines He closed 10y strong
statement Of his intentions of Continu-
ing the work he had entered upon and
despite the many discouragements he
hoped to relegate the liquor traffic to
the background.
The address was followed by a col
lection for the Civic League, and then
the benediction by Rev. ii. f. Dunnack
OF the Methodist church.