The Somerset reporter. [volume] (Skowhegan, Me.) 1868-1909, 1902-02-13
Union Temperance Meeting.


A union temperance meeting wa:
held In the First Baptist church, Sun.
day evening attended by large audi.
ence that filled nearly every pew.
Rev. Daniel Onstott and Rev. II. W
kimball were the speakers. Rev. w
II. Spencer and Rev. II. F. Huse, took
part in the devotional exercises and the
singing was by choir composed oil
Mrs. Steward, Mrs. Estabrook, Mrs
Huse, Mrs. Murry, Miss Marble, Mis-:
Smith, Messrs. Taylor, Nolin, Harris
and Wyman with Miss Allen, organist
A recitation Away with Strong
Drink, was given by nine young lads
members of the First Baptist Sunday
school.
Rev. Mr.. Onstott was the first speaker
His theme was the liquor traffic, whict
he denounced as sin against the State
ain against the Fatherhood of Goo
and the brotherhood of man, against
good morals and good health. 1t is a
disgrace to the fair fame of our town
and good citizens are in a measure re
sponsible for the evil and the disgrace.
We have a drastic law against the salt
of liquors, yet in this town and in most
others in the State any man or boy Wilt
has the money can get the drink.
Most dealers, not all he WAS informed
sell to Intoxicated persons or minor,
if they only have the money to pay foI
the stuff. He deplored the lack OF
interest manifest by citizens in tins
serious matter.
Rev. Mr.. Kimball spoke principally
of the work OF Sheriff Pearson in Cum
berland county. He said:
Mr.. Pearson is man who was him
self saved from life of sin by the
power of God. Like Paul he would
say by the grace of God | am what
am. For many years he has had
charge Of mission chapel in Portland
and he is loved and honored by thOus-
Ands of poor people whom he has helped
and blessed, and many of whom he has
won to Christ. Mr.. Pearson has II
backbone of tempered steel. He Is one
of those men of the stamp of John
Brown and Wendell Phillips, men who
know no fear, seek no popularity, and
ask only what is right. He is one of
those rare men who do the right and
weigh the consequences afterward,
whereas the most Of US weigh the con-
sequences first and then do what seeks
our own convenience. He is man
who cannot be bought. Some men are
fond of saying every man has his
price" 1t is always wise to mistrust
such men for usually they are only
judging others by themselves. There
Is little doubt that during the past year
Sheriff Pearson has been offered large
sums to let the traffic in Portland alone,
but he Is a man whom money cannot
buy.
Now what las Sheriff Pearson accom-
plished since he has been In Office
The open saloon has been banished.
There is not an open bar in the city OF
Portland today. All this has been
done by the sheriff and his five deputies
alone for he has had no help from the
police. In many ways he has not had
the support which he deserved, largely
no doubt because he happens to be ii
party prohibitoDist; but 1t Is to the
great credit of the leading Republican,
paper of this state, the Lewiston journal
that ii has had breadth enough TO risr
above the narrowness of party spiril
and give to Sheriff Pearson in his work
the most loyal and most sincere support
In the past year the sheriff and hi:
deputies have made 927 seizures and
secured 9553 gallons OF liquor. Con
trast that vigorous record with what
the sheriff OF our own county has done
II ow many seizures have been madt
in our own town in the past year?
Moreover Portland is dry town
today. do not mean that liquor car
not be bought but that very much less
of it is sold than year ago. | clipped
an item from the Boston paper tht
other day which gave the testimony q
wine clak. He said that Portland
was dry, that he had had TO leave ard
that he was going to New York to see
ii he could lind some work.
A wholesale liquor dealer of Boston
testified the other day that there WAS
not 10 per cent as much liquor sold in
Portland now as formerly. Moreover
the arrests for drunkenness have fallen
off one-ffth being 300 less than a year
ago. This despite the fact that there
is little doubt but that the police have
arrested every man possible in order to
bring discredit upon the work of the
sheriff. Portland is a better city than
1t was year ago. Business was never
better than last year. The saloon
keepers are no longer buying the choic
est real estate in the city. The number
of poor people have decreased. The
commissioners of out door relief t0r
the city in the last year spent less
money than for many years and had 10
help nearly thousand less people, and
10 their report they give fair portion
of the credit for this better condition
to the work Of sheriff Pearson. God
bless the man in his noble work, aud
God hasten the time when in eveEXcoun-
ty of the state we shall have a an Of
such character and integrity In the
office of sheriff.
Many Years Patron.