Bellows Falls times. [volume] (Bellows Falls, Vt.) 1856-1965, 1903-05-14
ANTl.SALOON SUNDAY.
special Services in Three Churches
Rev. q. W. Morrow Present.

S"'NNJ was puStINtu as Anti /
Saloon Sunday by several of the church
es in town. Hon. Michael Tanning, su
perintendent of the Massachusetts
branch of the Anti-Saloon League and
formerly superintendent of New Hamp-
shire was the speaker of the morning
service in the Congregational church and
Rev. &. w. Morrow, Vermont's superin
tendent, at the Methodist church. Both
speakers addressed a union meeting in
the Congregational church in the even
ing.
Rev. II. A. Wood of vergennes spoke
in the Baptist church. His theme was
that the office of the church is to helm
the fallen. He criticised the existing
law freely and told of experiences in
Vergennes which had come to his per-
sonal attention Pledges for supporting
the work of the Anti-Saloon League
were passed at all the services and a
monthly contribution of about $50
promised for the coming year, the Bap-
fist and Methodist churches contribut-
ing in the vicinity of IS per month each
and the Congregational church $40.
AT the morning service in the Metho-
dist church Mr.. Morrow gave a charact-
eristic address which commanded
thoughtful attention. He first spoke of
Anti-Saloon work throughout the coun-
try and exhibited map of Arkansas
which showed that the no licensed ter
ritory under local option in that state
had greatly increased. He then showed
map of Vermont on which the no IL
censed towns were colored white and
the licensed towns black. He said that
90 towns had voted yes but that in 10 or
II of these there were no applications
for licenses. He said that the work of
the league in Vermont was to secure the
repeal of the present license law at the
first opportunity. Failing in that every
effort should be used to reduce the num-
Der of licensed towns and cities. He
said that the majority of the February
election for license was only 104O and
that $4,000 voters did not go to the polls
at all. He thought that if the voters
had come out the result would have
been different.
Mr. Morrow criticised the license law
freely and gave many instances of drunk
enness and disorder which have oc-
Cured during the short time in which it
has been in force. He said that while
the law prohibits the selling to minors
three minors were arrested in Montpe-
lier the other day for drunkenness. He
said that favorte argument with the
license men is that license reduces taxes.
He spoke of the town of Fairhaven
which has three saloons paying COM
bined fee of $270O, one-half. of which
goes to the states treasury. Since Ii
cense went into effect the town has been
obliged to hire two additional policemen
at an annual cost of $1,000. He thought
that the taxes in Fairhaven would not
be materially reduced this year at least.
The union meeting in the Congrega-
| oiolldl ShulCil III lllC CNOHiliS was dUCOi.t-
ed by a large audience. Mr.. Morrow,
who had addressed meetings in Athens
and Cambridgeport during the after.
noon, did not make long address. He
said that the entire state was surprised
at the result in Rockingham at the
February election and that temperance
people were not cast down over the re-
suit in March when they considered the
''infuence on the other side of the
river"
Mr.. Michael Tanning, who in other
years has been picturesque figure iI
New Hampshire, was.the second speak
er. Mr.. Tanning on the whole is an en-.
tertaining speaker although not always
convincing. Sunday night he said some
good things and some poor things, some
sensible and some silly. He prophesied
that the present law would not remain
on the statute books very long but
thought that there would be great up
heaval after license had been given a
trial. lie thought that prohibition al
its worse was preferable to license at its