Evening journal., 1907-10-14

there was acc dental.
Explains About Theatre.
THE committee desires me to make an
explapation, not an apology. / wish to
say as a matter Of fact. that the anti
license committee sought TO make an
/ agreement TO have a monopoly OF the use
Z Of this theatre on Sundays until after
e.ection. The Opera House management
had arrangements whereby It was ex-
pected the Opcya House would be used for
rehearsals on Sunday afternoons We
did not know otherwise until we consult
ed the management after our friend ar
rived in Wilmington Then we learned
that the Opera House had been rented TO
the Salvation Army for a celebration on
october %, and we insisted that as the
first arrangement had bodn broken that
the theatre be rented TO us
Il want 70 say that the license commit
tee, with whose working 1 am thoroughly
familiar, has made no attempt to close
the door against the other side We well
come the fullest discussion Of the issue
possible, and all we ask the other side is
that they state the truth in\ Their public
utteranoes."
Mr. Muller then read the list Of rewards
offered by the anti-license committee for
the arrest Of persons registering or at
tempting TO register or to vote illegally
This is not a reward suggested by vir-
tue or honesty" he exclaimed. 1T is in
Limitation, and 1t is partly criminal" Mr.
Muller read the last part of the offer.
whereby it was possible for a person to
get $500 reward from the anti-rcense
committee and 500 from the State for in
forming on a person attempting to bribe
or hrbing the informer
Attacks Reward Terms.
do you perceive the significance. the
ulter.or motive underlying that state
ment" asked the speaker DO you not
see Il is an invitation for some man who
has no regard for the honesty OF mankird
or the purity Of politics. or the welfare
Of his country to induce or pretend to
induce some man TO commit crime. This
is an advertised invitation to crime re-
ward to induce violation OF the law a
br.be in itself to every foresworn wretch
who is willing to betray his manhood for
a paltry dollar / just want to call your
attention to the infamous depths into
which the opposition has sunk when ii re-
sorts to such desplcable methods. This
committee has attempted to br.be no on
This committee stands for law. for JUS
tice, and for the proper regulation Of tie
liquor traffic. 1 want TO assure you that
no faseh-od misrepresentation or fabri-
cation viii come from any meetings und
the auspices Of the license committee.
Th.rs viii be no intimidation, no interfer-
ence with meetings, and we only wish il
understood that we desire the same rights
for our side as the opposit.cn cllims for.
itself"
MIR. Thompson's Speech.
Mr. Muller was generously applardei
VIII m he finished. Chairman Lynch then
introduced Mr. Thompson as the orator
OF the afternoon. Mr. Thompson spo axis
with brogue for which he apolosiz d,
but he could be understood plainly by his
auditors. He spoke Of the admiration of
the British and the Australian reope e for
the United States and It's resd nts. and
speaking of his mission in this country
he said:
Il am sent out to investigate the pro-
hibitory law and its effect in every way.
The question put before nc wa: Does
rr hibton prch bit II IS every mans
duty to do an he can TO advance the
cause Of temperance. The word is not
confined merely TO the use OF liqtor.
While 1 cannot approve Of prchibltoa.
every hotel or saloon as you clll them Ia
this c-untry, should be conducted IN the
pest possible manner The saloon pro-
prietor should be a man above suspicion.
he should sell good liquor, he should not
be allowed to sell TO drunken men. or TO
minors, and should not allow inebr atss or
suspicious characters to frequent his sa-
loon That Is what we are doing down in
New Zealand. and we have reduced
I drunkenness fifty per cent. and have
driven out faloo-s of bad type"
air. Thompson then told Of his visit TO
Portland, Dangor, Biddeford. Bath. Au-
/ gusta. Brunswick. and ether places I'M
Maine whore he gathered statistics per-
tanning to the operation Of the frohioi
ton law.
Said He Was surpl sed.
The very first time / went to Maine my
program was 10 Introduce myself to the
officials continued MIR. Thompson" ard
want here TO express my appreciation
OF the courtesy Of American Officials. The
very first Saturday I was downtown in
Portland I never before saw such dis
tressing drunkenness in my time I saw
ocy9 In a helpless state OF intox.caton. 1
never saw anything approach IL IN any
Part Of the world -Four sheriff's deputies
In Maine signed a statement to me that
liquor was sold illegally in five hundred
places in Portland and they were at thsir
wits end how 70 stop It When / was n
/ Portland seizure was made ] asked the
7 chief OF police 10 let me see the statistics
/ lie al once put the books at my disposal.
asked him II they enforced the law and
/ he said they enforced II too much"
Mr.. Thompson then quoted his statistics
regarding the town Of Bdieford. He
showed that it has a population of 5000.
and IN the past four years had 1911 arrests
for drunkenness. Wilmington. with $1,000
population had 5525 arrests in that time.
III you should have the pro rata amount
OF drunkenness in Wilmington as they
had IN Biddeford you would have had
eo6i cases, and thoy under prohibition
there. TOO. It's a disgrace 10 Blddeford.
The day 1 got there an officer took me to
an express office where he showed me