Evening journal., 1907-10-28

Chairman Maclean repeated that he
would not confne the speaker closely
TO the text, for he believed that the
audience was willing to get all general
Information that it could MIR. Ever
hart was again enthusiastically cheer
ed. but as he began TO speak there
were sarcastic remarks from the ball
cony.
Mr. Everhart deprecated a too close
attention to statistics. Morals and the
nature Of crimes must be dealt with, he
said. n the problem was 10 be dealt
with at ALL He declared that the Com
mon Council petition at Biddeford
sprang from the fact that the Council
was Democratic and the sheriff the
police commissioner and the governor
Republican.
As 10 Bangor the speaker asserted
that because Of it's situation on the
edge Of the great lumber territory OF
the Northeast, Its lawlnssncss and
number Of arrests IN excess Of those
here were due to the hundreds Of lum-
bermen who came from the forests in
tho spring.
He also attributed the larger number
OF arrests FOR drunkenness IN Maine
20 the vigilance OF the police who
gathered in the drunks as fast as they
were put out OF the speakeasies.
Drunks who In Wilmington. he said,
would be unmolested by the police,
we're arrested in Maine. He quoted
figures showing that acts OF violence
were more numerous I'm Wilmington
than in Bangor and other cities I'm
Maine In Bangor he said, there had
been I arrest for murder as against 20
in Wilmington, while there had been
seven times as many assaults here.
Mr.. Thomson's Reply
Mr. Thomson then began his twenty
minutes argument by declaring that
he had never listened 10 such COM
piete failure OF prohibition as that put
up by his opponent In 1908. he said.
there were 12s divorces in Maine, and
In Delaware 80. He declared that his
opponents argument OF lumbermen In
Bangor was just as applicable TO Will
mington, which he declared, had a
floating population Of 10000.
when the gentleman comes here
and says YOU have 20 much drunken
ness, he libes the people Of Whining
ton. I haven't seen IT, and have been
over all the streets OF Wilmington"
This assertion was hooted roundly by
the "drya" He denied that the sheriff
OF Cumberland county was Influenced
by politics. lie asked the opinion OF
Frank smith. city auditor Of Blddeford,
who was on the stage.
"Finest man in Maine." said Mr.
Smith. sincerely.
Mr.. Thomson demanded to know why
the prohihitionists did not vote for re-
submission He proclaimed the Stur-
gls law Of Maine a disgrace to De-
mocracy.
III prohibition would advance the
cause OF temperance 1 would go over"
declared Mr.. Thomson, fervently, while
cries of come over came from the
balcony. But" he continued, II have
found that Maine has more drunken
ness than any other state except pos
slbly Kansas and am not sure about
Kansas"
Somebody at this stage yelled; He
was born IN Philadelphia" and Mr..
Thomson went into an explanation as
to his birth and his being sent from
New zealad TO Investigate prohibition
here.
Mr.. Everhart then began MS ten
minutes by flashing the dollar bill to-
the drunk" in the audience. The man
started forward but was held back.
There was kissing. but a husky ad-
mircr yelled: Hit him again"
Mr. Maclean declared that Judgment
upon the debate would be given Mo-
vember s. All sang my Country, 'Tis
of Thee" standing. and then Tor the
next half hour three thousand "wets'
and "drys" streamed out into Market
street.