Norwich bulletin. [volume] (Norwich, Conn.) 1895-2011, 1911-06-01

Rev. o. D. Sherman, formerly of Mys-
tic, now pastor of the Seventh day
Baptist church in 7ichburg, N. ",
has a letter in the current issue of
the Sabbath Recorder, which is of in
terest in this section. Rev. Mr.. Sher-
man writes:
Rev H. d. Clarke criticises this
quotation from Woolley: When the
church gets as much in earnest in
serving Jesus Christ as the liquor SELL
ers do serving the god of greed. your
state will get local option. ] suppose
Brother Clarke refers to Mr.. Woolley's
endorsement of the anti-saloon meth
cd.
Now, I am a great deal older man
than Brother Clarke and had a good
deal of experience in fighting liquor
sellers when he was but youngster;
ard when he closes with the statement
that these methods are wrong in prin-
eiple and wrong in final results and
challenges successful contradiction of
the statement 1 take issue and accept
the challenge.
when l went to Mystic in 1880 the
town of Stonngton was under no-l-
cense and the law was enforced. Hugh
Montgomery, a noble Scotch minister,
resigned his pastorate of the Metho-
dist church in Norwich, and as county
prosecuting agent was a terror to rum
sellers. There were a gOodly number
of prohibitionists in the town and in
the village The brother / succeeded
had been a nard worker on that side
and whatever he did or said went with
most every one. 1t was taken for
granted that l. being minister, was
also 'pArtv prohibitionist.' After a
time I was approached with pledge
whose substance was that | would give
my vote and voice to that party only.
Mach to their surprise. I declined. 1
/ told them that when L made my APP
plication to be a voter. | pledged my
self to the state of Connecticut to
vote for such men and laws as would
conduce TO the welfare of the state
and did not propose to take any other
pledge. AS far as temperance work
wds concerned, my hands should be
free.
Now, let us see how it worked. The
next year. through the apathy of tenn
perance voters. the town went license
and twenty or more rum shops were
opened and did their deadly work.
Crime increased, homes were made
desolate, idIeness abounded. and soon
the streets of the villa es became I'M
sale for women at night. Temperance
workers organized and as they said I
was a newcomer and would arouse less
antagonism, put me in as kind of
boss | attended every caucus of my
party and soon the bosses understood
that there was power to be reekoned
with. HtN dSheu NE WHAT L WANT
ed. told them to name every office
that had to do with the execution of
the excise laws.
Name your men and you shall
have them was the reply. About this
time, Hadlai A. Huh, the leading law
yer in town. a strong license advocate
and the lawyer to defend rumsellers
when they could get him, was most
wonderfully converted and took up as
his special work the prosecution of the
run sellers A town court was estab-
hshed and as recognition of my work
in the temperance cause / was ap-
pointed deputy judge. We co-operated
with the Law and Order lea que of the
state and for nine years, while l was
in Mystic, had no license and the law
was well enforced
Now, have 7 made out my case?
Your party prohibitienist' is impracti-
cal He is looking far ahead and let's
the present opportunity slip by. Why
a prominent man in Mystic told me
he did not care how the town voted:
ne had rather it would &C license than
not, as that would tend to bring ma
tional prohibition sooner