Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1912-03-20
Mayor Mercy Attacks Ministers.


In his inaugural address at Lewis
ton, Monday, Mayor Morey attacked
the clergy of Lewiston and Auburn
with all the fury and intolerance
the liquor interests. His denunciation
of the clergy because it had the eff
frGntery to exercise God-given in
struetions to oppose evil and fight for
good. sounds familiar TO people of sa-
loon cities where the churches have
taken an active part in downing the
crime makers.
OF course, to Mayor Morey's mind,
every pastor or church member who
dare raise his voice against the liquor
traffic and the deplorable conditions
nourished under Mayor Morey's adj
ministration in Lewiston is a Repub-
Iican He denounces the movement
for better conditions as a political
trick
And yet Mayor Morey will tell you,
as VIII 10y. fidlsltu, altoiHSN bch
eral Pattangall Senator Johnson and
other Democratic leaders. that 'if the
people wanted the law enforced they
would express their wishes
The Democratic leaders people"
have not opposed the rum trust. Were
all the dive keepers, booZers, thugs,
buns and newly -enfranchised. Democ
raey-owned foreigners to suddenly
declare themselves against such con-
ditions as prevail in Lewiston, Mayor
Morey would declare that it was
political trick" engineered by the
Republicans.
Mayor Morey says:
THE conscientious pastor in the
faithful discharge if his duty is a
tower of strength, and his utterances
have great weight when associated
with the duties of his high calling, but
when for pure politics he SO far for
gets himself and his calling as to en-
ter into the heat of political cam
paign, then the respect that is due his
calling, is simply brushed aside and
his words will and ought to have no
greater effect than those of the ordi-
nary layman. A Republican politician
who is reported 10 be seeking office,
attended a meeting of the Pastors
Union Of these cities during the Win
ter and at his solicitation they agreed
TO preach a sermon on the last sun
day of February dealing with the
question of the enforcement of the
prohibitory law and attendant evils in
this country. / will not insult their
intelligence by saying they did not
know or comprehend the political mo-
tive of the man who requested them
to do this; of course they knew the
purpose, the motive, and lent only too
ready an ear because of their own po-
litical affiliations"
statements as to the condi-
tions in the city We're grossly exag-
gerateti and overdrawn. The only eff
feet would be that people outside OF
the city from reading those sermons
would obtain unfavorable impressions
of Lewiston. but the people of our city
honest, industrious, intelligent, know.
ing the actual conditions, administered
such a rebuke that | trust il will be
are again attempted to be pulled ou
of the fire for the benefit of certain
politicians. and they are again made
cats paws OF to their humiliation ant
discontinue"
Certainly Mayor Morey hopes it vii
be years before minister will dar
raise hand or voice against the host
Of officially promoted evil in Lewiston
No one expected that the action o
the Pastors Union would please May
or Mercy, or any brazen nullitier O
the laws 1t is such bravado an
cheap buncomb as that of Mayor Nc
rey's inaugural that appeals TO thos
who oppose and disregard law. 1t
to such that Democratic leaders al
appealing with open defiance of do
cency. but the better element of Den
ocracy as well as Republicanism wi
cheer for the pastors who had Il
courage 10 beard the lion in his den