Kenosha telegraph. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1850-1854, 1852-04-02
Maine Liquor Law.

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The following account of the origin Of tn
Maine Liquor Law will be read with interest
II is given by gentleman from Western New
York, visiting Albany, where the meeting wa
held, tor the purpose ofprocurng the enactmen
OF similar law. twill be remembered that Mr.
Hawkins IS one OF six reformed drunkards, tha
commenced the Washington movement in Bal
timore, in l840 and has since been Distinguish,
for his ability public speaker, and for his con
slstent devotion TO the cause of temperance. -
Many females in this state and some in this sec
ton will know how to sympathM wiki the hero
inc of the following sketch
Would that their suffcrings and their bravery
might like Mrs Sweets, result in securing more
reliable and permanent prevention to them and
their families.
On "Wednesday evening we attended large
Temperance Mass Meeting which was addressed
by the celebrated Hawkins, of Baltimore He
gave the occasion or cause of the Maine Law
lie said at a Washingtonian meeting in Portland
there was confirmed drunkard, who impover-
| lshed and bowed 10 the dust, by drinking, came
up TO sign the pledge, followed by his miserable
wife SO soon as he signed it, she burst into tears,
and followed him back to her seat. After this.
the drunkard (SWeet was his name) went to
work and picked upa piece Of furniture here, and
another there, and supplied his house with ne
cessIties and comforts--then he bought him a
little cottage, and lived for seven years happily
with his little family. After so long a time, he
entered splendid drinking saloon, in the city,
and they prevailed on him to drink, and he was
made drunk, dead drunk. 1t was given GU! that
be was dead. They laid him on truck and took
him home. His wife came to the door to re-
ceive his corpse but so soon as she saw he was
drunk she screamed in agony. He was carried
into chamber and put on bed, and she sat by
his side until he came 10 his senses. She then
asked him where he got his liquor He refu-
sed TO tell. She locked the door, and threw the
key out of the window to her little boy, and d.
rected him not to unlock the door until she told
him to-
She then told her husband he should not leave
the chamber, neither would she leave it, until he
told her where he got his liquor For a long
time he refused but finally told her she would
always have her way, and said he got il at Coles.
Cole kept splendid saloon, and he got poor
Sweet in and got him drunk. She then ordered
the doo1 opened, and put on her bonnet. "Where
are you going?' said Sweet. 81 am going to
Coles" Don't go there, said he, 'you will
but disgrace yourself" 81 shall not disgrace
myself so much as you have disgraced me-" and
off she went to Coles. She found some young
men in this splendid rum hole. She told Cole
who she was and commenced begging him not
to sell her husband liquor and told her melting
story. He cursed her, and told her to leave
She refused, and fell upon her knees and begged
in the most ptiful terms. He began to talk
obscenely TO her, and aroused her Indignation
She then seized him by the collar, and held him
with one hand, as in vice. With the other
hand she slapped his face, back and forth, until
he was most severely chastsed, and then lief, for
home.
Well the next day Sweet came home drunk
again, and so the next day and the next, when
she found he got his liquor at Coles again
She Immediately started for Coles and found
about 80 men surrounding an auCtoneer, who
was crying off goods before the door of Coles
saloon. Her former visit to Coles saloon was
known over the city, and had caused very gen
eral talk, and she had become generally known
She lodged into the saloon; and the people at
the auction, seeing her goin pushed in after her,
and left the auctioneer alone. They said, there
goes Mrs Sweet-~another battery as she en-
tered she saw her husband in the act Of raising
the cup to his lips. He dropped the cup and es-
capped through the back door. She then began
to talk TO Cole before, and he talked to her as
before. When he commenced his obscenity,
she entinsde the bar and seized Cole by the
collar with her left hand, and run her clinchcd
fist in his face with her right hand until it was
well pounded, and then showed him head first,
and kicked him as he fell into the street. She
then entered the bar and surveyed the splendid
bottles and furniture In her Indignation she o.
once broke all the bottles, and set the cocks of
the barrels running. Then she saw a show box
Of toys and sugar things, and said look there,
trap for our children; to draw them here and
make them drunkards' She found an old jug
wiki some liquor in il and emptedi its contents all
over the toys, and ruined them. She then saw
large looking glass There she said, "a thing
put up for drunkards to see their faces She took
a jug and hurled 1t againt the glass and broke it
TO pieces.
About this time another rumseller rushed in
and addressed the audience, why will you stand
here and see so much property destroyed ? The |.
woman rushcG at him saying, You are another
scoundrcl' He took to his heels aud escaped |
Having destroyed everything she went into the
street for home and met the Mayor, and two or
three policemen, and she said TO then, how have |
you done your duties You are in Office to pro- !
tect me- and my husband and our children, and .
YOU have left us to be murdered by this man, and .
if you won't protect us | will take the law into (
my own hands The multitude chcercd her, and !
the Sheriff returned acknowledging the business !
of her complaint The wide spread story of this /
transaction, Mr.. Hawkins said, begot the Maine /
Liquor Law