The weekly Minnesotian. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn. Territory) 1852-1858, 1852-06-26
NUMBER NH/
Origin Of the Maine LIQUOR Law.

tefiStic Of The man. IL Is COPIED IRON the
correspondence of the Carson League,
from Albany, N. Y:
On Wednesday evening, we attended
a large Temperance Mass Meeting, which
was addressed by the celebrated Hawkins,
Of Baltimore. He gave the occasion, or
cause, of the Maine Law. He said at q
Washingtonian meeting in Portland, there
was confirmed drunkard, who was i'm
Poverished and bowed TO the dust by
drinking came up TO sign the pledge, fol-
lowed ty his miserable wife. As soon
as he signed it she burst into tears, and
followed him back to her seat, After
this the drunkard (Sweet was his namel
went towork and picked up piece Of
furniture here, and another there, and
supplied his house with necessaries and
comforts, then be bought him little cot-
tage, and lived for seven years happily
with his little family. After so long a
time, he entered splendid drinking sa.
loon in the city, and they prevailed ON
him to drink, and he was made drunk,
dead drunk! 1t was given out that he
was dead. They laid him on truck and
took him home. His wife came to the
door to receive his corpse, but as soon as
she saw he was drunk, she screamed in
agony. He was carried into chamber
and put on a bed, and she sat by his side
until he came to his senses. She then
asked him where lie got his liquor. He
refused to tell. She locked the door, and
threw the key out Of TIE window TO her
little boy, and directed 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 ii, until he told her where he got
his liquor. For a long time he refused,
but finally told her she would always have
her own way, and he said he got it at
Coles. Cole kept splendid saloon, and
he got poor Sweet in and got him drunk.
She then ordered the door open and put
on her bonnet. "Whcre are you going ?"
said Sweet. 81 am going 10 Cole's."-
DON'T 60 there" said he, :" you will dis
grace yourself" Il shall not disgrace
me 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 commen-
ced begging him not 10 sell her husband
any more liquor. and told her melting sto-
ry. He cursed her, and told her to leave.
She refused, and fell on her knees and
begged in the most pitiful terms. He
began TO talk obscenely 10 her, and arous.
ed her indignation. She then seized him
by the collar and held him by ore hand
as in vice. With the other hand she
slapped his face, back and forth, until he
was most severely chastised, and then
left for home.
The young men who were present, then
told the ruln-seller he well deserved his
| floggng. twas an infinite shame to insult
woman he had so wronged, when she
came to plead with him in such matter.
Well, the next day Sweet came home
drunk again, and SO the next day, andtbe
next;when she found he got liquor at Coles
again. She Immediately started for Coles,
and found about hundred and fifty men
surrounding an auctioneer, who was cry
ing off goods before the door of Coles
saloon. Her former visit to Coles was
known over the city, and had caused very
general talk, and she had become gener.
ally known. She lodged into the saloon;
and the people at the auction, seeing her
go in, pushed in after her, and left the
auctioneer alone They said, there goes
Mrs. Sweet-anoher battery!' As she
entered, she saw her husband in the act
Of raising the cup to his lips. He drop
ped his cup and escaped through the back
door. She then began to talk to Cole as
before; and he talked to her as before.
When he commenced his obscenity, she
went inside the bar, and seized Cole by
the collar with her left hand, and ran her
clenched fist in his face with her right
hand, until it was well pounded, and then
showed him out head first, kicked him as
he fell into the street. She then entered
the bar, and surveyed the splendid bottles
and furniture. In her indignation, she at
once broke all the bottles, and set tho
cocks Of the barrels all running. Then
she saw showcase of toys and sugar
things, and said, "look there; trap Tor
our chiidren-to draw them here and make
them drunkards." She found an old Jug
with some liquor in it, and emptied its
contents all over the toys and ruined them.
She then saw large looking-glass.-
"There," said she, "a thing put up for
drunkards to see their faces" She took
a Jug and hurled it against the glass, and
broke it in pieces.
About this time, another rum-seller
rushed in and addressed the audience
4" Why will you all stand here and see so
much property des,royed?'' The woman
then rushed at him, saying, "And you
are another scoundrel." He took to his
heels and escaped. Having destroyed
everything, she went into the street for
home, and met the Mayor, and two or
three policeman, and said to them" How
have you done your duty? You are an
officer 10 protect me, and my husband,
and my children, and if you wont protect
us, | will take the law into my own
hands," The multitude cheered her, and