The Ohio organ, of the temperance reform. (Cincinnati, [Ohio]) 1853-1854, 1853-11-04


meetings v here these subjects are dis
cussed but when such gross and aboml-
nable falsehoods are fabricated, and sent
oul from this place, as those referred TO
in your letter, | could let nothing short
Of immediate calls 10 attend upon the
sick or dying, hinder me from contra
dieting them. have scarcely written
or spoken publicly q word upon these
subjects for more than a year, until yes
lterday, wheh lw1ote short letter to
Rev. Mr.. Chaplin, Of New York, giving
him some statistics Of the hquoF-lrafic,
which have Just collected. | was re-
uuested, more than month ago, by
Professor Rust, Of Masonic College,
Tennessee, 10 answer certain questions
which he proposed concerning the opera
tions of the Law, &c., whith promised
to do; but patty owing to want OF
time, / had determined to postpone my
letter 10 him till after our approaching
election, when shall furnish him with
many facts which | have been collecting,
some Of which viii state TO you.
lam prepared TO say, that during my
residence here as minister to the poor for
the space Of four years and five months,
there never has been less demand tor
charity in cases where iDtemperance has
been the cause, than during the past
FIVE months. Political demagogues and
the haters of the Maine Law and its au-
thor, may ascribe to me what motive
they please, in making this assertion.
Suffice it to say, that, SO far as cherish
"polilical opinions" and "sympathies," I"
i | am with the party last year in power,
|, and not with the present city or State
/ Administration nor with Mr.. Neal Dow.
Il never received, and never expect a
personal favor from Mr.. Dow. In reli-
| gious opinions, he and myself are apart,
toto celo. You say that your informant
says that @John Meals assertions are all
true-that there is more drinking in
Portland than ever, AMI that Mr.. Hadley
has said that he wishes the law repeal
ed" OF Mr.. Meals assertions, am not
disposed to say much. ] am willing
they should go for all they are worth,
They have not appeared to me to be
calculated to injuTe the law-certainly
not in Portland, and l think not in the
State of Maine. / wish everybody who
has time, would carefully read them all.
But as to there being "more drinking in
Portland than ever,"--this is such pal.
| pa6le taLsehood that it needs no refutation
here.
have embraced every opportunity foI
a month past, to collect statistics of the
former liquor traffic in this city and
through the State. My information was
not derived from ''ramrods" nor from en-.
thusiastic admirers Of the Maine Law,
Much of it is received from those who
were opposed to it when it went into eff
feet, nearly all from those who have been
extensively engaged in the trade or man
ufacture Of the article, and several o.
whom die not relinquish it'll compelled
by the statute in question. And what ie
the result of my researches and inqui-
ries?
i First-of DistilIeries, Of these there
were for many years previous 10 the
year 1886, seven in operation, some with
two, some with three coppers. One Of
those with two cOppers-by no means
the largest or most efficient, was accus-
toned 10 turn out 500 gallons a day,
regularly, month after month, year after
! year! One single copper in another es-
tablishment, was Of sufficient capacity to
Il produce 900 a day. Allowing $50 gal
/ Ions to each copper, and two Of the dis
H tilIeries to have three of these-a caIcu.
lation below the truth, we have the
amount of 1000 gallons per diem, or
/ 1852, 900 gallons year, to say nothing
H of Sundays. One man told me that sew
eral of these distilleries were accustomed
10 operate on the first day Of the week !!
H Then, there was time when 40O, 900
i gallons came through the Custom House
in year. In my hasty note to Mr..
Chaplin, supposed this to be when the
distilleries were in full operation. There
may be slight error in this calculation.
But be il as it may, the most respectable
merchants in this city, whose statements
are beyond question as to veracity, who
have been most extensively engaged in
the trade, assure me that the most OF
II their sales were of LIQUORS brought from