The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1855-06-05

rhe F,rut Hood Bsslnning Of the Reaction.
The country was shocked yesterday by the
news that temperance riot had broken out at
Portland, Maine, and that one man had been
killed and several wounded. To the many who
supposed that the temperance question was
settled, ended, and laid on the shelf In Maine,
that the liquor dealers had acquiesced, and that
Neal Dow and his set had everything their own
way, it was new and startling to hear that the
military had been called out, and muskets and
hayonets used to quen riot to which the
liquor law had given rise.
To understand the case, q short statement Of
factsi is necessary. The first Prohibitory Liquor
law was proposed some years ago in Maine by
Neal Dow. Accident favored it; political par
ties were disorganized and very bitter in their
mutual hatreds; people hardly noticed the
liquor bill till 1t was passed. Neal Dow, its
sponsor, was an amiable enthusiast, who had
not at that time ripened into the dangerous
fanatic we have now to deal with; he enjoyed
large share of public esteem, and the bill be-
came law in great measure owing to his
personal guarantee of its success. It failed of
course, as all such laws must. But Neal Dow,
whose heart was being hardened, prepared
new law to obviate the chief inconvenience Of
the old one, and it was passed. It failed like
wise, If anything, more conspicuously than its
predecessor. Then Neal Dow, whose heart was
thoroughly hardened by this time, and whose
amiability had been entirely swept away by
fanaticism, drafted Q third law which he assured
the people Of Maine was at last to achieve the
end they all had in view-namely, the proven
ton OF intemperance-with any of the in
conveniences or inconsistencies of the former
ones It was passed in its turn, and it is that
law which has led to the bloodshed we record
in another column. N
When this third law was passed, Neal Dow,
who had thrice led his fellow-citizens to legis-
late against their inclinations in order to carry
out his theory, staked his whole credit on its
success. He became Mayor of Portland, where
the greatest difficulty was apprehended; he
raised troop of volunteer soldiers, called the
Temperance troop, armed them, and held them
in readiness to shoot down the opponents Of
the law; finally, provided mammoth grog-
shop, to be called the Getty Agency" where
liquor was to be sold under certain restrictions
aaid liquor being provided by the Common
Council of the city. These precautions he
seemed to consider sufficient to ensure the har-
monious operation of the law. Unhappily for
his too sanguine hopes, a very few weeks have
elapsed before freah troubles arise. Mr.. Neal
Dow, the assailant of rum-sellers, the deadly
foe to good liquor, becomes by some unaecount-
able means, the possessor of $1,000 worth Of
the fatal juice of the grape. The people hear
of it, warrant is procured, proceedings are to
be instituted under the Maine law against its
author. Rnt with the sleight of thorough
city politician, before any mischief can be done,
Neal Dow persuades the City Council to buy
the liquor for the "Agency;" just as in former
times, shrewd aldermen used to advise and in
duce our city Council to buy this or that strip
Of land for street, said land happening to
have been purchased by the aldermen in
question q short while before In Port
land, however, it seems that people will not
submit to this sort of thing. It is loudly as
serted that the City Agency is nothing but
Mr.. Neal Dow's grogshop; and those who have
been prevented from carrying on their own
business as liquor dealers, exclaim that Mr..
Dow shall not fare any better. Hence tu-
multi, and crowd, with noise. This was the
contingency for which Mr.. Neal Dow had pro-
vided his Temperance troop. They are called
out, and one man, far from his home, poor fell
low, is shot dead, an old gentleman is bayonet-
ed, and other mischief done as related in the
telegraphic dispatches.
Such is the point reached by the temperance
party under its ablest leader in the Oldest
State it has controlled. The head Of the party
is caught dealing in liquor. The people insist
on his punishmest. And he, to defend his pro-
perty, calls out partisan body Of armed men,
who shoot down the crowd.
Will the fanatics tell us, after this, that the
organized opposition that is being made here to
the Prohibitory Liquor law, is mere matter
of course, and that it will be overcome, as it
was in Maines" Will they dare to hope that
they can enforce in city Of three quarters Of
million Of people, law which requires to
carry 1t out in fifth rate seaport, the assistance
of armed soldiers, and partisan troops? Will
Governor Clark, or Lieut.. Governor Raymond
organize temperance troop here to shoot
down the crowd?
The thing is as plain as monday; the Pro-
hibitory Liquor law is failure in its original
irthplace-Maine-a and the people see it.
They have turned it and twisted it: Neal
Dow has tried first one plan, then ano-
Their: he has had everything in his
favor, no organized opposition, scattered
and demoralized political parties, large coun
try population, strong desire for temperance,
few foreigners and no large cities; and now,
failure that 1t drives the citizens to shoot one
another in the streets. No one can tell at what
moment the quarrel may break out again, and