The Portland daily press., 1875-06-22

A Cordial Welc me Home.

Last evening certain gentlemen of this city,
prominent in the temperance movement, ten
dered at City Hall reception to the Hon. Neal
Dow, who has but lately returned from a lee
turing tour in Great Britain. The floor and
galleries of the hall were filled with those in
terested in the cause of which the guest of the
evening is one of the most prominent and elo-
quent advocates, and with those DESTROYS of
welcoming their honored townsman home.
There was warm and genuine burst of en-
tHusiasm as Gen. Dow stepped on the platform
escorted by the reception committee. He mere
ly bowed his Acknowledgements and took his
seat. The meeting was called to order by AL
bion Little, Esq, who called the Hon. w. W.
Thomas to the chair The Divine blessing was
invoked by the Rev. DR.. Carruthers
In few fitting words the chairman welcom-
ed the distinguished guest to the city of his
home, and spoke feelingly of the work accom-
plished by Gen. Dow during his two years
abroad. Nearly fifty years ago, in 1927, the
old Portland Temperance Society was organic
ed in little room on the corner of Middle and
Temple streets. Of the original members of
that society two are now living, the chairman
himself and Neal Dow, whom he took pleasure
in calling up before the audience.
As Gen. Dow stepped to the front OF the
platform he was greeted with round after round
of applause. 1t was some moments before his
voice could be heard. He began by expressing
his heartfelt thanks for the warmth of the re-
ception extended to him, and bis pride in the
reflection that Maine was everywhere known
as the leader in the temperance cause. He had
addressed great audiences in England as the
representative of the representative temper
ance state of the world. The large and power
full temperance organizations in England look
to Maine for moral aid, and eagerly watch the
issue of the attempts made here to suppress the
use of intoxicating drinks and the traffic there
in, and yet, while those who are attempting to
reform the most drunken nation in the world
look to us for encouragement, tie British Con-
sui at this port writes home that the only effect
of the Maize law is to increase the drinking of
liquors in secret, and to deteriorate the quality
of the liquors drank. In answer to that, the
speaker told the English people that if secret
drinking had increased it was because it had
become disgraceful to drink openly. Consul
Murray is nice man. continued Gen. Dow, but
1 am sorry to say he is not one of our kind. 1
don't dispute his statement as to secret drinking,
for if there is secret drinking anywhere Consul
Murray will be likely to know it. don't dis
pute his assertion that liquors have deteriorat.
ed, for Consul Murray is very good judge of
liquor. The English people, however, do not
relish his comments ON our laws.
The speaker went on to give an account of
the great and wealthy Temperance Alliance of
Great Britain, and the successful work it is
doing The temperance cause over the water
has been making enormous strides during the
| last few years, and the day will surely come
when the sale of intoxicating drink will be
| forbidden in England. There is depth Of
| feeling there such as has never been seen even
| in Maine The strong English heart is moved
and the sturdy English will has decreed that
| the rum traffic shall cease Many anecdotes
were related going to show the strength of the
| movement in the old country.
Coming back to Maine, the speaker dwelt
upon the amount of labor to be done by tenn
perance workers in this state, and the need that
they should put their shoulders to the wheel.
| The wave of intemperance must be rolled back
| law must be sustained, the liquor traffic must
| be kept down. All honest men and women
should rally for the fight. Gen. Dow closed
| with an eloquent plea for revival of the old
| fire in the hearts of temperance advocates.
| Ex-Gov. Perham, who bad seat upon the
platform, was called upon and made few re-
marks, full of hope and encouragement. The
meeting then adjourned.
| Chandeliers Band was in attendance and fur.
nished excellent music. 1t gave charming
omen air concert In front of the City Building
before the opening of the meeting.