The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1877-05-02

MAINE L1QUOR-LAW mAN-dlS OfiSlOH
OF "THE PUNCH"-LOCAL OPTION IN
NORTH CAROLINA
In accordance with the invitation sent to the
OF the revenue OF the cities OF
the Commonwealth, Messrs. W. 81. Harrison
OF Petersburg, V. A. Haynes Of Portsmouth,
George Duffey of Alexandria, A. B. Bow
ering of Fredericksburg, W. B. Watson OF
DanyiIle, and Dorsey Walter OF Winchester,
met the Auditor Of Public Accounts at his
office Yesterday to receive instructions as to
the use OF the Moffett liquor-register. The
register-or the punch, as 1t will forever be
called-was exhibited and ex-
amined. It is simple enough. All the bar
keeper has to do is to turn the crank once
for every drink sold. All the commissioners
have to do Is to see that the registers are
put up where liquor is sold, and
locked and kept in order, and at stated pc
riods go to take the record from the dial
plate, and then to charge and collect the tax.
THE LAW LAID DOWN.
Auditor Taylor, in addition to exhibiting
the register to the commissioners, read them
his instructions, which are lengthy review
OF the law and explicit directions with re-
spect to the use of the Moffett register. In
preparing these instructions Auditor Tay-
lor availed himself OF eminent legal advice.
IMPROVEMENTS ON THE MODEL.
Quite number Of persons propose to put
in bids for making the registers. Parties
from the North intend to come down here
to look into the matter. AS there are no
drawings or specifications in the hands OF
the Auditor, every man proposing to put in
bid must see the model for himself. The
register on exhibition in the Auditors office
is in walnut case abolit twelve inches
square. Nearly all the bidders say that q
wrouGht-iron box would be neater, cheaper,
and better, and that the box needn't be more
than two thirds OF the size of the present
one. One objection to the wooden box or cas-
ing is that glasses OF liquor will be set upon
it and that it will be placed flat upon wet
counter, which Will cause it to rot. The
Auditor has been furnished with q drawing
illustrating certain proposed improvements
that are looked upon by experts with con-
siderable favor. Some OF them will perhaps
be adopted, particularly il Mr.. Otis Deane,
the maker il not the inventor OF the first
apparatus, thinks we'll Of them.
NEAL DOW, OF MAINE.
A leading temperance man of Richmond
Ia worthy and enterprising citizen) and
reporter OF this paper, learning that General
Neal Dow, the great Maine prohibitionist,
was at the St. Claire Hotel, called upon him
about 4 O'Clock yesterday afternoon, and
were most courteously received. The tenn
perance man said: "This is the Hon. Mr..
Dow, believer"
The person thus addressed said in chirpy
voice, smile meanwhile playing hidc-and-
seek among his curly white side-whiskers,
eyes, sir Dow is my name" Thereupon
there was Misunderstanding all around, and Mr..
Dow, the II. NJ, and the reporter took seats.
In the course of the conversation that fol-
lowed General Dow said that there was a
local-option law in North Carolina; that in
Raleigh they were to vote on the question
sometime soon, and that, on the invitation
Of temperance men, he was going down
there to address the people in favor OF the
law, and he would leave Richmond to-day
"wednesday and stop tonight at Warren
ton, n. G.
LIBBY "REMINISCENCES.
The General said this was not his first
visit to Richmond. He was general in the
United States army, and was captured at
Port Hudson and brought to Richmond and
lodged in the Libby for safe-keeping. While
there he was allowed TO act as agent in the
distribution Of supplies sent into our lines
by the Federals for their officers and sol
dIers in our prisons.
General Dow asked about Rass Ross, the
clerk OF the Libby, and being told that Ross
lost his life in the Spotswood Hotel fire, eX-
pressed great regret. He declared that Ross
was good fellow, and was not more unkind
than prison discipline required. He also
inquired after Adjutant Latouche, Dick
oth of ho T ihhN ON
seemed to have good wishes for nearly all
OF them.
DOW AND THE MoFFETT BILL.
General Dow, in answer to questions
" Have you heard of our Motfett liquor
bill? Has your visit to Richmond any
connection with that measure ?"-stated
that he had q copy of the bill, but had
not yet been able to read it very care
fully. His visit here was not in connection
with it. He understood it to be revenue
not a prohibitory law. He thought it
would perhaps do the temperance cause
good by making liquor more costly.
At this point the reporter-who had done
the listening, and left most OF the talking
to the T. NJ. and General Dow-wedged in
rhis remark "Don't you think, General,
that the tax on consumption OF liquor may
have the effect Of stimulating the sale Of
mean, cheap whiskey at low rates; in other
words, won't pure liquor be run out OF the
market 2"
General Dow replied with .alacrity "The
meanest thing in the whiskey is the alcohol.
They can't put anything in it worse than
that"
So the reporter was shut up with u snap.
THE MAINE LAW.
There is absolute prohibition in Maine.
Liquor can't be sold there at all by law. But
parties are allowed to bring in liquor for
their own use from other States, and in the
large cities, despite the vigilance Of the Off
GERS and the severity OF the punishment,
there is small contraband traffic. General
Dow estimates that whereas Maine, il under
the same law as other States, would con-
sumo S27,O00,0OO OF liquor each year, she
now consumes less than $4,000, 900.
In reference to licensing liquor-dealers he
asserted that it was bad policy; that the
State had no more right to do it than to
license crime.
Still, he didn't expect these ideas to be
generally adopted for years to come.
And they will not be-if ever.
The 7. NJ. gave his opinion substantially
as follows Il am not in favor OF this Moi
fett bill. I am opposed to licensing the
sale OF liquor altogether; but I object to
this specially on the ground that the more
revenue it raises the tirmer it will become
fixed on the people, and the harder it will
be to stop liquor-selling. II the law be-
comes successful in its object (money-
ing), then prohibition, fully or partially, in
Virginia will be indefinitely postponed" =
And there the reporter retired, leaving
General Dow and the T. NJ. to fight it out
on cold-Water principles.