Herald and tribune. [volume] (Jonesborough, Tenn.) 1869-current, 1892-08-11
COLUMN.
EDITED BY JONESBORO W. C. I. U.
MRS. KATE B. SIMPSON, Superintendent
of Press Work.
The ladies of the W. G. T. u, will
serve ice cream and sherbet at the Hall
Thursday evening of this week.
PEOPLE YOU SHOULD KNOW.

originator OF the Maine Law" runs
almost parallel with this century, for
he was born in 1904, and is now over
eighty eight years of age. He was born
in the city of Portland, Maine. His
Quaker father was q tanner, and the
young Neal Dow soon learned, by watch
ing the brutal laborers with whom he
came in contact, to abhor with all his
soul the devil of drink. This hostility
was increased by observations he made
while at the head of an almshouse and
house of correction. He decided that
the State must act as a whole against
this great foe of the State, and DELHI
erately made it his life work to sup
press the abominable tariff.
1t is interesting to know how he cam
to make this decision. He called out,
n night, by the wife Of a prominent
government official who lived in Port
land. She begged him to rescue her
husband from the saloon. After getting
the man home Mr.. Dow tried to make
the sa Don keeper promise to sell the
man no more whiskey, but in vain. II
have a family to support" said the
keeper, land a license to sell to whom
ever l please" Mr.. BOWS chief efforts
from that day have been to take from
saloon keepers such a License.
In 1889 he began toplead for prohihi.
ton before the aldermen of Portland.
He travelled all over Maine, rousing
the people. He and his assistants were
called "a set of ramrod fanatics, led
by a modern Peter the Hermit In
1S43 he gained his first success in Port
land, and from that year no more Ii
cense to sell liquor were granted. A
little later the people of the city form
ally adopted the principle of total pro-
hibition.
Then Mr.. Dow carried the war into
the State legislature, at first with only
partial success; but he kept on agitating
the reform with untiring and wonder
full energy, and against the most bitter
opposition from the men of rum. His
perseverance was rewarded in 1916 by
the passage of a bill abolishing the IL
cense system, and forbidding the public
sale of Intoxicating liquor. The foes
OF the measure tried in vain to get it
repealed. Twice Mr.. Dow and his party
attempted to push through a more
stringent law, and the third time they
succeeded. This last is the measure
which. has become famous the world
over as "The Maine Liquor Law"
What the law has done let Mr.. Dow
tell in his W words
Every distillery and every brewery
was Theoretically shut. Today
more than three fourths of our terri
tory containing more than three fourths
of our people, is practically free from
the liquor traffic, so that an entire gen
Grafton has grown up there, never hav-
ing seen a grog shop or a drunkard.
Our States saves annually, directly and
indirectly, more than twenty four mil.
lion dollars, which, but for prohibition,
would be spent, lost, wasted in drink.
Before the Maine law, signs of poverty
and unthrift were seen everywhere
about the State; signs of thrift and
prosperity very few, if anywhere. Now
there is indication of intelligent and
active industry-thrift and prosperity
everywhere, while no sign of unthrift
is seen anywhere.
During the early days of this struggle
Mr.. Dow was twice chosen mayor of
Portland, and once-on the occasion
of the rum riot" of 1S55-was com
PEELED to order the troops to fire upon
the mob. In 1857 he met with q warm
reception III England, and made many
powerful temperance speeches through
out the kingdom. At the outbreak of
the Civil War he become colonel of the
Thirteenth Maine Volunteers, rose to
the rank Of brigadier general, was twice
wounded in action, vas taken prisoner
by a s%trategem, and spent eight months
in Libby Prison, from which he was
freed by exchange for the Southern
general, Fitz Hugh Lee. Even in prison,
his voice was raised, often and jealous
ly, pleading for temperance.
That was indeed a scene long to be
remembered that took place in Portland
a few weeks ago. Frances E. Willard
and Lady Somerset visited the aged
hero, and together the three poured
out the liquor which for months before
had been seized from those who were
prepared to sell it illegally. 1t was a
libation to the goddess of temperance,
and who more worthy than these three
to pour it out? Rather, it was a SER
vice of joyous thanks giving to the God
of victories, by whom these three SER
wants of his-this great temperance
trio, all of whose portraits have now
been given to this years readers of The
Golden Rule-have been enabled to
accomplish SO much.
Perhaps the most remarkable case on
record of death resulting from cigarette
smoking was that of young DeRietern,
aide-de.camp of the Car Alexander