The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1894-06-05
NEAL DOW'S LIFE WORK.

Neal Dow at 80 years addressing vast
audience upon the subject which has
occupied his attention during the greater
part OF his life is wonde rful EXAMPLE
OF vigorous, temperate manhood. In
the full possession Of every faculty. active
and interested in public affairs
ne has lived to see his theory enforced.
not only in his own State, but elsewhere.
and In other countries, and to possess
the knowledge that if prohibition does
not accomplish the impossible and pre-
vent all sale of liquor, it makes it a
CRIME, prevents its manufacture. drives
the traffic into secret places and removes
from the youth OF his State the tempta-
tions that surround the young in states
where liquor is freely sold.
lhe young man growing up does not
constantly see men ir whom he has
every confidence and to whom he looks
up to and respects entering liquor stores
ana bar-rooms and drinking liquor. No
such example is set him and the men he
knows and respects never stand mn be-
fore bar and take drink. Liouor
selling is forbidden by law 1t is crime
to sell it and the man who obtains il be.
comes party to the infraction of the
law. Thus he is unconsciously edu.
Gated to re gard the liquor traffic as a
crime.
without going into the ethics of the
case, any law which removes from the
young temptation is beneficial and the
prohibitory laws of Maine certainly do |
remove temptation from all those. save
the ones who are determined TO en-. |
counter it.
We are told that prohibition in Maine
does not prohibit. On this point Neal
Dow says:
80 far from being failure in Maine.
1t has been great success. Years apo
there Were many distilleries and brew
cries III the State. Now there is not
one. AT one time rum was imported
into the State in great quantities. To-
day there is none. There is some liouor
smuggled into the State, it is true. but
the consumption is almost nothing. An
entire generation has grown up in the
State which does not know the taste of
liquor
In these particulars the law is a suc-
cess. There was a time in Neal Dows
llfe when in Portland alone there were
seven breweries and distilleries. when
hundreds of hogsheads of West India
rum were landed weekly on the docks.
when even q barn raising was not at
tempted unless punch big enough 70
get whole neighborhood drunk was
brewed and when drunkenness. like .
swearing at the time of Queen Elizabeth.
was the height of fashion and elegance.
Neal Dow has changed all this. To
him and his indomitable energy and
will is due the prohibtory law in Maine.
which leads prohibitory legislation all |,
he world over.
And that he should devote his time 8
ma money to thi7 great work, is all the :
more creditable from the fact that there !,
vas no terrible example in his own fam i,
ly to impel him to take up the fight. He ;
vas a man of wealth and refinement ;,
he was not drinking man and was NOT :,
pecially interested save as he was inter- 7
'sted in his fellow-man but his SYM .
lathies being aroused 10y specific case /,
10 began his great work, and has had :,
he extreme satisfaction Of having his y
lative State enact his desires into law q
md drive from her borders the traffic :,
n rum.
And now at 30, a full score Of years ;
,eyond the allotted time of man. in )
'erfect health and possessing vigorous
mentality that thousands of younger .,
nen might well envy, he is still preach 4
ng his doctrine of temperance and l.
ghting the rum trade, one Of the grand :,
st specimens of American manhood Of a
he present day. =,