Morning journal and courier., 1894-06-04
IT IS NOT A FAILURE.

Gener0l NeAl DOW Given the Chau. tauqua When He Rose to Speak Cengress-He Tells What Has Been Done in Maine.
 PROHIBITION PARK, S. l., June 3.-Gen- eral Neal Dow, the father of prohibition, was greeted by ten thousand enthusiastic admirers at the international temperance congress which opened here to-day. He occupied an arm. chair at the right of the presiding officer during the morning, af- ternoon and evening sessions and showed by his quick appreciation of the points of the speakers that his mind Is undimmed by the ninety years that have passed over his head. Prominent speakers and pro- hibition workers from many states and from abroad were present. Governor Till man of South Carolina arrived during the afternoon session and was given a seat on
 the platform.
 At the morning session William T. Ward we'll of New York presided. The Rev. D. s. Gregory, D. D., led the devotional ser vices. Colonel A. s. Bacon, president of | the Sunday Observance society of Brook | lyn, delivered the address of welcome. Ad- dresses congratulsting General Dow on happily passing the ninetieth year were ! made by Aaron M. Powell, editor of the National Temperance Advocate; Professor Dickie, chairman of the national prohibi- ton party; Susan E. Fsssenden and Mrs. Ellen J. Phinney, of the W. 0. T. U. Hon. D. Hastings of Wisconsin, and O. A. Ev-
 erett of St. John, N. B. General Dow made brief response, telling how thor oughly he appreciated the kind words of | his friends, and the encouragement they gave him in the work of his life.
 General Swsyne presided at the after noon session. Rev. Father Niles of Pouzh- keepsie was the first speaker. He was fol- lowed by Joseph Cook of Boston. Dr. Cook said:
 "The house of lords, Mr. Gladstone says, must be mended or ended. The liquor | traffic, this convention says, must be ended because it cannot be mended. My convic. tion Is that this will be the keynote of the ! twentieth century. The work of Neal Dow | fight, and even at ninety years of age he | has not run his course. The truth that Maine has been transformed and trans | figured through the work of Neal Dow | travels slowly; but the lie that the Maine | liquor law Is failure travels with seven- | league boots."
 | He told of what Neal Dow had done in l his own state and reviewed the progress | that had been made by prohibition in the | past sixty years. Colonel A. s. Bacon said | that the object of the present congress was | to unite the leading workers of all nations | and creeds in one grand movement for the | suppression of the liquor traffic. The | Rev. Dr. B. B. Tyler of New York read a | formal oongratulatory address to General Dow. It was signed by the heads of the | prohibition and temperance movements of | this country and Canada.
 General Dow was given the Chautauqua ealute when he rose to reply. During the | first three or four sentences his voice trem- bled with emotion, then 1t grew stesdisr, and 1t was clear and emphatic when he dwelt on what had been accomplished since he took up the temperance work. He said | in substance:
 "I do not feel that have accomplished any thing that entities me to the honor which Is done me to-day. No words can | express the gratitude feel for what has | been said and done. But perhaps it is bet. | ter to look at what is yet to be done. | was once handed slip from newspaper ! which announced that Goldwin Smith had said that prohibition was a failure ir Maine. My reply was that hoped Gold 1 win Smith QlQ not maK6 6ucQ statement for the reason that 1t was not true. So fal from being a failure prohibition has been [
 very great success. At one tint
 we had a great many breweries and distilleries in Maine. There Is no one now and there has not beer one in many years. In Portland alcn, there were seven distilleries. There Ii none now. Atone time cargoes of Jamaici rum were imported into the state. There lie none now. It Is true that liquor in small
 quantities is smuggled over the boundary
 But liquor is not openly sold and there Ii
 not one hundredth part as much consumed
 in the state as before the flaw was psssed
 A remedy for consumption that will cur
 ninety nine cases out of Q hundred canno
 be called a failure. (Applause. An en
 tire generation has grown up among three
 quarters of our people and 1t has not seel
 a grog shop or drunken man"
 Speaking of other etates, he said tha
 great progress had been made and ther
 are many places where no liquor is sol'
 owing to local option laws. Continuing
 he said: s'The liquor traffic has existed fo fifty years by permission of Chrietia
 churches. Their members are masters 0
 the situation. When they say 'go' an
 vote 'go' the saloon will go." [Applause
 | At the evening session General T. I
 James presided. There were addresses b
 Alexander Russell Webb of the Mahomm,
 dan church and Father Murphy of the R.
 man Catholic church.