The Portland daily press., 1894-06-04
ENTHUSIASTIC ADMIRERS
Greet Gen. Neal Dow at the Inter.
national Temperance Congress.
HE DELIVERS AN ADDRESS ON THE
WORKINGS OF THE MAINE LAW.

Gen. Dow Receives the Congratulations of
the Immense Audience and Bears Off
the Honors of the Day-The Meeting
Was Gathering of Representative
Temperance Workers from All Parts
of the Country.
Prohibition Park, Staten Island, June a.
Gen. Neal Dow, the father of prohibition,
was greeted by 10000 enthusiastic admirers
at the international Temperance Congress,
which opened here today. He occupied an
arm chair at the right of the presiding
ofhcer during the morning, afternoon sand
evening sessions, and showed by his quick
appreciation of the points of the speakers,
his mind was undimmed by the ninety years
that had passed over him. Prominent
speakers and Prohibition workers from
many states and from abroad were present.
Gov. Tillman of South Carolina, arrived
during the afternoon session and was given
seat on the platform. At the morning
session VIM. 7. WardwelI of New York, pre-
sided, and Rev. D. S. Gregory, D. D., led
the devotional service. Col Alexander S.
Bacon, the president of the Sunday Obser-
vance Society of Brooklyn, delivered an ad-
dress of welcome. Addresses congratulating
Gen. Dow on happily passing his ninetieth
milestone were made by Aaron M. Powell,
editor of the National Temperance Advo-
| cate, Prof. Samuel Dickie, chairman of the
National Prohibition party, Susan E. Fes-
sender and Mrs. Ellen J.. Phinney, of the
w. c. T. u, Hon. Samuel D. Hastings of
Wisconsin and G. A. Everett, N. B.
Gen. Dow made brief response, telling
how throughly he appreciated the kind
words of his friends and the encouragement
they gave him in the work of his life.
Gen. Wagner Swayne, presided at the
afternoon session and Rev. Father Niles of
Pougheepsie, was the first speaker. He was
followed by Joseph Cook, of Boston, Mass.
who said: THE truth that Maine has been
transformed through the work of Neal Dow
travels slowly, but the lie that the Maine
liquor law is failure travels with seven
leauge boots.''
He told of what Neal Dow had done in his
own state and reviewed the progress made
by. prohibitionsin the past sixty years. AT
the present time, he said, woman's vote is
everywhere dreaded by the saloon element,
as an ally of prohibition. He was loudly
applauded when he alluded to equal
suffrage. DR.. Cook said the time at last
had come when the Prohibitionists will turn
Col. Alexander Bacon said, the object of
the present congress was to unite the lead
ing workers of all nations and creeds in one
grand movement for the suppression of tine
liquor traffic, the Rev. D. B. B. Tylerny
read formal congratulatory address to
Gen. Neal Dow, signed by the heads of the
Prohibition and temperance movements of
this country and Canada. Gen. Dow was
given the Chautauqua salute when he arose
to reply. During the first two or three
sentences his voice trembled with emotion
and then grew steadier and was clear and
emphatic when he dwelt on what had been
accomplished since he took up the temper
ance work. He said, in substance: Il don't
feel have accomplished anything that en-
titles me to the honor done me today. No
words can express the gratitude l feel for
what has been said and done here. Perhaps
it is best l should tell of some of the work
done and the Importance of the work yet to
be done. No question before the people of
this country or any other country is so
great as the liquor question, and strange as
it may seem, there are many prominent
men, manymen of enlightenment, educa-
tion and understanding who know nothing
about the work of prohibition. was once
handed slip from newspaper which an
nounced that Goldwin Smith had said pro-
hibition was failure in Maine. My reply
to that was, hoped Goldwin Smith did not
make such a statement, for the reason that
it is not true. So far from being failure
in Maine, prohibition has been a very great
success. At one time we had great many
breweries and distiIeries in Maine, but not
one now, and there has not been one in
many years. In Portland alone, where seven
distilleries were, there are none now. At
one time cargoes of Jamacla rum were i'm
ported into the state, but Shere are none
now. 1t is true liquor in small quantities is
smuggled over the boundary. Liquor is not
openly sold and not a huntredth part as
much is consumed in the state as before the
law was passed. A remedy for consumption
that will cure ninety-nine cases in one
hundred, cannot be called failure. (Ap-
plause.) } The entire generation grown up
among three-quarters of our people has not
seen a grog shop nor drunken man.Speak-
ing of other states, he said, great progress
was made in many places where no liquor
was sold owing to the local option laws"
Continuing, he said: 1.-THE liquor traffic has
existed fifty years by the permission of
Christian chm ches. Their members are
masters of the situation when they say 'go'
and vote go the saloon will 'go' ~. ZAP
plause.)
At the evening session, Gen. Thomas l..
James of New York, presided. Addresses
were made by Alexander Russell Webb of
the Mohammeda nchurch and Father Murphy
of the Roman Cantholic church of Canada.
I~x,E TO-