The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1894-11-16
THE PRoHIRIToRY LAW.
Bishop Nicely Writes in Reply to Gen.
Neal Dow.

Neal Dow.
To the Editor Of the Press:
How it happened that a letter of mine,
addressed to Rev. Silliman Blagden,
found its way into the newspapers, | am
quite unable to say. Certainly the let
ter was not intended for publication. and
was written with no thought that it
might be published. Mr.. Blagden is
Congregationalist minister, engaged IN
evangelistic work. He is an excellent
and cody man, and has the courage OF
his convictions. From time to time he
has sent me reports of his work, and ex-
pressions of his opinions on various top
les, in which we are mutually interested,
and has sometimes asked in return for
an expression from me on the same or
other points. So, he having repeatedly
asked me whether nv observation of the
working of our prohibitory law justified
his conviction of its inefficiency, finally
in leisure hour wrote the letter re-
ferred to: but with no more expectation
than | had had that former letters adj
dressed to him in response to inquiries
on other questions would be published.
This much to dispel the notion which
some may entertain that / have either
voluntarily, or under solicitation, en-
gagged myself in public attack upon our
prohibltory law.
lam not in the least surprised that the
letter, being published, has evoked a per-
sonal response from Mr.. Dow, but con-
fess to some surprise that he should not
have dealt more fairly with it in his re-
ply. He quotes aportion of it, and then
says: 81 will reply to the Bishops aver
ments, seriatim," but if he had simply
finished my sentence in his extract, it
would have been at once seen that at
least seven out OF the nine sections of his
reply had no relation whatever to any
'saverment' of mine, for drew no COM
parison between the state of things here
now, and that of fifty years ago, except
to say, ut is true, presume, that spirit
uous liquors are much less in general
use than they were fifty years ago in
Maine,' which ssaverment'' Mr.. Dow
proceeds to elaborate at some length,
and in a style which has become quite
familiar to us all. The missing portion
of the sentence in his quotation from my
letter is as follows: 'sAnd I do not think
that the vice of drunkenness hassbeen in
the least lessened in it's prevalence here
by any legislative enactment or provis-
ions for the enforcement of the law with
in the past thirty years" THAT, sub
nit, is not an averment, but an opinion,
and it presents the only issue to which
am bound to plead. Ii shown to be ill
founded mill xyo,xr ri DIV, ,otr.ont HI, r
Mr.. Dow has as yet controverted it by
no facts, for those which he marshals
are quite irrelevant. Even the contrast
which he exhibits between the preva-
lence of drinking habits, customs. &C.,
here fifty years ago and the present con-
dition, may be paralleled in many of its
features from other states, where there
has never been a prohibitory law. Times
have changed, and manners with them
in the course OF fifty years, not
merely here but elsewhere.
Mr.. Dow courteously expresses regret
that the Bishop should have written
such letter without consulting some of
his friends who are familiar with the
subject :n., all lis phases, since he can
know nothing of it personally" and
at the close of his letter proffers
advice to the same effect. But
considering that / am no new conner
here, and have been a resident of Maine
for twenty-eight years, and that my
Official duties require me to traverse a
great portion of the State every year,
I would hardly know where to look for
those who have had fuller opportunities
than myself to learn the facts of the
case MS theyshave teen presented during
that period, unless indeed among the
commercial travellers: and some of them
/ have consulted, with the result of
having my opinion, based upon personal
observation, confirmed.
1 will only add that | have no legisla-
tive measures to propose or advocate as
an alternative for our prohibitory law
So far as anything can be accomplished
by legislation for the suppression of
drunkenness. I believe that that law
would be, with certain notifications, as
efficient as any other which might be
proposed. But have more confidence
in the methods and measures of volun-
tary organizations, and most of ali in the
! radical method of our Lord Jesus Christ.
which every minister of His is bound to
pursue, and which alone can lead out of
the bondage of law into the glorious lib
erty of the sons of God-that of making
the tree good that the fruit may be
good. Fl. A. NELLY.
I