The Madison daily leader. [volume] (Madison, S.D.) 1890-current, 1894-02-23
NJ Al. DOW

Portland at tie time and drafted the
bill himself, emitting it An act for TIE
suppression of drinking houses and tip
ping shops"
The measure was very stringent. Tn
der it liquors intended for sale were con-
fscated and destroyed. and those who
sold or kept them for sale were fined or
imprisoned. The places where they We're
kept or sold were declared public nui-
sances, and officers were empowered t.
search suspected premises. The bill WAS
introduced on the last day of the le%iSl :
tive session. and under the influence Of
Dow's persuasive eloquence was passed
within "a hours without the change of a
single word. That it suited the people
of Maine was made evident in 1884, when
o prohibition amendment TO the state
constitution was adopted by n three
fourths majority of all the voters of the
state.
In 1854 Mr.. Dow was again elected
mayor Of Portland, and subsequently he
served W. terms in the legislature. He
entered the army in 1861 AS colonel of
the Thirteenth Maine volunteers and
was commissioned brigadier general by
President Lincoln. He served through
out the war and at one time commanded
the department Of the gulf. He was
wounded twice at the battle Of Port
Hudson and after being taken prisoner
was confined for eight months before be-
ing exchanged for General Fitzhugh Lee.
In a recent letter to John Chandler. a
New NOrk temperance advocate, General
Dow thus summarizes the results Of pro-
hibiliOn i'll Maine:
The people of Maine by a regular system OF
public teachings were fully convinced just 4!
years ago THAT the liquor traffic was injurious
to tie general welfare, that it was in deadly
hostility to every interest of the state, and
they were fully resolved that the EXPERIMENT
Of prohibition should be tried upon it to see
what the result would be. On the day of the
enactment of the blaine law the LIQUOR traffic
was carried On in Maine extensively in the
same manner as it is now conducted / in those
states and countries where it is licensed by the
law.
Quickly all this was changed. The effect of
the law Was almost instantaneous, Stocks OF
liquor were sent out of the state, and in every
case the small stocks OF the retail dealers were
carefully concealed. The favOrabic result OF
thi, policy was felt very soon, and / have ,!ved
long enough TO see the day that | bless tod FIX
having used Inc as his inetrumtU III securing
| prohibition for NGINC.
Empty jailS and cmpty workhGu~es followed
in the wake Of prohibition in Maine. Ia many
! Of the rural districts of the state | can we'll re.
member having seen the "To Let" sign tackled
upon jail, and warehouses four months after
! the Maine law was enacted. If the liquor traf
flc could be entirely cXtinguished there would
be very little poverty aud suffering Ill the land
and the people Of New York would not have tc
furnish bread for the needy.
General Dow writes that the first illus,
tratiCn Of the bcneticent effects of the
law that he knew Of came under his oh
~tervatiOn about 10 days after its enact
ment. There was an eccentric old farm
er of the name Of Eliakim Libby who
used to pass BOWS house in Portland
once IA week on his way to and from
market. He was called Like Libby by
his Portland acquaintance, who sin
cercly believed he could drink more ap
plcjack than any 10 men in Maine. II
made a regular practice Of going HON,
glOriously drunk on market day. and NJ
one who knew him could remembe,
when he had returned in any other con
ditiCn. The mayor had frequently seer
him drunk and knew of the habitua
regularity Of his market day sprees. On
day soon after the passage of the pro
hibitory law, however, Like drove b,
and called out to some member of Dow
household v, 10 was in sight:
Look "a here! You tell Neal Dow
that Like Libby is going home sober TO
the first time in 80 years"