The mirror. (Stillwater, Minn.) 1894-1925, 1895-01-24


"was made prohibition state by sow V
ing it knee deep withtemperancell lltera-
ture.' Winter and summer, in weather \
cold or hot, wet or dry, he made in his \
carriage missionary tours of the state, a
taking always with him one friend-Mr. g
Shirley, of BrookIyn-and sometimes a
two or three, and himself paying all t
expenses. Series of. meetings were ar t
ranged in advance, and large audiences /
awaited him, to which, as we'll as in l
private houses, and especially among |
school children, he distributed temper f
ance tracts, beside the inspiration OF
his incisive and manly eloquence.
The first fruit of these efforts was
the Maine PrOhibitive Act OF 1916 !
This law made no adequate provision
for the seizure of liquors illegally held
for sale. Mr. Dow Immediately began
agitation for it's amendment and for
the choice of a legislature pledged to
effective prohibition.
While mayor Of Portland, he drafted
the famous Maine Law. 1t forbade the
manufacture, sale and keeping for sale
of intoxicating liquors. Liquors kept
for sale were to be seized, cOnfiscated
and destroyed No action could be
maintained for recovery of liquors
thus confiscated. There could be no
property in such liquors. Cases arising
under this act were to take precedence
: i'm the courts over all others. except
J. those i'm which the persons on trial were
a actually waiting in confinement. Penal
e ties imposed in the act We're net-to- be
s lightened directly or indirectly by the
It court. Liquors forsmediclnal purposes
d or for use in the manufactures and the
d arts were to be sold by an agent specially
if appointed in each town, who should
le have no pecuniary interest in the sales.
@ This act was to go into effect as soon
w as approved by the Governor.
ID Mr.. Dows friends in Portland, to
l." whom he submitted this bill for critic
es ism. were confident that it would not
ne be passed by the Legislature. Arriving
10 at Augusta, the state capitol, April ~
ed 1851, two days before the adjournment
ed for the session, he obtained the appoint
Sc ment of a committee and a Legislative
lis hearing in the afternoon, and spoke TO
n an hour in crowded hall, and present
ed his bill. 1t was passed by vote o
as 86 to 40 in the House, and 1S to 10 II
"I the Senate. This was Saturday, tn
ell last day of May. Forty three years ag
he Yesterday, or June 2, 1921, Governo
nv Hubbard, a Democrat, signed the &C
of and it became the Maine Law, tn
md passage of which, as we'll as the blrtf
IT," day of it's author, we celebrate TO-DAY.
ave Under Mr.. Dow's enforcement of tn
will law. Portlands saloons soon ceased
it. exist. Many of them were closed, an
bv became reputable places OF bushes
do Maine had been overrun with dlstllle
if I les and breweries, and these gradual
disappeared. There is not today, al
rm, has not been for many years, dlstllle
our or brewery in Maine. Confiscat'
of liquors were sometimes turned In
axe the cutters. The retail liquor ira
aw. was reduced to inconsiderable prop(
lent tions. A sum equivalent to the val
ave of all the property existing in the sta
ate had been wasted in drink in every peri
pur- of twenty years. Evidences of power
bel were seen everywherein neglected tarr
dilapidated houses, decaying fen'
der and general unthrift, but today MAJ
the ranks with the most prosperous co
hese monwealths. The traffic is practlca
and unknown in more than three fourths
of the territory of the state. "Wher'
ight- exists at all,' says Mr.. Dow, ut
vick- mostly confined to the cities, and tn
soul it is carried on in nearly all instan
tion. in small way and with more or
tan. secrecy. This is due entirely to cert
took defects in the law, that leaves to
! the trade a considerable margin OF pr
such which no prohibitory law should
nned All the improvements that are
,or of needed will come in due time.
most striking evidence of popular
years port was provided in 1884, when
, peo- principle of prohibition was embed
saws. in the constitution of the state