The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1898-01-22
w. c. T. u.
Gather a Few lessons From the Life OF
Gen. Dow.

A we'll attended and interesting meet
ing of the Women's Christian temper
ance Union was held yesterd ay AFTERNOON
at the state headquarters on Free streee
to gather I'D few lessons from the lie OF
General Neal Dow, which might serve as
an inspiration for the present and guloe
for the future action of the members.
On the walls of the room hung pictures
of Gen. Dow taken in the earlier and
later periods of his earthly career as well
az one of Mrs. Francis Willard, all of
which we're appropriately draped with
American flags.
Mrs. A. 3. Cole lead the meeting and
said we are going today to study the life
of a man like Joshua of old, who In his
answering devotion to righteousness
turned neither to the right nor left but
pushed steadily on to the mark despite
contumely and opposition on every Side.
She thought it especially fitting at the be-
ginning of year to take up few OF the
lessons to be learned from the contempla-
ton of q life like General BOWS, and
first introduced Mrs. l.. NJ. N. Stevens
as one upon whom his mantle seemed
destined to fall.
Mrs. Stevens thought the great prin-
cipIe which underlay General Dow's life
was his love of right. Lingering on his
boyhood she showed by anecdote that he
was even then embued with intense
hatred for wrong, and following him
through manhood dwelt upon his beauti-
full home life, his love Of music and
animals. "The world little knows, /" said
the speaker, "of the tender and beautiful
side of this great man."
Wherever she went. in England or the
South, people of note always made In
auiries of her concerning General Dow.
A great many thought him an arbitrary
man-not SOFT was love of home and
other peoples homes and humanity at
large which impelled him to fight rum
sellers. He was pure In heart and vii be
loved more as time rolls by and the best
testimonial that can be offered his
memory is to give practical effect to- his
last message and hold up the banner OF
prohibition with these resolution in
scribed thereon:
Whereas, The reimbursement OF be
Prohibitory Law in some localities OF oul
state is bringing the criticism Of the
world upon us as having the will OF the
people set aside: Therefore resolved, thai
we as a body of Christian women will
| faithfully carry out the plan OF action az
recommended by the executive committee
and endorsed by the convention, and
printed at length on the state minutes, tc
wit: "That we will inform ourselves az
| to the enforcement of the Prohibitory
Law in our communities and if non-en-
forced, we will choose a legal committee
| from our unions who shall wait upon the
municipal officers and learn from them
| what they consider to be their duty In re-
gard TO this law. If further steps are
| necessary, we will petition the county at
torney and other county officers to enforce
this law. We will also petition the gov
ernor and other state officials to execute
| the laws.
| Mrs. Margaret Merrill was unable to be
present on account of illness, but sent a
note of encouragement. ''We need, y
wrote Mrs. Merrill, "to realize our re.
sponsibility in this matter. 1t makes nc
difference whether we fail or not. Hard
work may be defeated, but it is the venti
lation of principle that is needed and thai
| is what we are doing today"
Mrs George S. Hunt then addressed
| the meeting and remarked that If they
could take themselves back to the days
when General Dow first began his labors
they would realize the difficulties which
surrounded him, compared with which
the task of the present would almost seem
easy. A salient feature of General Dow's
character was his self sacrifice, which lee
him to forsake library-for he was e
literary man-and to forego public
positions which easily would have faller
| to his lot.
Referring to the opinion expressed by
many people that high license would bt
etter. Mrs Hunt said such q course
would be a compromise with wrong. She
counselled patience and dwelt upon thu
work done by the association since its or
ganizatiou In 1875 by somewhat indirec
| Influences, ''but with the ballot they
would speak more forcibly." Mayors ant
sheriffs have been labored with for tn
last twenty years and they tell us sit re
quires more evidence to convict a rum