The Republican journal. [volume] (Belfast, Me.) 1829-current, 1909-04-22
Nearly Three Centuries
OF Temperance Agitation and Legislation
in Maine-l636-l9O9.
BY FRANK w. GOWEN.
N,o IN

In his message to the legislature in the
winter of 1874 Governor Dingley spoke
at length on the prohibition issue, and
said, among other things:
"Where our prohibitory laws have
been we'll enforced, few will deny
that thew have accomplished great
onod In more than three-fourths of
the State, especially in the rural por-
tions. where 40 years since intoxicat-
mo l;ouors were as freely and COM
monty sold as any article of merchan-
disc. public sentiment has secured
such an enforcement of these laws
that there are now in these districts
few open bars; and even secret sales
are SO much reduced as to make
drunkenness in the rural towns COM
paratively rare.
There were several notifications of the
nrohibitorv law during Governor Ding
Iey's term of office. In 1875 General
Selden Conner, gallant soldier OF the
Civil War, was elected governor, and IN
his message to the Legislature IN the WIN
ter of 1876 he spoke at length on tne
question of prohibition, claiming tnat our
LIQUOR laws were generally well en emo
The next governor OF Name, IN 1870 was
Alonzo Garcelon, Democrat, ana ne
made no reference to prohibition on IN MS
message to the legislature. In $50 non.
msn;ai T Davis was elected governor by
tho Republicans, and in his message in
the winter of 1880 he spoke favorably OF
the principles of prohibition. The legls-
lature of 1880 made some important
CHANGES in the statutes relating to com
mon nuisances and the sale OF lntoXlcat-
mo LIQUORS. and increased the penalties
for violating the prohibitory law by I'M
nosin0 more fines and longer lmprlson-
ment. -.
In 1880 the Prohibition party made its
first apuearance in Maine politics. Its
candidate for governor was Hon. VIM.
p Jov of Ellsworth. Hon. Harris nj.
plaisted was. however, elected governor
as fusion candidate, the Democrats and
Greenbackers uniting and defeating Gov
ernor Davis In his message 70 the leg
islature in the winter OF 1881 governor
Plaisted made no reference to prom,
bition. The years 1881, 1852, 1883 ana
1884 will always be regarded as the years
which constituted the era OF consclCu-
tional prohibition in Maine. l have, how
evar given a history of the amendment
campaign of 1884 in a previous artlcie
and will only add that the rapldlty with
which the movement for constitutional
prohibition has progressed throughout
the South and other States IN the Union
since Maine adopted constitutional pro-
hibition is something wonderful.
In bringing this great question OF con-
stitutional prohibition to the front during
+he Years have mentioned much credit
should be given to the press OF our COM
monwealth as we'll as to the temperance
orders The Republican newspapers gen
prally favored the amendment, While lead
mo Democratic papers like the Eastern
Argus, Bangor Commercial and the Fro
gressive Age Of Belfast (the latter oe
funcD were opposed to the amenomeht
as we'll as to the Maine law. over
quarter of a century has passed since
the exciting amendment campaign puI
the noble stand The Republican Jourhai
took in that contest has never oeell ior-
gotten by the writer of these articles;
No weekly paper in Maine rendered
greater service and did more to secure
fhe glorious victory for constitutional
prohibition than The Republican journal
one of the cleanest and ablest weekly
newspapers in our commonwealth.
As already stated have given pref
history of the amendment campaign IN
1874 and have also referred to eN-GoVer-
nor Robie's message to the legislature
on the question of prohibition, as we'll as
those of Ex-Governor Bodwell in 1887 and
of Ex-Governor Burleigh in 1891, and Will
now mass on and state that in the winter
of 1893 Governor Henry B. Cleaves In his
message to the Legislature referred 10
the issues of prohibition and our liquof
agencies at some length. In the WINTER
Of 1897 the late Hon. LleWellyn POWERS,
who was then governor, delivered very
able message on the question OF prohl-
bition and said, among other thlngS: we
should take no steps backward. Name,
which boasts the proud honor OF having
been the pioneer in prohibition legisla-
ton, should, and will, continue to be a
prohibition State" In his second mes
sage to the legislature in 1899 Governor
Powers made no reference to prohibition.
The question of the resubmission OF our
TEMPERANCE laws to the people was now
being much discussed throughout the
State. so much so that Governor John +.
Hill in his second message to the legls-
lature. in the winter of 1903, said:
Among some of the most earnest
and sincere friends Of temperance IN
the State there is a strong feeling
that the prohibitory amendment
should again be submitted to the
people. that they may have an OPP
portunity to declare themselves upon
the question They believe that such
an expression of the popular will
would give renewed strength to the
law and lead to more complete and
thorough enforcement in those por-
tons of the State where officials have
failed to do their duty.
eff you are satisfied that the peo-
pie desire to express themselves upon
this matter, it will be your duty to
give them an opportunity to definite
ly pass upon the whole question at
the polls.
The legislature of 1903 refused to re-
submit the prohibitory amendment to the
people and resubmission met its Waterloo
by large majority, both in the House
and Senate. In 1904 and 1905 our State
was stirred from one end to the other on
the issue of resubmission, and one of the
greatest contests for the nomination for
governor in the Republican party that
ever occurred in Maine took place. Early
in 1903 the late Hon. Joseph H. Manley,
one of the ablest political leaders in our
nation, announced that he was candi-
date for governor, and his firm stand
against resubmission and for enforce
ment of our liquor laws won him much
favor in Maine. But March %, 1904, Mr.
Manley announced through the columns
% Lo 81 hot