The Republican journal. [volume] (Belfast, Me.) 1829-current, 1909-03-25
Nearly Three Centuries
OF Temperance Agitation and Legislation
in Maine-l636-l9O9.
BY FRANK w. GOWEN.

lied and Incorporated Dy the legislature.
Although this organization was rather
short-lived, yet it did much good IN
strengthening our prohibitory law and
aiding in more rigid enforcement OF
the law. DR.. John C. Stewart of York
was president of this organization and
John w. Mitchell Of Freedom was its
secretary. Both gentlemen were promi-
nent members of the Good Templar or
der and the best of feeling and harmony
existed between these temperance Or
CARNATIONS. DIR. Stewart is still living,
and only the past winter | met him at
the State House in Augusta. He is the
same earnest and Jealous champion Of
prohibition as in the days when he was
an active Good Templar and power as
debater in our grand lodge. John W.
Mitchell, the able secretary of the En-
forcement League, was one OF the most
fearless temperance workers we have
ever had in the State of Maine and his
sad ard tragic death by drowning in the
Kennebec at Augusta in 1894 brought
sorrow to the hearts of the people OF
Maine. He was leading member OF the
same lodge of Good Templars as myself
in Freedom village, and l can see HIM
now as he looked then in earnest debate
in our lodge room. He lies buried in the
beautiful cemetery in Freedom, and
fine, large granite monument marks his
resting place. Several times since his
early and untimely death, as ] have
passed the cemetery on my business
trips into Waldo county, my old home
county, have l stopped my horse and
visited his grave. He was my friend
and associate in temperance work, and l
shall ever cherish his memory and the
grand work he did for the cause of tenn
perance.
Freedom Lodge, which is now disband-
ed. was for wears one of the largest and
finest lodges in the State and numbered
some very prominent men, such as Hon.
J. D. Lamson, acting governor OF Name,
to whom referred in previous article;
the late DR.. A. J. Billings, an army SIR
geon in the Civil War, proment Repub-
lican, a member of our legislature and
State Senator in 1898. He was very
able and eloquent speaker and an ardent
temperance advocate. The late Addison
3. Sparrow, who was also leading
member, was member of our legisla-
ture few years ago. U. II. Keen, ESQ.,,
was also one of the most active members
of the lodge, and there were many others.
Among the younger members | remem-
Der that George E. Bryant was very
much interested in the order and was
District Templar in Waldo county some
twenty years ago. He is now in the
prime of life and active in business, hav-
ing been elected as county commissioner
of Waldo county last September. Other
prominent men in Waldo county who
We're members of the order We're Hon.
L. c. Morse of Liberty, who was lodge
deputy of Pamela Lodge in Liberty vii
lage nearly twenty years ago. Hon. A.
E. Nickerson of Swanville was an active
member of the lodge in his town and also
District Deputy for Waldo county. J. w.
Lang of Brooks was very able writer
and won a prize in the Grand Lodge of
Maine for an essay on the principles of
the order, which was published. He was
for many years a valued contributor to
The Republican Journal The late Oramel
Murray Of Pittstield was very active
member of Fidelity Lodge of Good Tenn
plars in Center Montville, which, by the
way, was one of the earliest lodges of
the order in the State of Maine, and of
which lodge my mother was also an act
i've member. The late Hon. ]. R. Mears
of Morrill, was District Templar for
Waldo county and did much excellent
work in enforcing our prohibitory law.
Rev. George E. Files Of East Thorndike
was District Deputy of the order for
Waldo county in 1891 and 1892 and Or
ganized several lodges.
Waldo county has also had the distinc-
ton of having one Of the ablest and old
est, in point of service, Grand Secretaries
in the world, in the person of George E.
Bracket of Belfast, of whom mention
was made in preceding article. One of
the ablest organizers of our order is Hon.
M. J. Dow of Brooks, who joined the
order at an early age and is still an act
i've member. For number of years be-
fore he was Grand Chief Templar in
Maine he was employed by the Grand
Lodge as lecturer and organizer and
was closely associated in temperance
work with Ex-Governor Nelson Dingley,
Ex-Governor Sidney Perham, Hon. T. R.
Simonton of Camden and Hon. A. j.
Chase of Portland all Past G. C. Tenn
plars of Maine. He was elected Grand
Chief Templar at the annual session of
the order in Augusta in April, 1886, and
held this office for two years, during
which time our order numbered upwards
of 10000 members in the State. He has
represented Maine in the worlds sessions
of our order, first becoming member of
the Supreme Lodge at its session in Rich
mOnd VIRGINIA in 1885, and his services