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MAINE LAW ILLUSTRATED:
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THE RESULT OF AN INVESTIGATION
UA.DK IS
THE MAINE LAW STATES;
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A, FASEWELL AND G. P. UEE,
PBESZDENT AND SBOBETARY
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CANADIAN PROHIBITORY LIQUOR LAW LEAGUE
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Gentlemen, —
Commissioned as we were by you to visit New England, to
ascertain the practical effects of the Maine Law in those States
in which it had been enacted, we have much pleasure in herewith
furnishing an accurate Report of our mission in connexion with
that great movement, which is now engrossing the attention of
nearly every Statt^ in the Union. We listened with an impartial
ear to the remarks of friends and foes of the Maine Law, and
from all we saw and heard, have no hesitation in declaring, that
the virtue, the intelligence, the industry, t.nd the worth, of the
New England States, are pledged to a thorough enforcement of
that I.aw, as the only antidote to intemperance, — the prolific
source of the vice, the crime, and the pauperism, which afflict
Society. The Law has made friends for itself wherever it has
been vigorously enforced ; and, although evaded in some in-
stances, and violated in others, it is almost universally acknow-
ledged to be as successful in its operations as any other penal
law that was ever enacted. Nor has its most vigorous enforce-
ment led, in any one instance that we could ascertain, to the
frightful results, so boldly predicted, and pathetically conjured
up, by those who were nervously apprehensive that the
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sanctity of the domestic hearth would be invaded by the
operations of this law. Under no circumstances has the home
of the peaceful citizen been more secure, for in this, as in every
other case, while the law is a terror to evil-doers, it is a bulwark
of strength to them that do well.
To the many kind friends, who so cheerfully aided us in our
work, we here respectfully tender our most cordial thanks. As
the mere repetition of our acknowledgments, so justly due to
each, would, of itself, fill a large space in our Report, we prefer
being thus general, and we trust that this, our only reason for
not being more specific, will be accepted in good faith by all.
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REPORT.
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Left in a measure to take whatever course we deemed best for the
successful accomplishment of our mission, we proceeded to Albany,
as the New York State Legislature was then in Session, to confer
with the Committee who had charge of the new bill prepared to
supersede the one vetoed by Governor Seymour, and to ascertain
what remedies they had provided for the defects which were felt to
exii,t in the laws passed by other States. We found that a bill much
more stringent than the one vetoed by their late Governor had passed
its second reading, and had been referred to a committee to report it
for final action by the Legislature. This committee was composed of
six gentlemen from the majority, and three from the minority of
those who had voted upon the bill, viz. : John "W. Stebbins, Charles
C. Leigh, L. S. May, Levi Miller, N. M. Masters, and C. P.
Johnson from the majority, and WiUiam B. Aitken, F. S. Dumont,
and George II. Searing from the minority.
Mr. Stebbins, the Chairman of the Committee, and one of the most
prominent members of the Assembly, very frankly explained to us
the position of matters in the Legislature, " Oiu' former law," he said,
" was not so well drawn as we could have wished, but the veto put
upon it has given us an opportunity to prepare one much more
strmgent in its provisions. My own experience is, that the laws
which have operated best, are those which are the most stringent in
their details. Laws which have been drawn in part to please the rum-
seUer, or the timid temperance man, who wished to make a sort of
compromise with the traflSc, have failed in their aim, whUe laws such
as that of Connecticut can be enforced successfully. The Michigan
Law was well drawn, and being very stringent, the respectable portion
of the people made up their minds to obey it, and its immediate effects
were very beneficial. II went into operation on the 1st of December,
1853, but havLQg been submitted to the people, it was decided by
some of the Courts unconstitutional, in consequence of that submission.
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and Its enforcement has been retarded. An instance of its success in
that State was related to me by a friend who shortly before the pass-
ing of the Law travelled through that State about 96 miles by stage.
Every few miles there was a tavern at which the stage stopped, that
the passengers might get some refreshment. A few months after the
law went into operation, he travelled the same route, and every liquor
establishment was shut up except one, and not a passenger thought
of leaving the stage in quest of liquors.
" In Massachusetts the Courts decided the seizure clause unconsti-
tutional at the very commencement of the operations of the Law, and
the liquor sellers who had taken alarm at its threatened enforcement,
and left off their peculiar calling, summoned up new courage, and the
larger cities were again flooded with liquor. To show that the people
have the utmost confidence in the principle of prohibition, not a State
that has passed a Maine Law, perfect or imperfect, has by any sub-
sequent popular vote receded from it. Mare than that, every
political party which has dared to array itself against the Maine Law,
has been entirely overwhelmed by it. Old Maine, a Democratic.
State, from time immemorial, put herself in opposition to that law,
and her democracy has bc^n entirely crushed. ".-■-.. — -^
'' Our bill has been referred to a committee to make such amend-
ments as they deem advisable, and from the favor with which it was
received by a great majority of the representatives, I have no doubt
that our report will be adopted without much discussion. I shall have
pleasure in introducing you to Mr. Aitken, who has drawn up a report
from the minority of the committee against the law. He will be able
to tell you for himself the grounds of his opposition. This one thing
I wish the friends of Temperance in Canada to keep before their
minds, — Let them endeavor to get a Law as stringent as it can be
made, but at the same time as simple as possible. We cannot deal
with the transit from one State to another, and we do not attempt to
interfere with the manufacturer. What we aim at is to prohibit the
sale, and the giving away, of liquors by :«,ny person, except formechanlcal
or medicinal purposes, and for these purposes we do not allow it to
be kept anywhere unless in one of the places appointed as the agency
of the locality. In a private dwelling house, or during transit from
one State to another, or while stored for transit, we do not wish to
exert any control, and any family may have in their house whatever
quantity of liquors they may choose, unless they attach a store or
grocery to such dwelling house. Whatever is kept for sale as a
beverage is declared contraband, and if discovered will be destroyed.
" The majority of the Committee to which was referred so much of
the Governor's Message as related to the subject of intemperance and
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the sale of intoxicating liquors, introduced the present bill, accom-
panied with a brief report on the principle of prohibition. We
stated, to the cflfect, that we entirely concurred with the Governor iu
his views as expredsed in that portion of his Message referred to us.
We are also satisfied that the time has arrived when sound and
wholesome legislation, which shall effectually put a stop to the sale
and public use of intoxicating liquors as a beverage, is demanded
alike by the voice of the people and the highest interests of the State .
After referring to various opinions given regarding the immorality of
the traffic in ardent spirits, the committee say, * we are aware the bill
now submitted, although prepared with much care, has imperfection.-*,
for all human laws are imperfect. We are aware, too, that its im-
perfections, viewed through the colored medium of self-interest, wUl
be magnified and distorted if possible into hideous spectral forms to
stalk the State and terrify the people, yet we confidently believe that
should the bill we submit become a law, it will prove effectual in sup-
pressing by much the larger proportion of the traffic in intoxicating
liquors. We have called to our aid the experience of the past, and
some of the ablest in legal ability, and wisest in practical knowledge.
Nor have we been unmindful of the opinions of the opponents of
prohibition. Those we have received and carefully weighed, and iu
the light of all sought to frame a bill, not unnecessarily stringent iu
its provisions, and yet sufficiently so to secure obedience, and accom-
plish the great end in view. To aim at less than this would be folly,
to seek more, tyranny.* " -i -'/■
Having had a little conversation of a general nature v^ith Mr
Stebbins, he resumed his seat in the Assembly, as he was at that
sitting to move the postponement of the Eeport of the Committee,
on the Orders of the day, until the end of the following week. He
proposed his motion, but unfortunately it was so close upon the hoiu'
of adjournment, that we were deprived of what threatened to be a very
fiery speech in opposition to the bill.
Mr. O'Keefe, one of the representatives for the city of New York,
rose to speak to Mr. Stebbins' motion. He said, " The motion now
submitted was simply to the effect that those gentlemen, the majority
of the representatives on the floor of this House, would grant
to you, the minority, the helpless, miserable minority on this
temperance question, the glorious privilege of discussing the subject.
We wish to shew you how magnanimous we are to give you such a
privilege. But so far as I am concerned I ask no concessions from
them whatever. If they are determined by force and by ingenuity to
cram down the throats of the minority, this most infamous bill, then
in God Almighty's name, let them do it. I only ask " [here the
Spcftkoi'h hammer checked the torrent that was about to burst, and
tlu> J 1 01180 was declared adjourned,] a circumstanoe which we very
much regretted.
Aftor the adjournruoni wo had an interview with Mr. Aitken, but
I'ouid not learu much from him in a tangible form in regard to bin
Of position to the bill. He, however, kindly furnished ua with several
documents on the question, one of which was a copy of a report,
which ho, as the chairman of the opposition committee, had submitted
to the llouao. This report, he stated, contained the grounds of his
iippotution, and might be used by us as if drawn up in answer to our
enquiries. •' '^ »''•••' ' ' • '•• • - . jv;- n* !-mi/i: f ^'*..t':> . r
After an allusion to the vetoed Bill, the committee proceed to
review the Bill now before the House, and they say, ►{• '\ ■; i')':»tTV(j
• " But while the undersigned acknowledge iu the altered language
of the bill and its subtle modifications, a concession to public opinion
and a desire not directly to confront and assail the Constitution, they
recognize in the bill the same intrinsic errors, and the same dangerDus
consequences that distinguished the condemned and repudiated bill
of 1854. The same summary processes are authorized, the same
dictation and perversion of evidence, the same trifling with the
obligations of contracts, the same endowment of the lowest class of
magistracy with arbitrary powers, the same tampering with the right
of jury trial, and the same subornation of informers and prosecutors.
The theory of absolute prohibition is retained, while the right of
search is ostensibly more guarded, when conducted upon the warrant
of a magistrate, yet section twenty-five of the act which declares that
' all liquor kept in violation of any provision or provisions of this Act,
shall be deemed and is hereby declared to be a public nuisance,'
re-opens the door for still more fearful abuses. The undersigned
cannot but believe that the philanthropic men under whose superin-
tendence this measure has been brought forward, were ignorant of
the purport and of the scope of this sweeping clause. It breaks
down all the guards which protect property and the privacy of dwell-
ings and individual rights, and gives up the privilege of search and
seizure, and destruction of property to the arbitrary will and un-
regulated violence of a mob. * * * Much misunderstanding of
the relation of the State to the business of the people has grown out
of the term ' license,' which is used to define a pecuniary fine or tax,
but which in its more general acceptation signifies a special permis-
sion and approval granted by a superior to an inferior. The several
statutes which authorize the issuing of licenses to auctioneers, pedlars,
victuallers, pawnbrokers, cart and hackmen, and the exhibitors of
public shows, do not intend to imply that the class of dealings which
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these poreons pursue is injurious to the public welfare, or that the
State, by licenwing them, connecta itsell' w itii theru or becomes morally,
or ill any way rc^spoiisible for th(5m. The ' license ' is intended, first,
as a tax imposed in a mode easily collectable ; and second, as a method
of remuneration and identillcation which greatly facilitates the opera-
tions of police. The tax contributed from these sources is large, and
cannot well be dispensed with, now that the pressure of municipal,
county and State taxes has been so largely increased. The bill
reported to your House, however, does acknowledge the principle,
and establish the practice of * licenses ' in the more obnoxious mean-
ing of the term. It first outlaws the traffic in spirits, wines and ales,
and provides sweeping processes against all engaged in it, and sum-
mary modes of executing them by search, seizure, confiscation, fine
and imprisonment ; and then it authorizes two thousand persons to
bo specially appointed to deal in liquor, without fees, tax or reward.
The parties who appoint them are the Judges of the Courts, and the
qualification for the ofiice is an afildavit that the applicant does not
use intoxicating liquor as a beverage, ami will not infringe the
limitations of the law. These limitations aro, that he shall sell such
liquor only for mechanical, chemical and ■ ;dicr'al purt -ties, and pure
wine for sacramental use ; and it is er.acted thit fLc seller must have
good reason to believe, and r.iust believe, tbrt i^e same are purchased
with the intent to be used for one of the purposes mentioned. How
far the law can be enforced, which declares thai one man shall believe
in the intention of another, or that the other shall do as ixe intended,
is a question which has never yet been practically solved. * * The
provisions of this Act will have the effect of bringing before the
Courts the question not only of what is a medical utie of wines, &e.,
but what is a Sacrament, and what are its characteristics and its
limitations. The undersigned cannot conceal how deeply they
deprecate a result, which, by bringing in the tribunals of State as
interpreters of the Word of God, has always in other lands and
under less favoured governments, where it has been attempted, proved
equally disastrous to religion and to liberty. * * It is also to be
noticed that in this bill all the provisions are so contrived to work
together, as to discriminate against certain classes of society, and to
interpose barriers against the poor and humble, which the rich are
afforded facilities to overleap. The barrel of cider is not prohibited,
though the single glass is. The wine grower may raise his own wines,
and sell them to the authorized purchasers. The epicure in foreign
liquors may import brandies and rare old wines from abroad, in the
original package. The owner or renter of a single dwelling may revel
in the possession of an unlimited supply of intoxicating drink, while
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the citizcTis who live in houses, which in part are occupied as stores,
offices, or work-rooms, «Sic., are not legally permitted to retain in their
houses the smallest quantity of any admixture of the liquors
prohibited by the Act. * * It may be regarded as one of the
peculiarities of modem legislation on this subject, that this law, after
declaring an article of nearly universal consumption for centuries, " a
nuisance," yet makes special provision for its use as a sacrament of
religion, and connives at the means by which the so-called better class
of society shall have the freest access to it ! Such characteristics of
a law are not calculated to conciliate towards it that respect and that
loyal obedience which a republican people should at all times extend
to laws passed by their representatives."
" These are the main features of a bill which, in many other
respects, especially in its attempts to regulate the transportation of
goods between States, and to obstruct the reception of imported
goods, conflicts not only with the laws of trade and the rights of
citizens, but with the provisions of the United States Constitution.
These arbitrary provisions ; this seizure of property ; this search of
houses ; this perversion of evidence ; this disorganization of the jury ;
are, perhaps, necessary steps to enforce the provisions of the law,
which assumes to prohibit, absolutely, a traffic not forbidden by
religion, and in itself not injurious to public morals, or the well-being
of society. * * * In a republican system, the introduction of
force is always more dangerous, because the theory of such govern-
ment rests upon the assumption of man's capacity for self-government
and its administration should always be directed to the elevation of
the citizen to his true dignity, by education ; by the amelioration of
his condition ; and by the guarantee of his individual liberty of action.
The efforts of the teachers of temperance, by moral suasion, to lead
men to abstinence from intoxicating drinks, directed as they were in
appeals to the intellects and the hearts of men, had more success
than any teachings not of divine inspiration. The customs and
habits of society were changed. The influence of woman was b.rought
to aid in tho discountenance of intoxicating drinks. Liquors were
excluded from the family board, and temperate fathers inculcated the
virtue of self-restraint to their children. The example of such a
reform, founded upon the judgment of men and their moral and
religious convictions, gave evidence of a race of sturdy-minded people.
It was a part of their intellectual training, which promised the most
gratifying developement. It was most unfortunate that this system
of persuasion to virtue and prudence, was ever abandoned for statutory
restraints. Thus far the practical consequences of the change have
been, that the efforts of good meu to resist the spread of habits of
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vicious indulgence have been relaxed, and the evil has become of
wider influence. It is to be feared that the transfer of this moral
question into the hands of the sheriffs and constabulary and police of
the State, will,, without effecting its end, tend indirectly to degrade
the cause of temperance and discourage its true friends, by identifying
it with the idea of violence and coercion, and staining it with the
suspicion of hostility to individua freedom!"
On the day following this interview with the gentlemen named, we
had the pleasure of attending a caucus meeting of upwards of fifty
members of the Legislature, friendly to the bill, and met to discuss
its various provisions in order to avoid discussion, when it came to be
reported by the Committee. We spent from four to five hours very
agreeably in that caucus. They differed now and again upon the
phraseology of some of the sections of the bill, but all united in one
harmonious declaration of adhesion to the principle of prohibition,
— and that the traffic in intoxicating liquors is a crime against
society. We spent a short time with 0. Scovill, Esq., the
publisher of the "Prohibitionist," and received from him several docu-
ments connected with the movement, and also an outline of its
progress in the several States. i.r-iOiq.oJ ff.fm'
...i..t.:r ... ,0 : SPEINGFIELD, MASS.
From Albany we proceeded to Springfield, Massachusetts, which
we reached on Saturday evening about 8 o'clock. In the cars from
Albany we met with the Hon. H. W. Bishop, Judge of the Court of
Common Pleas, Massachusetts, on his way to Boston, to open his
term in that neighbourhood. As every opportunity of gaining
information of the Law was turned to account, we soon fell into
conversation on that question, with Judge Bishop. His answers to
our preliminary enquiries were : — , :,*
The criminal business has very much increased under the new Law.
It is accounted for in this way : the violations of the Law itself add,
very materially, to the criminal business. I had, in my last term in
the County of Middlesex, no fewer than 104 indictments under the
new Law ; I should think that five-sixths of the whole were convicted.
The operation of this new Law has diminished the other class of
criminal business very much. It is accounted for in this way : the
majority jf other criminal business proceeded from intemperance. I
say, without fear of contradiction, that nine-tenths of all crimes of
personal violence — assaults in their various forms, — are committed in
a state of intoxication. Crimes of personal violence have hitherto
constituted, at least, two-thirds of all our criminal business, and if the
source of the evil is Jried up by this new Law, it is easy to see that
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Judges, by and by, will have very little criminal business to
attend to."
" Aa regards the Law itself, I am not sure that the temperance people
acted wisely in bringing forward a new Law. Had they added two or
three sections to the old Law of 1836, giving the right of search and
seizure, and making the instruments of sale priiiia facie evidence in
certain cases, so as not to interfere with Common Law precedent
they would have acted more judiciously. Tor this reason : the old
law was thoroughly construed in every word, and the Courts W'ere
satisfied as to its meaning, but several years will pass before the
Courts are satisfied as to the bearing of this new law, and quibbles
and objections will constantly be raised against it." '
On Monday morning we waited upon Dr. Holland, Editor of the
Springfield Repuhlican, and having opened to him the purport of
our visit, he pointed out some of the difilculties which they had
lo encounter in enforcing the Law in Springfield, but expressed
his firm conviction tha^. its operations would be highly beneficial to
society. Accompanied by Dr. Holland we called upon the Eev. Mr.
Seeley, who entered very warmly into the spirit of our mission, and
urged us to prosecute it with energy, aa the more narrowly we
enquired into the workings of the Maine law, the more fully would
we be assured that it had already gained the favour of all whose
opinion or influence was worth having. "We had prepared a series of
questions to cover pretty much the field of enquiry regarding the
Law, and having put several of these to Mr. Seeley, we received the
following answers, which we give as nearly as may be in the Bev.
gentleman's own words :
" The Maine Law has not operated so well in Springfield during the
past year, because our local authorities, apparently, have not been
disposed to enforce it. AVhcn the Law first went into operation, its
beneficial efiects were very remarkable indeed. It evidently made a
very great change in the moral aspect of the entire city. Within the
past year, the sale of liquors aas increased again. After the decision
of the Supreme Court agamat the seizure clause, the rum-seller has
become emboldened, and the friends of temperance have been some-
what discouraged ; and the rowdyism and noise which liquor produces,
although nothing like what it was formerly, has increased amongst a
certain class of our population of late. We have recently elected a
new city government, and they are determined to maintain the
supremacy of the Law. The present law, imperfect as it is in some
of its provisions, will work well, and our new local authorities are
disposed to enforce it ; and I am convinced there will be no great
difficulty in doing so. It is a law well adapted to gain favour among
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tnls |)'eople when once tnorouglily established. I have no doubt tha*
its effects will be to supersede almost entirely the use of liquors
among our people. I have witnessed its favourable effects upon many
working people connected with my own congregation. I could
mention several instances. One very interesting case came to my
knowledge very recently. In making my accustomed rounds, I
called at a house, which formerly presented rather a distressing
appearance. I was astonished at the wonderful reform which had
taken place, and suspecting the cause, I expressed the pleasure I felt
at the happy change, when the good woman said, with an overflow-
ing heart, in something like the following words : * All this is the
effect of the Maine law ! My husband was not a drunkard, and
would not drink for the mere love of drinking ; but he was verj-
sociable ; and when he went in of a Saturday eveninaj with his com-
panions into the tavern, he would sometimes spend all his wages and
come home intoxicated! But he now comes home sober — the
temptation is removed out of his way, and he has provided for us all
very comfortably ever since the Maine Law was put in operation.
We have got a new carpet to our room ; and he purchased this little
singing canary bird for our little boy, who has begun to attend the
Sunday School.' _ , , ^ . ' " ' -^^
" Many such instances could be given of the very happy effects of
the Law, and I thmk it will thus ensure its own perpetuity when
once fairly established. ,i! „r „, .,i -^^a^-i -.i
"Its effects are very marked upon our young men. Since the
fashionable saloons were shut up, they have formed a Young Men's
Literary Association, where they meet regularly to read essays, and
for general mutual improvement. Our Lyceum lectures were never
half so well attended as they have been this winter. In addition to
our usual lectures two or three evenings a week, we have recently had
two courses, of six lectures each, on Q-eology, by Dr. Boynton, and
they were thronged every evening. The first course was so crowded
that he was prevailed upon to give a second, that those who had not
heard, him might have an opportunity of doing so ; and our hall,
capable of containing one thousand peopi ;, was crowded all the
evenings. You saw there precisely the same class of people, that in
Montreal you will see at the theatre."
" Our young men now feel that a ticket to the Lyceumlectures is an
absolute necessary of life. This feeling has increased so much that
ve have no bmlding large enough to contain the applicants. I
believe that three thousand tickets could have been sold as easily as one
thousand. To meet so far the demand, an extra course is intended to
14
be given on a different evening for those who could not get tickets
for the regular course.
" Moat of our drinking places were kept by foreigners, — the lowest
class of Irish emigrants, — before tlie law went into operation. These
people come here with all their vicious habits confirmed, and it is
almost impossible to check them. How many of these houses were
open, I cannot say, but there is no open house now ; although it is
sold secretly by that class, who have it concealed in their shanties.
- '^'This is a contest between moral sentiment and self-interest, but
you will find as you proceed, that a sound, healthy public sentiment,
not only in those States where the Law^ has passed, but in the States
where it is in agitation, is decidedly in favour of a prohibitory law.
It is not expected that persons resolutely bent on drinking will not
get liquor. The great point aimed at is to destroy the dram-drinking,
and declare the traffic contraband. This done, the battle is won.
One instance of the power of public sentiment you may relate if you
please. The Messrs. Chapin, the proprietors of the Massasoit House,
where you are now staying, had a lower establishment in the ground
floor of their hotel, where they sold meals at half price ; here also
they sold liquors of all sorts. But when the Maine law went into
operation, they banished that part of their establishment, and with it
about three thousand dollars of yearly profits.
" Tour last question I answer without hesitation. I think the
Maine law is the ripened fruit of the Temperance Eeformation.
What has been done hitherto has gradually led us up to this point,
and I have no doubt Avhatever we will be sustained by the people."
Accompanied by Mr. Seeley we called upon the Eev. H. B. Ide, D.
D. His answers to many of our questions were similar in spirit to
those already given. " It strikes me" said the Dr., "that the law is
especially beneficial on the rural population. There is a difficulty in
ei^orcing the Law in large cities, — a difficulty in getting a moral
sentiment in cities and large towns so sufficiently high as to enforce
it. When once the law is amended in some of its provisions, I have
no dottbt it will thoroughly destroy the vice of intemperance. Our
late city government do not seem to have been in favour of enforcing
thb law ; but we expect something better from our new government.
'• "An interesting instance of the efficacy of the Law came under my
own observation, one } ear ago last summer. I was in Boothbay, a
'dmall «ea port town of some 8,000 inhabitants, in the State of Maine,
where, at certain periods of the year, immense fleets of mackerel fishers
icome inth their boats, sometimes from 300 to 4(X) at a time. Gae
Sunday morning I was paasiiig by the head of the pier where about
^00 of these fijrii^men were seated. Everything was perfectly quie%
7
15
as I passed by. Some had out their bibles and were reading. As 1
passed one group I said, " Had you not better go to church ship-
mates ? Some remarks were made, and simultaneously they all rose
and accompanied me to the church where I intended to preach that
morning. The scene was so very gratifyrug that I could not help
saying to the landlord of the hotel that he must have a curious class
of fishermen in that quarter. 'Ah ! ' said he, * if you had been here
before the Maine law passed, you would, on such a day as this, have
seen these rocks all along covered with blood. No female dared
venture out of the house at such a time. I opposed the law with all
my might, because I thought it was going to injure my trade ; but
now I make much more money when these men are on shore than I
did by supplying them with liquor. When they go away they take
with them whole canoe loads of eggs and hams, and other necessaries.
"That Sunday I assure you was as orderly as any Sunday could be ;
and there was not a bottle to be seen in the whole, company when they
left in the evening, but one bottle of vinegar. «% • rv
■*' " I cannot say that I have known any change upon my own congre-
gation since the passing of the Law. Our people have been pretty
well drilled into temperance for many years past, so that in a congre-
gational way it is not new to them. The public eentiment in favour
of temperance is here so high that it is marked as an offence for any
one either to sell or drink spirits ; whereas in olden times every
deacon and nearly every Pastor too, could keep his side-board well
flUed and no on© thought it wrong. Now if the veriest loafer is seen
drunk in the streets, it strikes the community with horror."f» jg^^^
",, Accompanied by Mr. Seeley we called upon Messrs Chapman and.
Chamberlain, Counsellors at Law, gentlemen of high standing i^
the commumty. ^ j^ jt^.i^jc^Mi .biiyj'v)*? '>j /i;.;j 9'- ^ n, i>,!i)i"
In answer to some enquiries as to the working of the Maine Law,
Mi". Chapman said : " There is not the one-hundredth part pf the
drinking in Springfield, that there was before the temperance move-
ment commenced. Ton will however find persons even here, who will
tell yo^ that prohibitory laws will increase drinking. But those who
say so are invariably persons, who desire to sell, and commonly the
low jst dealers ; or persons who are hard drinkers ; or politicians who
eourt the .rumseller's vote and influence and pander to them for it.
The religious and moral part of the community, without exceptioo,
yo!u will find of a contrary opinion. Even those who in their oj(m
filmilies use their wine give their influence in favour of the Maine
XrfbW'. After seeing the eflfects of the Maine Law the public sentimeat
of this country has got tb be BUoh^ that' it i« now certain that withiii
f^ short time a law embodiiriiig theisul^stftnce of the Maime Law^ mth
16
pfet-haps '^Sbffie' viirlfetibft in its details, will become the law of every
State in the Union. It is in fact destined to be the law of this coun-
try. I am convinced there is no reaction in the public mind. The
feeling of the community is stronger to-day than it was a year ago,
and it was stronger a year ago than it was two years since. That
such laws are necessary is evident by observing their beneficial opera-
tions upon the jails and poor houses, and their reformatory effects
upon society generally. They diminish vastly the amount of crime
and vice of every description.'"' ii'^^^*^" Mii^'l'J i'i ^ {'•<''? ^mM wm
^ "That class of crimes against the person, to which you refer, assaults
in tlieir various forms, were almost always committed under the influ-
ence of drink, and already that class of crimes has nearly ceased.
i»»i ii There is another feature in the character which the working of the
Maine Law has brought out. Those who are mean enough to pur-
chase or sell liquor in violation of the law, will not scruple to perjure
themselves to escape the penalt}\ The Judges in our criminal courts,
all express their abhorrence, that those who are called as witnesses to
"th^ purchase of liquor, will as a general thing commit perjury, and
deny all knowledge of the purchase, and those who sell will counte-
nance and encourage and even hire such gross perjurers to screen them-
selves from the penalty of the law. Judge Hoare told me recently
that down in Worcester county, a very respectable man was knowi
to come out of a hotel a little affected with drink, — The hotel keeper
was brought up for selling, and this man when called to testify, swore
that he had not purchased any kind of liquor there for several months
past. They called up the bar-keeper and asked if he ever sold liquor
■ to that man. He said — Yes, I have sold liquor to him every day for
, some time past. • • fi9fli»t*
r
21
¥
ties who have formed clubs in the^ity, and they get their liquors from
New York. These parties may, perhaps, drink more freely than
before, but that is but a Hmall part of the drinking which we had to
contend against. A dozen of men, say, join together and form a
olub, they send to New York for a supply of liquor to their club-room,
and then they may driuk freely ; but if a club-room-man is found
drunk in the streets, he is immediately proceeded against, and fined in
$20 and costs. This, so far as I can learn, is the only foundation for
the remark regarding the increase of drinking. But these club-men
form but a small part of the community. One of those club-room-men
was taken up in the streets drunk recently : he acknowledged before
the Justice of the Peace where he got bis drink, and paid his fine. If
a person found drunk says he ^ot his liquor at such and such a store,
then the owner of the store is prosecuted for the sale : — But if he
says he got it in a club-room, hi) j/uys the fine himself, or is committed
in default. All the drinking places are shut up. Now and again,
however, in the recesses of some private den, concealed with trap
doors, and all that sort of thing, it is sold. But it is only in this
secret manner that the thing can be done ; just the same as if the
parties were making counterfeit money, or doing any other illegal
act. The very fact that it must be sold illegally, if sold at all, will
prevent many a one from going in who otherwise would."
"Every person of good moral character who, in former times, applied
for a license, might, at the discretion of the select men, be licensed.
It was more a matter of form than anything else. I presume there
were as many as 200 shops in this city where liquor was openly sold
before the passing of the law. These houses have all given up the
open sale ; if any still sell it must be in secret."
" In regard to the Law, I think we must have some clause to attach
the liquor in club-rooms. We must also have a clause to attach
common carriers, and such like persons from carrying it. While it
remains in the hands of the importer, and with the mark of the
importer on it, it is protected by the Constitution of the United
States. But my impression is that as soon as it is broken up, that
constitutional question ceases."
" So far as I can learn, the law is gaining in the afiections of the
people, and if we could separate it from politics, two-thirds, at least,
of the people of Connecticut would at once come out in favour of it.
But it is 80 mixed up with political matters that many men who love
politics better than they love their children, will vote for a particular
man who takes up some political measure strongly, even though he
is opposed to this law. Here the leading Democratic papers, without
exception almost, have taken active ground against the law. The
I
22
object is transparont. An the Law was passed by the Whigs, they
would fain bring discredit upon it, in order to get the p^'^y injured. In
this city however, the Times, the Democratic organ, is even more hostile
than either prudence or his party would dictate ; and there is a talk
of starting a more respectable Democratic organ, which I have no
doubt will be effected."
Mr. Judge Bulkeley, of Hartford, said : " The rumours to which
you allude are, in my opinion, without foundation. It is true there
are many more commitments for drunkenness now than there was
formerly. Why ? Because under the former law there were no
prosecutions, comparatively speaking, for drunkenness, and no one
was committed for drunkenness simply, or unless there was some
offence committed while drunk. But there is much less drunkenness ;
much less intemperance ; much less liquor sold now. It is not sold
openly at all, but is driven into secret places."
" I think there can be no controversy that the community have been
essentially benefitted by the Law. The number of misdemeanors is
fkr less. We are not rid of them altogether, and do not expect to be,
but the city is much more quiet, both by day and night. The increase
iu> the number of criminal actions has all been, or nearly all, in conse-
quence of violations of this new Law.
" It was only in the grosser kinds of cases where an officer stumbled
upon a man drunk, that he felt compelled to take any notice of it.
Now wherever a man is seen drunk he is takeu up. I was not very
zealous to have such a law. I stood rather for the enforcement of the
old law ; but the community werp desirous to have the law, and I, and
others who joined in with them to give it a trial, see now its whole-
some and beneficial results. So high was the state of feeling in
favour of the law, that in our town-ineeting last Kovember, for the
choice of select men, seven men were elected, every one of whom was
in favour of enforcing the law ; and elected not by a meagre majority,
but almost two to one. Native Americans, Whigs, and Tetnperalice
men, aU voted together, opposed chiefly by the Democratic party."
Mr. Benning Mann, Counsellor at Law, City Police Clerk. "I have
been Police Justice here for the last 20 years, and I know a very great
difference since this law went into operation. I think that when the
people become tired of selling in violation of the law, my occupation
will be pretty nearly gone. If you stop drinking you stop the cause
of all the quarrels and fights. It is perfect nonsense, — it is a perfect
falsehood, to say that the law has increased drunkenness. That drink-
ing is totally stopped, nobody claims ; but it is stopped at least three-
fourths. I hf^ve known some of our constables here have as high as
$90 in a quarter for fines for breaches of the peace ; if they reach $25
i
m
Id
[Ue
klk
ino
cb
|re
faa
now it is the head. The parties brought before the police court will
average eight out of ten Irish. The Irish are our only foreign popula-
tion, with a few Q-ermans.
L. S. Cowlos — I have been a policeman here since the 1st of May,
1864. I have seen ten men drunk on the streets before this law
passed for one that I have seen since. Those men, although they
would have been liable for prosecution under the new law, wore not
taken up under the old law« It was only when ^ drunlcen man was
mjiking some assault that he was taken up formerly. On one Sun-
day, before the law was passed, I arrested seven men for breaches of
the peftce while in drink. Since the Ist of August, I have only arrested
two men on Sunday for being drunk. There are eight night watchmen,
and seldom a night passed without some man being taken up by them
for beating his wife or children while in a state of intoxication. Now
it is a rare thing to take up one. This law has taken, at least, $6 a
month right out of my pocket, for we have no fines now. It would
be almost impossible to make any one believe the difference in the
quiet of our city."
' David Hawley, City Missionary, Hartford — "I have been in the
field as City Missionary for three years and a half. I have a Mission
Sabbath School, established after the Five Points School of New
Tork. Since the first of August, it has increased more than one-
third in numbers. Before that time there was hardly a Sabbata but
there was some one there the worse for liquor. Since the 1st of Au-
gust there has been but one instance that even the smell of liquor
was in the school. Before the law passed, I could, many i day have
gathered up a waggon load of intemperate men, almost indeed, any
day: since the 1st of August I have seldommet with an instance. I have
many times seen, in passing my rounds, wives and mothers, and even
young women the worse for liquor ; but all that has changed, and in
my conversations with the poor people, many of them say that the
law must have come from Heaven — it is too good to have been framed
by man. The little children that used to run and hide from their
fathers when they came home drunk, are now well dressed and run
out to meet them. These, I assure you, are not isolated cases — I
could put my finger upon dozens of instances. > i"
** "We have had a good deal of distress amongst the labouring classes
of oar city this winter, and a charitable fund has been raised, by means
of which we have aided about 500 families. Since the commencement
of the fund about 2,500 persons have been aided ; not more than one
or two applicants have had the least appearance of liquor about them
— ^many of these individuals were, a year ago, constantly under the
influence of liquor.
24
" The causes that have operated to require this aid, are — Ist. The
direct result of a past intemperate life, topecially among the foreign-
ers, which with us are chiefly Irish with a mixture of German. 2nd.
Prom the pressure of the times, the manufacturing business has
depressed very much. The consequence was, that persons who hith-
erto made a living for themselves are now getting assistance from this
fund. One principal reason for the scarcity of work amongst that
class was the stopping of the works at Coltville. Col. Colt is erect-
ing new works in the neighbourhood, and since last spring has had
more than a thousand labourers, Irish and Grermau, constantly em-
ployed — his expenditure has been over $2,000 a day ; but since the
Ist December, when the frost became severe, this outside work was
stopped, i».nd hundreds of these poor creatures had nothing else to
depend upon. ,,1
" The fund originated in this way : a gentleman — whose name I
give you in confidence, although you will not publish it — met with some
of the wealthy citizens and said he would give $500 to alleviate the
distress if they would subscribe liberally and get others to do so.
The result was that $3,700 were raised, and from that fund we are
supporting as many as are really destitute. I am satisfied that had
liquor been as freely got this winter as it was last winter, the number
of people applying for charity would have been four-fold. In my
rounds I have fallen in with instances of families selling even their
bed-clothes for liquor, but I have not seen a solitary case of that sort
this winter. The quarrelling, and fighting, and drinking, and black
eyes, and so forth, hitherto so common, are now unknown. No one
can witness the happy efl:ects of this law amongst these poor people
without feelings of the intensest gratitude to God, that in His good
providence, such a law has been enacted."
John "W. Bull, Hartford, Con. — " I have been engaged for the last
twenty-five years in the importation and sale of earthenware here. I
was opposed to the Maine Law when it passed, and when the select-
men called a meeting for the piu'pose of appointing agents to sell
liquors for the purposes mentioned in the law, I and my friends op-
posed the appointment of agents, thinking thereby to render the law
o!!;>noxious to the people so as to make them demand its repeal. The
agents were however, appuinted, and we determined to let the law
get a trial, — and from that time to this it has been growing in public
favour. The friends with whom I acted in endeavoring to resist the
law, are now all decidedly in favour of its enforcement. From
personal observation, I state unhesitatingly that much good has
been done by the enforcement of the law. The city is much
more quiet both by day and night : property is considered more
If <«
1 1
i5
secure, and property holders take a deep interest in maintaining
the law.
" There ia some drinking in the city still, but nothing like what it
was formerly. Every case of drunkenness is now noticed, whereas
formerly a drunken man was not molested if he kept quiet. There
is no danger of the law being repealed, — any change will be to make
it more stringent. Public opinion demands that all defects be reme-
died, in order to secure its thorough enforcement. I know many
persons now anxious for the triumph of the law, who were violently
opposed to it when it was enacted."
' . Dunham, of Dunham & Co., Commission Merchants, Hartford
— " I have listened to the statements which Mr. Bull has just made,
and am satisfied they are correct in every particular. The law is
gradually making friends throughout the State. It ia doing all its
most sanguine friends expected ; drunkenness and crime are decreas-
ing rapidly ; jfeace ha.s visited many families where it has long been a
stranger, a,nd plenti/, notwithstanding the "hard times," has in many
case^, driven want from the poor man's door. No sane community
would think of repealing such a law, and when the political dema-
gogues who are now clamouring against it, fail — as fail they must —
there will be no trouble in confining alcohol to its legitimate place on
the shelf of the apothecary."
W. D. Minor, Stamford, Judge of County Court, Fairfield County
— " Drunkenness was rife in the village of Stamford previous to the
passing of the law, — since then very few cases have come under my
notice. The law is decidedly beneficial, and property-holders every-
where are becoming more and more in favour of its strict enforce-
ment. So strong is its hold upon the community already, that no
political or other combination, in my opinion, could be entered into
to repeal the law. Any change will be to make it more stringent in
order to its more thorough enforcement. The opposition to it is
chiefly based on the assumption that it interferes with the natural
rights of the citizens, and the danger of the poor man's castle being
invaded. But not a single case of hardship, from the right of search
has ever, been heard of: in fact search cannot be made in a private
dwelling unless there are very good grounds for the authorities to en-
tertain the belief that the owner has invaded the sacredness of his
own house with the rum bottle, and turned it into a dram shop.
PubUc opinion is bearing in strongly in favour of the law,
and I have no doubt that in «v few years it will be as easily and
as thoroughly enforced as the laws against theft, licentiousness
and gambling.
■p
-■ w\r I 1. fi
THE TIMES' STATISTICS. « n«
As the statistics of the Hartford Morning Times had caused some
little stir amongst temperance people in that city during the day, wo
deemed it advisable to consult the jail records for ourselves, and hav-
ing done so we were convinced of the correctness of Mr. Phelps'
remark, that the jail statistics of the Times were got up to suit a
purpose. Without an explanation, the figures taken by themselves
represented a state of things entirely different from what existed,
and the absence of this explanation when the nature of the statistics
demaaded it, showed very conclusively, and must have done so, to every
honest-minded man, that they were printed to create a false impres-
sion, and were as essentially false in fact, as if the figures themselves
had been forged for the occasion. The statistics were to the follow-
ing effect: ' ' uyiMj^trij ^n
Oommitmehh to the Hartford Counti/ Jail for Drunkenness.
» fi'. Month of JanuFjy, 1S50, 1861, 18P2, 1853, 1854, 1856.'' 1^*'
6 1 2 1 2 15
-,».,,. So the tide of druukenness rolls on. The Maine law does not check ..
it. We believe its tendency is to increase drunkenness. — Daili/ Times.
These statistics, taken by themselves, only prove that there were
more commitments to the jail in 1855 for drunkenness than there were
in 1850, — but the inference drawn by the Times would faiu prove some-
thing more. Under the old law the commitments were nearly aU to
the Work-house, and not to the Jail, while the new law requires the
commitments to be to the Jail. Under the old law there were few or no
commitments for drunkenness, simply, as the fine when a prosecution
for that ofience was made, was only two dollars, and unless there was
some breach of the peace growing out of the drunkenness, the sot
was allowed to lie down or go on unpunished. Now, however, every
man found drunk in the streets, no matter how quiet and harmless
he may be, is taken up and punished for this as a criminal ofience.
, jjn the subjoined list of commitments from 1850 to 1854 inclusive, it
.will be seen that as the commitments for drunkenness increase, the
commitments for assault decrease. The parties are either picked up
before they have time to give vent to their evil passions inflamed by
drink, or else the law pounces upon a difierent class of persona from
the mere drunken loafer or atreet fighter :
,Wil:
August
Sept...,. .
Oct....
Nov. . .
Dec...
ASSAULTS.
DBDNKIKMIISS.
185(
), '51, '52, '53,
'54.
1850,
'51,
'52,
'53,
54.
. 6
6 2 10
1
6
2
2
2
. 6
8 2 1
S
2
3
8
2
15
8
1 3
1
1
2
8
16
. 1
I 1 1
5
1
1
2
in
. 5
2 8 3
3
2
1
I
1^
19
18 8 18
id
12
n
10
7
61
jjtl'
7
27
•ea-
ves
We have been thus specific in regard to these statistics, — although
in themselves of little moment, — because other statistics from other
quaj?ters have been cooked in the same way, with a view to deceive
the public. Such short-sighted policy does not wear well — it Tvill not
stand the test.
The following extract from the Hartford Courant of the 2l8t
December, 1854, gives a more correct idea of the workings of the
Maine Law, than do the jail statistics of the Times. We had a
very pleasant interview with Mr. Day, the Editor of the Courant,
and therefore give the paragraph as coming from his own lips. " In
the month of July there were twenty commitments to the Work
house; in the month jf August only eight. In the month of August
1853, sixteen. There have been twenty-three persons discharged
from the Work-house since the 1st of August, 1854 ; and on Saturday,
September 9th, there was not a single male person in the Work-
house, which, except for two females, would have been tenantless.
There has not been a parallel to this state of things, at any season of
the year, for eight years at least, for how much lorger we do not
know, but we presume there never was. Is there a sane person who
doubts for an instant what has caused this result?" , ui
T
NEW JIAVEN, CONNECTICUT.
Having satisfied ourselves that the law was making itself felt in
Hartford, we proceeded to New Haven, the alternating capital of
Connecticut. Our first inicerview here was with the liev.'d Leonard
Bacon, D.D. The Dr. said : "It may be a question with some whether
the Law is really executed in New Haven, — a city of not far from
30,000 inhabitants, among whom are fully 5,000 Irish Roman
Catholics. There is no connivance at any violation of the Law, and
there is nc slackness, so far as I know, on the part of any officer
entrusted with its administration. I believe the same thing may be
said of the State generally. Even in towns where the municipal
power is wielded by the adverse party, offenders are prosecuted,
convicted, aud punished. The complaint against the Law, by those
who are opposed to it, is not that it is impracticable, but that it is
vigorously and unsparingly executed.
" As to the efiect of the execution of the law, certain it is that there
is not an open dram shop in the city of New Haven. Wholesale and
retail traders made arrangement beforehand to reliuquiish entirely
that branch of their business on the appointed day — 1st August — in
deference to the Law. The only place known to the public, or the
police^ at which anybody can purchase any intoxicating beverage, or
even pure alcohol, is the town agency, where it is sold only for
mm
28
legitimate purposes, mauufacturing, medicinal, and religious. No
doubt there are persons who sell in violation of the law, just as there
are thieves ; but we do not, therefore, say that the law which punishes
petty larceny is ineffectual.
"As to the ulterior purpose of the law, — the preventing intemper-
ance ; of course it does not entirely suppress intemperance. No
man in his senses ever thought it would, in the present state of
things. Liquor can be purchased in New Tork, only three hours
distant from us, and all who are desirous can supply themselves in
that way. But whoever is found drunk is arrested, — untliout respect
of persons, — and if the liquor which made him drunk was purchased
here, the vender is very sure to be convicted as soon as the purchaser
is sober enough to testify.
" My belief is, that the Law has many more friends now than it had
when it became operative. I did not take an active part in promoting
the Law, for I did believe that our people in Connecticut would not
agree to such a law ; which proposed to set aside some of the old
English safeguards, as to a man's house being his castle, and so forth.
I said I did not believe our people would submit to it ; but the result
has proved that I was wrong, and the fears I entertained have not
been realized in any one instance. So far as I know, the general
feeling is one of increased satisfaction with the law. It is recognized
by all respectable people : I mean by respectable people, those who
make it a point to belong to religious congregations. Our Sundays
are much more quiet than they were ; although for many years past
our authorities have been very rigid in enforcing an external respect
for the Sabbath.
" For two months after the law passed, there was no town agent
appointed, and then it was impossible to get any wine or liquor at all,
without a violation of law. But this matter was speedily remedied.
The Dr. related to us an instance of arrest for intoxication, shortly
after the law went into operation, which caused some stir in the city.
The master of a coal vessel, — who had been in the habit of taking a
little drop when he got ashore, — discharged a cargo of coals at the
wharf; and having transacted his business on shore, started to go
down to his vessel. He dropped into one of his old places, they told
him the danger of acceding to his request, but gave him a little grog.
He stepped into another, and after the same remonstrance, received
an additional supply. In this way he made some half dozen calls,
thinking that things were taking a strange turn when a sailor was not
allowed to take a little grog openly, when he wished to pay for it.
Unfortunately, however, the last drop was too many for him ; and
moving along towards the wharf rather top-heavy, he was picked up
''I:
mit
2»
r
by a policeman, for being more than half-seas over. He felt, when
sobered a little, the awkward predicament into which he had got, and
when taken before the Police Justice, frankly told the names of all
the parties who had given him drink ; and some half dozen arrests
and convictions were forthwith made.
One other point stated by the Dr. was, — "Parties who stood
aloof from the Temperance Beformation, now give in their adhesion,
to the Maine Law. They consider that the question has assumed a
new form. It is now no longer simply a question of Temperance, but
a Governmental question, one of Legislative foresight and morality
and, therefore, they wish to abide by the Law. According to the
testimony of our city missionary, — who has the best opportunity of
knowing, — families that were suffering last winter from destitution,
are this winter provided with necessaries, notwithstanding the " hard
times," because the dram shops are no longer open.
Eev'd. S. "W. S. Button, New Haven ; a gentleman who aided us
very much in our mission, related a very pleasing instance of refor-
mation in his own congregation, as the result of the law : —
" A young man of a respectable family, kind, pleasant and agreeable,
who earned good wages as a mechanic, — the only support of a
widowed mother and an only sister, — had got into dissipated habits ;
and for four or five years past would have gone on a drunken spree
for weeks together ; and was, consequently, a great source of ajBiiction
to his friends. Beasoning and remonstrance were in vain. But the
Law came to his aid. The temptation was removed, and he has since
done well. He has recently purchased a small house for his mother
and sister, and furnished it comfortably. He is a regular attender at
church ; and expresses very feelingly his gratification at the enforce-
ment of the law."
" There is much more hope of such a person standing, because no
one could sell him liquor without very great danger. The penalty of
a violation of our law is such, that it comes to be a question with
sellers, — -those who do so in secret, — whether the person is likely to
get drunk or not. Mr. Smith, our City missionary, has told me that
in his visits among the poor this winter he finds a great difierence
indeed. Men who, last year, left their families in want by their
intemperance, who were accustomed to spend all their earnings upon
drink, have, since the operation of the Law, spent their earnings up<.»n
their families ; and those families who, last winter, were badly off, ar«
this winter, even with the depression of business, comfortably sup-
ported. erftacein the college since the Xiaw passed,, th^t X .
kaom off It wa» wiospered^^o^ l^thei QlmM l^o^hsA ^spprted.:
:. M
two young gentlemen to their lodgings recently, who, but for hia kind-
ness, might havebeenarrested. Itisbelievedthathehas frequently made
himself serviceable in this way. But we have no outward indications
now amongst the students, that drink is used. There is none of that
noise and uproar amongst them that used to be. The only objection
we can have to the Law is that it does not stretch far enough. Persons
can send to New York for a basket of champagne, and get it delivered
at their houses without any diflBculty. It has been reported that
some of the students have done this, but I have seen no instance of
it myself."
Mr. Dwight, resident Tutor, Yale College. — " The results of the
Law have been much more favorable on the Institution than I had '
any idea they possibly could be. The Law has made a very decided
difference in the College. I havo no doubt there is some drinking *
still, but it must be greatly diminished, for its outside developements
are entirely done away. I live in the College, and have an opportunity '
of seeing what goes on ; and I am satisfied that College Government '
is now much more easy than it was before the operations of the
Maine Law.
Eev. Dr. Kennaday, New Haven. — " I can only say that at a very
earlyperiod I engaged in the temperance reformation. I formed the fii'st
temperance society in the State of Maryland, and have been in the
field a good deal. I find now, however, that since this law went into
operation I have hardly anything to do. The work seems to be pretty
weU all done up. As far as I am acquainted vrith the State — and I
hate visited many parts of it, and have met with men from all parts
of it — the law has produced the happiest results. I know personally,
several gentlemen who have a large number of men in their employ,
and their united testimony is decidedly in favour of the law. I think
there is a great improvement in the sabbath school attendance since
the law went into operation. I think that in this city and in the
city of Philadelphia, (where I resided seven years,) we have reached
the greater part of our own congregations by moral suasion. I think
vou will find that it is the people generally who belong to the Catholic '
Church who are in the traffiic, and who do all the drinking. I find-'
that these people, wherever you may go, are a constant barrier in the
wfty of progress. I am sufficiently acquainted with all f he Methodist
churches in the State to say that the opinion I have given would b©
universally endorsed by them."
His Excellency thd Hon. Governor Button. — " I believe you already
know my sentiments pretty well in regard to the operations of the
law. I am exceedingly gratified to find the friends of temperance in
Oftnada so d^^y iiitereirted in our mo^remeoits. Were I to say that
f :'
' r I
the law was not eTon exceeding the most sanguine anticipations of its
friends, I would state what is contrary to my finnest convictions. I
have recently returned from Boston, where I had the pleasure of
addressing the State Temperance Convention. I there gave my opinion
of the \* orking of the law. So much of that speech as you require to
convey to your friends in Canada, my decided conviction of the benefi-:
cial results, of the law, you may use, as if you had it from my own lips.
In a letter to Mr. Delavan, of Albany, I said:— . ;,.,^., ,, ,
" I hazard nothing by asserting that no candid enemy of tie law will
deny, that it has proved more efficient than its most sanguine friends
anticipated. It has completely swept the pernicious traffic, as a busi-
ness, from the {9tate. An open groggery cannot be found. I have
not seen a person here in a state of intoxication since the first of
August. In our cities and manufacturing villages, streets that were
formerly coiwtai^%jiis.tii5J)f|4^b^^4TO^^
any other. , . . ^„:
" The change is so palpable, that many who have been strongly opr
posed to such a law have been forced to acknowledge the efficacy of
this. At the late State Agricultural Fair it was estimated that on
one day from 20,000 to 30,000 persons of every condition in life wepe
assembled, and not a solitary drunkard was seen, and, not the slightest
disturbance was made — the effect was so manifest, that the l;^w has
been regarded with more favor since than it was before. The statistics
of our couiis and prisons prove that criminal prosecutions are rajpidl^
diminishing in number. Some Jails are almost tenantless. ^^^^j ^^^^
t f The law has been thoroughly executed with much less difficulty and
opposition than was anticipated. In no instance has a seizure pro-
duced any genera] excitement. Se^i^tanceto the law would be unpopr
ular ; and it has been found in vain to set it at defiance. The longe^'
the beneficial results of the law are seen and felt, the more firmly it
becomes established. The ridiculous idea, so industrioiisly circulated?
that the sanctity of domestic life would be invadei^ has been shywn
to be a mete bugbear. The home of the peaceful citizen was never be^
fore so secure. The officers of the W have no occasion to break mtq
his dwelliuj^, ^d he \^Y^i^^^^^^D^^^^
^gmlowij
limviin
•eOVB^Nbtl litJTTON's Sl^EECHs ■*>*"<*^ "' iwke^
,0;ay. jDcxton, Qji being presented, was received with hearty ap,-
^lj|i)ii3. He sai4 he had cprae hither without .thjQ lifit^nse of pU his con^
stituents. ^heie were some of them vs^q Tj-Quld.ob|ject to his going
^brqad to eplighteti the ,f|H|»^i^s of otj^jp J^tfk^p , but mai^y of the^fi
preferred he should 4o it a|i!rofld,--if on i^s subiect,-nrather than ^
fimue. (Applause.) iScnne hhd eren sftid tbat far this, bis tinif*
Was vhort ; tf this were so, he thought he must work while the day lasts.
(Renewed applause.) He might possiblj be regarded as a fugitive ;
if so he knew tbef would take good care of him. ^Laughter.) He
knew the assembly did not expect a temperance address ^om him, but
shnply to learn bow the prohibitoiy law operated in Connecticut.
(Applause*) fie therefbre proposed to make some statements merely
in this regard for the benefit of this State.
And, flirst, be- would say, that, in his judgmontj that law been fully
Operatire and benefldal. The absence of crime, the order which every-
ikit/te prevailed, the diminution of rowdyism, the quietude which
^ener^y obtained, aQ pro^d ^at> the law worked its mission, and
Was a Messing to the community. In New Haven, wkere lie had
his walks, and knew its people, he did not hesitate to say, that you
!ttiight rieoroh a» wii^ a candSe, and it- wonld be almost impossible to
find even the amount of a gallon of intoxicating liquor except at the
tttVrn ageney. He would not say that it might' not be found in some
dht-of-ttie-wajr, obscure and hidden hole. Where 1& the place where
^wd, eten the tiest and mc»st popular, are not violated— the law against
burglary, against theft, and other crimes. It was expected here in
Boston : an^ what was true in regard to violations of law here, was
doubtless also true in regard to the prohibitory law in his city. But,
generally speaking, the law was most successfiilly and triumphantly
liiUBtained in New Haven. And what was true of New Haven, was
also true of othet to'Wna in Connecticut. He had the means, from
his official position, as well as firom other sourcesi of learning the
operation of that law, and he was prepared to say that it had been
moat complete. Gentlemen engaged in shipping, in mechanical pur-
Htnts, in trade, in all the parts of the State, bore the same testimony
^^that the law was being carried into eflbct and had a most beneficial
restdt upon their respective communities.
The correspondence which he had, as well with the newspaper press,
as in letters firom prominent individuals, all tended to the same indis-
putable conclusion. Now, he was a lawyer, accustomnd to look at
isvidence, a&d he knew not what interpretation to put on all this mass of
evidence, save this, that it was conclusive that the law was most suc-
cessful in removing intemperance, crime and immoraliiy. Quoting
the statements of the Hartford Times, that the law had not been suc-
cessful, that crime had increased under it in Hartford, New Haven,
and other places, and that the assertions of the Governor, at a meeting
in New York, were not correct in relation to the operation of the kw,
Ac., he showed their utter fiiUacy, and the impotency of tl|e so called
facts which that paper adduced in support of its statements. He ex"
'0/
■'i
HI :<
> 1 A Eli .:
«.
sts,
ve;
He
but
JUt.
niuiaed "tke 8tati»tio«/' aUo, pat forth by the Times^ and showed
thetti to be totally unreliable aad eren fictitious. It really seemed
strange that the editor of that sheet did not see that he was riskiug
bis well eatmed roputation for mendacity, in putting forth such bald
statememtsy whioh carried no probability whatever, in them. (Great
laWghter.) I; 'i lo*
GK)T. DutToir passed to say that b^re the law went into operation,
it was customary to see things ia New Haven as they were in the
city of Nie^ York. There was rowdyism, intoxication, riding out ou
Sunday, &o. Since then nothing of the kind wtm noticed. The last
time he was in New York, he was nearly jostled o£f the side-walk by
a drunken man ; but he had not ietn a ilrunken man in Oonnectiouf
9moe the ptuiag/e of the law. (Applause.) What caused this great .
difBevtntiB ? What made New Haven different from New York ?
It was solely and only because Connecticut had a prohibitory liquor
law. (Benewed applause.) Quoting farther some remarks of the
TimeSi that he was "a greedy office seeker," the Governor said that
fdrmerly an office seeker had to stand upon a rum barrel ; but now if
he wished offico he must promote virtue rather than vice ; he must
stand up firm for all that promotes benevolence and humanity. He
should now let it pass that the audience took it for granted that the
prohibitory liquor law was successful, and had accomplished its miS'
BVOSL '
That law in Connecticut was drawn up with a great deal of care by
those who had had experience in such matters. The laws of Massa-
chusetts, and Maine, and other States, were examined ; and keen men,
who knew the shifts and subterfuges to which men under convietion
of rumselling would resort to, to escape, passed upon its everyprovision. ,
Their law had many good features. It was a nmple law, in all its
parto. When it took hold of a man for drunkenness, it dealt with him
for that offence. The complaint for that was coupled with no other
misdemeanor. So in regard to other particulars. It did one
thing at a time. The accused hod a distinct trial on the chai^ ;
and be was fully tried, having every opportunity to be heard, w:hile
the case was patiently considered. He did not hesitate to say that at
the time the law was passed it was the most effective and perfect law
for the street then in existence. (Applause.) Another great and
elEBctive feature of the law was its seizure clause — virhich struck at the
root of the matter, and did much to render the enactment popular
vdth the masses, who saw the source of the trouble, and who like to
see a thing done up "brown,** or not at all. (Laughter and applause.)
Another feature of the law, which gave it popularity and efficiency,
was th« provision that if a asn wai found publicly, drunk, he should
80
be detained till he told where he got drunk, or was punishe^i for being
drun!k:. (ApplanSo) It cools off a man's appetite wonderfully if he
has the prospect of a prison ahead ; and, on the other hand, it aervea
to make the dealer consider how many doses he can administer to a '
man before lie is compromised — he learns just how long it is before a
toper will reveal a secret ; for it did not take a great while for the oold
walls of a prison to loosen the tongue of a drinker, and make him tell
where he got his potion. (Laughter and applause.) > *
" The result of these two principles had given the law of Connecti'' ^
cat a great amount of its efficiency. "Without them, nothing would
make the law popular with the people* Yet it would be very strange
if their law was without its defects. There was one clause that towns
m^ht appoint agents ; and it was found that some places all of a sudden
becaime wonderftiUy teetotal ; every voter would march up to the polls
and vote against any agent at all, the enemies of the law supposing
that if no agency was established, a great inconvenience would be ex-
perienced by temperance men. But they found that temperance men
could do without liquor as long as any body else , and longer too ; and
those who were not friends of the law were soon glad to go in for the
agencies, and they now existed, suitably regulated, in nearly all the
towns. The law^ wanted a provision that would break up the practice
of buying liquors by the quantity and their conveyance to club rooms,
where they were dealt out to young men. It also wanted a provision
preventing the transportation of liquors over the State by common
carriers. He was glad to learn that it was probable these important' '
features would be incorporated into the law soon to be submitted to
the Massachusetts Legislature. They were essential to a perfect and
eflficrent statute. >
" Q-ov. Dutton ^aiifed ^ftfiife congratulatory I'emarks on the positioii'^
of Massachusetts, and what the refet of the Union hoped and expected
from her example. He trusted she would be true to her ancient fame. ^
He alluded to the interest felt by other States in the Connecticut law,
and the numerous applications he received for copies of that law, some
of the States receiving them, follo\vTng out ics^ provisions in their pro-
hibitory laws. He cited Micrngan as an tt! ;t? nee, whose new Governor
was as strong a Maine Law man as himself. He ventured the predict ■
tioh that not manV years would pass before every State north of the
Potomac would have a stringent liquor law. (Applause.) He concluded
vrith some peculiarly happy and felicitous remarks appl-opriatc to the '
State and the occasion, which were warmly applauded.**>'-'^*^ '^Ai rfthr
* Iti biiV trannit from New Haven to Hartford, We had a very interest'' '
ing discussion with Judge lluntihgdon of Htirtford, and several other
gentlemen of thci demoeratte farth who had becfn attending a democratic
ill
87
Gonyontion at New Haven. The Judge expressed liimielf warmly
against the law, as iuterforiug with the right which every citizen of
the United Stated had, to seek his own comfort in the way that seemed
to him heat. Some of his remarks were taken down, but as he ex-
pressed a wish to write out his opinions carefully when he got home,
and promised faithfully to transmit them to our address at Boston, wo
fully expected to have had the pleasure of incorporating his opposition
in our Beport. But the document never reached us, and although
we were assured by friends that the Judge would not write, we will
not violate our pledge by giving any of his statements, for they might
place him in a less favourable light than that in which a gentleman
holding so higli a position in society would wish to be placed.
* PBOVIDENCB, EHODE ISLAND. ^"'
*• ■ From New Haven we proceeded to Providence, Ehode Island, return-
ing by Hartford. Here we met the Hon. A. C. Barstow, Mayor of
Providence, and promoter of the Maine Law in Hhode Island. Mr. Bar-
stow said, " In my inaugural address as Mayor of Providence, shortly
after the passing of the law, I thus indicated to the Council my feelings
in regard to it. At the last session of our Legislature, a law was
passed for the suppression of drinking houses and tippling shops,
which is to go into operation on the third Monday of July next (1852.)
Our present laws prohibit the sale of spirituous liquors as a beverage,
except when the freemen of the towns, by vote, allow their town
council to license the traffic ; bTit the penalty for their violation is so
light as to render them entirely worthless in this city or in the densely
populated towns. The law which is soon to go into operation, con-
tains a variety of features more stringent than were ever embodied in
any former legislation upon this subject. Heretofore we have sought
to regulate this traffic by law-^now we seek to suppress it. It is
believed that a wise and firm enforcement of tnis law will soon suppress
the traffic in these liquors to a great extent, and thus rid our city of
much of the alarming amount of evil resulting therefrom. As it is
better, and in the experience of a sister State (where a similar law is
in operation) cheaper, to prevent the evils resulting from this traffic,
than to punish the crimes, and alleviate the poverty and distress
occasioned by it, I shall- deem it my duty to see that this, as well as
every other law, h justly and impartially enforced. I trust that those
who have been engaged in this traffic, will deem it a matter of policy
and duty to yield a quiet submission to the law, and thus save the
magistrate the necessity of performing a disagreeable duty. The law
must be honoured, either in its observance, or in the infliction of its
pienal siEmctions. Every interest of society demands it — every senti-
Ifii
I !
il
ment of ray beart approrea it. I deem it my dwty, thus early to mak^
the announcement, that all may have timely warnings The executaon
of this law may seem hard and oppressive to a few who are engaged
in this traflfrc, but they must bear in mind that the Want of such a
law has been esteemed a greater hardship by a multitude who eithef
directly or indirectly have suffered by it. Under our happy govern-
ment, Law, is the will of the people, constitutionally expresswd. All
goveri\ment necessarily abridges individual liberty. Living in a 8tat«
of nature, a man's rights may be measured by his might ; but, in
voluntarily entering a state of society, he agrees to unite with others
in fixing rules for the government of the whole. If any of these rulef
in their operation bear with undue severity upon himself, he has a
legal remedy, or if in their jv^t ejtecution, they liinit or restrain his
liberty too far, to suit his taste, or supposed interests, he may choose
another society more congenial to his feelings. If, however, he con-
tinues in the society, he is bound, as a good citii^ra, to respect its rules^
and bow with proper submission to its decrees. Private interest
must yield when the public good requires it ; and th« individual who
remsts the law in any other than a constitutional way, on the ground
oi private right, commits treason against the State, shows himself nil''
worthy of the society which has hitherto sheltered and protected himi
and A» a transgressor of one law, cuts himself off &om all claim for
protection under ad^ other.'* , j ii/J
" These were my opinions prior to the enforcement of the law. Afttt
it had been in operation three months, I published the following*
statistics, showing that the law in that short time had made a reduo*
tion of nearly 60 per cent, in our monthly committals, while tl^Q
number <^ insane paupers in Butl^ Hospital was reduced about
ofle-fifth :—
C«ommitials to the watch-house for drunkenness, and small assaults^
* growing out of drunkenness, from July 19, to Ootobey 19^
% 1862, (the first three months under the new liquor law) 177
Committals to the watch-house for corresponding months of last
y©« ••• o............. 289;
Committals to the watch house fov one montih immediately pre-
h ceding t: : operation of the new law .....„,.,., *,^,„....,.,lfift
Committals to the county jail from July 1^ to October 10, 1853,^
(the first thi-ee months under the new liquor lav^ ), fov Stat^
i offences ^ .......*. ..*,.... , 77
For city offences ,. 22—99
M Do do fi>r the corresponding months of last year, fbr
T.,Staifceoffenoai ..,., no ;^,
IVjrcity offences , W-«1Q1
m
^
For citj offences for one mouth precedjlug thiQ Qpetaiion of the ttew
Ufil
liquor loiy, for State offences .,..v....j..^....«,^^.fyMf!i... 4C|
For city «ffencef i^^.v*^*«^.«^«fk^jj-...d2
.. " Ouir law is well sii3tained by the people. The leading ipen in th^
State have sustained it, some from policy, but I have no doubt the
great majority from principle. We feel that the law is so thoroughly
establisihed on our Sbatute Book that no party or combination dai«
attempt to repeal it. Our Legislature, which are now in sessioa
here, ai'e strongly in favor of it, and I have no doubt its good results
will be more felt when we have had a longer trial of it. I shall have
much pleasure in introducing you to some of our representatives."
Hon. W". E. Watson, Secretary of State for Rhode Island. " I
have just prepared a statement in reply to a circular from the Stat^
OfSce at Washington. In that I express as fully as possible mj
views of the beneficial results of the Maine Law va. Bhodo Island.
I stated in effect — The Prohibitoiy Liqnor Law, generally kuQWl^
as the Maine Law, has been in operation in thi^ State about two
years and a-half. Its effects I cannot doubt have been greatly to
diminish crime, pauperism, misery, and that long and dark eatalogni9
of moral social and physical evils which result from inteniperanoe*
The atatistics of State prisons, Poor-houses and Lunatic Aaylumfl^
here as well as everywhere else, conclusively show that a very largd
proportion of the inmates of those abodes of misery, are the sad
vicf'ns of this, the greatest of the evils that afflict our country.
Whatever, therefore, operates to diminish intemperance must neces-
sarily largely amd efficiently contribute to relieve society firc^m iti
terrible consequences. As intemperance dimimshesi, the number of
State offences decreases, and the money wor^e than wasted bj
individuals in intoxicating drinks, goes to purchase tiie necessaries of
life. The cases of al^ject poverty, broken constitutions, ruined
reputations and blasted hopes, in many instances the immediate
exciting causes of insanity and raving madness are prqportiona^y
lessened. The moral and social condition of the community is thug
improved and elevated. The Sabbath is bet 9an*juftiif ^^t .
'J The questions that you have forwarded have been, in a measure,
answered. I would greatly have preferred that they should have been
presented to others far better able than myself, from their experience
in such matters and from their knowledge of the subject, to commu-
nicate important facts, and deduce l^erefrom correct inferences. !Q^,
however, what has been written is of any value, it is at yUur service."
We attended a meeting of th"* "^l/ate Temperance Committee, whote
Head-qHaifersis in Boeioxi. After they had transooted some routine
1)U8i^dB8, we expressed a desire to hear the opinions of Dr. Beecher on
the Law, and its tendencies. The reverend and worthy old gentleman,
— who has long since passed his three score years and ten, but still hale
and fresh looking — threw aside his overcoat, and having given us a rapid
andgraphicoui^eof the temperance movement from its commencem^it
in 1810 to the present time, he said : " This thing is of God. You may
stave it off by law, until you have got a majority of the people to force
it through ; but carry it you must, and no man so foolish as not to se«
its success is greater than could have been conceived. It is God's
Work, every step of the way perfect as we go along. When at the
early commencement we got advanced one stage, we came to a stand,
and then we were inspired, in a certain sense, to see what to do next.
But we never went back, although we slept on our arms sometimes.
Public sentiment somehow got prepared for another step. I hav^
the same confidence that Qod has done this, as I have that He planted
the GK>spel in the times of the Apostles, and carried it forward against
fire and sword. With two or three exceptions, all the Clergymen in
this city are with us in the movement ; we are all as one in this great
question. We are in the hardest place, perhaps, in this Continent,
but we have done great things even here, and now we are about to
reap the fruits of all our labours. Our great opposition has come
from politicians, and from the rum-sellers themselves. We could
have put the thing down in a fortnight, but for politicians ; but public
sentiment here, notwithstanding all our disadvantages, is decidedly in
our favour. Nobody believes we are going back. Some people say
there is more liquor drunk in Boston than there was before ; few.
people believe it. The impulse in favor of prohibition is very strong,
it is rapidly gaining ground, and will speedily prevail.'*
Mr. W. B» Spooner, one of the committee, said : — "The present.
state of public opinion is very strongly, set in favour of a Prohibitory
Liquor Law, and, the Legislature is such at present that the temper*
ance committee can get such a law as they please. It is rather di£B>
cult to restrain them from making it more stringent than we wish ijt
to be. The principle of prohibition has gained ground very rapidly
within these two years past. Last year in the house of representa-r
tives there was a majority of 40 in favour of the law. The Senate had
a small majority, This year I believe that more than three fourths ol'
both branches of the Legislature are in favour of it Even the news-,
papers which have hitiierto opposed the movement, say there is no doubt,
that you will get the Law, but ypu will never stop intemperance in.
that way. That remaiiis^ to be seen { tht oiaah of t^e people airii^^in
sin^okr fact that Judge Merrick one of the Judges of the Supetdm^
Court gave as his decision that the police Justice of Lowell Ikad ao
jurisdiction, and in consequence of this decision upwairdsof 100 oama'
were broken down. The Supreme Court irfberwarda decided ttttrt
Judge Merrick's decision was unsound and this broke down some 100'
more cases. But the operations of the law during Mayor Hunting'*
don's rule show the following satisfectory results j— * The effect of the
law thus far has been to annihilate many hundreds of drinking shops ;
while thousands have been compelled to suspend or secrete tlieir
operations. More than two hundred have been suppressed in Lowell
alone. In various parts of the State, — Newton, Taunton, Springfield,;
Fittsfield, there have been held musters, cattle-shows, public oeiel^fa*]
tions, at which the peace and order have surprised all spectators^ ud
opened a new era in the histoiy of such aBsemblagest During Ihe fiirst
two months of the law's operation, the diminution of the arresta for
drunkenness in Salem was seventy-seven per cent. If there has sinee
been a relapse, it is from no defect in the low ; it 'Wae enforced long"
enough to show its power.' ^ '^m
Charles W. Morse, Esq., proprietor of the Sf^gtim TeUfj^aphi-a-^
" You will find this to be a fact in connexion with Boston at the
present time, that there are double the number of liquor housea here
that there was a year ago, for this reason: They have been driven:
from all the country places, from Cambridge, from Boxbury, frtomi
Charleston, and many other places, and they haVe fStmnd a resting
place in Boston for a short time, because the law was not here enforced.
Mr.B.W. Alvordof Greenfield 108 miles fromBoston said:— ""Abmit
a year ago there were between 20 aad 80 gfog Bho]^ In Gt«aifltld»
tf
V
'i-
I don't think there k one now in the village. The enforcement of
the law broke them up entirely. Within two years past there were
open grog shops in very many of the towns in the county of Franklin ;
at this moment I do not think there are 10 ia the whole county. The
decrease is owing entirely to the enforcement of the Law. It baa
been a blessing beyond anything we ever have had, and I am satisfied
that wherever it is enforced it wUl prove a blessing to the community**
Its effects in lessening rowdyism are very marked. Before the \$/w
passed, our streets were noisy and riotous, and it was unsafe for any
female to venture out in the evening unprotected. I was afraid to
send my own child, a boy 10 years of age into the streets unprotected
a year ago. Now I have no hesitation in doing so, and females afe
perfectly safe to go out alone. At any public show, or on a teamkig
day onr streets used to be filled with drunkenness, now suth a 4ay
passes over very quietly, and scarcely a drunken man will be seen.
.<-? , POETLANB, MAINE.
BDa.ving satisfied Ourselves as to the cause in Boston) we proceeded
to Poridand with feelings somewhat of despondency. Our whole
course, so far, had been cheered with the Jubilant song of triumph.
The Law had worked to admiration wherever enforced with energy,
was working, and was effectual. But in Portland, we expected to see
every second shop a dram-shop, and every other man intoxi(»ted.
Portland ! which a few years ago could boast of five distilleries in full
blast, — Portland ! which, before the Law, with a population of 20,000,
had upwards of 300 ^aces for the open sale of intoxicating liquors, was
now, since the Law, according to the published statements of John Neal
and the Editor of the State of Maine, reliable authorities no doubt, k'ans-
formed into a huge grog-shop, where drunkenness had nearly douUed,
and crime had enormously increased. '* '»"* s>?«#*B thak
John Neal, a literary gentleman of some celebrity, who had written
some twenty or thirty Volumes of novels, and nearly as much poetry,
might in his more mellow moments, have mixed up his sttitemenis
with moonshine, and given them just a little spice of romance. That
could not be, becau^ thought they had been fiaily and publicly de-'
nouhced as &lse, by some 400 of the most reE^>60table merchants in
Portknd, they had been endorsed by the Editor of the 8lM$ of Mkimj ^'
•nd he! ah! here we were in the daiik^-though now weseo olearly
But judge of our surprise, when instead of going into a modern
Sodom streaming with drunkenness, and reeking with all manner of
impurities, we wandered from one end of the beautiful city to the
other, and never yet saw one place where liquor was openly sold. ,^ ^„
It could not be that we had got into the wron^ State, we had traced
our way too closely for that. And yet; this could not be that
Portland, which the luxuriant fancy of John Neal and the Editor of^
the State qf Maine had conjured up as one of the most ungainly spots
on earth's wide surface. It was even so, and so far as we could learn,
there is not one house in Portland where drink can be openly had. ,j^j
" There," said Neal Dow, as we drove down the streets with him,
on the following day, — " there, where that Harness maker's ahop is,,
was a large grog shop ; there, the next door but one was another, and.
in a ^tone's throw I could point you to twenty in the line of this^
street; but these places are now filled, by,, houest industrio^.
tradesmen."
Bev. D. B. Peck, Portland. — " I know a nutober of cases of recla-
mation from intemperance, as a direct result of the Maine Law, men
who were intemperate previous to the passing of the law and have
since become sober men. Four instances have come under my own^
observation, and there are many others in the city of which I have
been credibly informed. One of these is a very interesting case. He,
was a miserable drunken creature before the passage of the law. .
During. Mr. Dow's Mayoralty, he could not get a drop of liquor, pnd,
was from absolute necessity forced to go without it. He found after
a trial that he could do without it, and he b^s since bpcome aU;
industrious man, and accumulated some little money. He and his^
wife are now regular in attendance at the church, and his family,
wretched and miserable before, are now comfortably clothed. He.
has purchased the house in which they now live; and a great part of.
the purchase money is paid. The other three to wh(»n I alluded have
become ^ober respectable men.
I'ii Jlil.1
u'i
" Since the passing of the law, five new churches have bpen erecte^t
in this city, I remember at the time these chnrches were.commenced,.
objections were raised by some that it would draw off the people froflfi^
the old congregations), But such has not been the case, l^v^ old
congregation has increased, and our new churchj^g f|^p ^^^,^1|^(|[^
The fact is we require one or two more churches. ,r ,f,
^f^/^With regard to Sabbath schools, I know of many children uow,
attendmg Sabbath school, who, before the passing of the l^w, were^
childrrai of intemperate .pai-ents, and woi[e weyer to, ^p, ?fse0; at^.^t
Sunday ^chooU ..:f*'^.s^/vifr^..ffiT^-f,w^-f.Fnq rrvjd'^r^vMfe .h,«,.f;ho^
"There Few abpikit |bR?9 luwfted places h^ ^or the op^n «4ej
r
>
\
\\qS^v(^aTe iixep&sfAgot the law. There is at present no place for
the open sale. I am satisfled there are several places where liquor can^
be got, but it must be sold in secret ; except in hotels, where it can '
be had, only by trayellers, the others who sell it are vile, unprincipled
men, men of low vulgar habits.
"The feeling in regard to the principle of prohibition is gradually
^ increasing. The law has not by any means effected what it is capable ^
oC doing, and what it would do in the hands of its friends, if they had**
it to execute. In almost all our countrj'^ towns, such as Saco, Rock-'^
laud and others, it would be very hard work to get liquor in any of
• them, except from the town agent who keeps it for purposes mentioned^
in the law.
" I am fully convinced that a rigid enforcement of the law is the
only course that can be adopted to accomplish the end in view. The "
dass of men engaged in the rum-selling are men devoid of principle,
who are ready to sell, provided they can make money out of it. That
class of men must V -> reached by the penalties of the law. The parties' H
who violate the Law are foreigners, chiefly from Ireland. "We hare '
no other foreign population here. They come here, with all their
"^ vicious habits and grovelling tastes uncontrolled, and they think they
can make money at this thing, and they set to work. They have had
no previous training in habits of temperance, and they die out
before they a^e reclaimed. They don't live on an average more than
seven years here.
" Notwithstanding all that has been said about the law not having *.
been carried out in this city, I am convinced that there is a strong '
healthy public feeling in favour of its enforcement. "We had two
distilleries working when the law passed, and one in process of
erection. The one then in progress, is converted into a gas work.
The fires of the other two are blown out,
" Our prospect in regard to a new Mayor is good. I have not the
least doubt Mr. Dow will be elected by a large majority. One gentle- '
man, Mr. Sawyer, told me the other day that he was determinedly
opposed to the Maine Law when it passed, and had spent |300 to
^ help to defeat Neal Dow's re-election as Mayor. Now he would
cheerfully give as much to get him elected, a':. He had witnessed the
beneficial operations of the kw upon the city. H<^
Mr. Alderman Thomas, one of the Bepresentatives of the City of >
Portland. — " I think that th^re is no question that the feeUng in
favor of prohibition is increasing in this city. Hundreds of vMsn who,
to my own knowledge opposed the law at its first enactment, are now
in favour of it. They long to have a law that they can put fully in •
force, and they are determined to have such a law. ^ / -- - - -^
" Well you may not understand why Neal Dow waa not re-elected,
aifd it will take some time to make you acquainted with all the kindi
of opposition brought against him. One thing, however, you will i
keep in mind at the outset, — Mr. Dow had a majority of the legal votes, i
Many people were brought up to the poll who had no right to votei
but they swore that they were so-and-so. Some of them were rejected
at the poll There were hundreds of naturalization tickets brought
firom Boston, and handed to parties who came up and swore on thee*
tickets, and thus the list was raised. It was understood that the^e
ti<^ets were borrowed for the occasion in Boston, and given to people ,
who lived in the country and had no kind of title to vote in Portland.
" Two men, two leaders of a party, who told me they were determined
to hazard any amount of money to defeat Mr. Dow's election, said thej .
were prepared to expend from $3,000 to $4,000 to accomplish thi|^
ol:gect. It was shrewdly suspected where that money came from.
" Then Mr. Dow's opponent was no mean man. He was the moflf|
pppular man in the whole State of Maine, and was a friend of the
t^peraivce movement. It was not Bum versus Maine Law, as it was
in the election of our Governor ; but rather the Maine Law mildly
enforced versus the Maine Law put right through, as they say,
" I think there is more drink used in the city at present than there
was when Mr. Dow was Major. There could not be much fewer
than 300 grog-shops in the City of Portland when the law was passed, j
now there is no such thing as an open grog tihop. There are severaji
places where it is said they sell drink, but it is chiefly among the Iqw
emigrants. That is the class we ha,ve to contend with. Even ,
ai^ong^;t that class drinking was much ^eater before the law passed .
th^n now. There af« no cf]*b^^ %Mti I ^ft^^;f?,f where young men |;o ^
to^,get drink. *'^
" The representatives of the City of Portland are all temper^ncf^p
mei^. No other than a tempi^fWice, wm povfld be elected to reprea^*'
the «itj- "Kou c^pjao^ ^t, th/Bi present tiipe elect a rum roa^ for apj ;
of^pe iftthe qity wh?^j;e«:er' hy,p9P»l«kr Yftt^. There has not l^ei^n^'
tj^e fft the histofry of Pontlj^jl wj^en the Temperance party has be^jn
8e&trongina^resfl^(^,7-ij^i^^WJbteTfii,px inteUpc^ and in ^vealth, ^f^j
a^ti^i^ PSe^^jf nHQffiej^t. ^pp^rty in tbe ^i^y. ^PuW thin]^ of puit^^j,^
up any man for election jt^ j|i)jf! pffice whflit^yer ii^ tM 9i|y,V%;W^.j
i«^ # ^9««^ii? temp^wwice jpa^. .jtp ^,.^,^; , - . ^ „ , ,
cif*vi:doi^o|i,thi?iiJ^,^h|9rehafl|)9e«i» th^city qna singlp instance o^|
r^il^a^^ tp tihe hWt m^ I W= ^^^: QWyifl64 t||a^ np aprt of com- .
hif^io^,^ w^a^y^ tK^i, i^p foj^p^i >? S)^^^ pyevent i^e ^
Pifsiiig pC ^mm ^^mff^i W' Qm^To^^i^^ ^4^ d^nQmu^^tlo^^, .
ace united in favour .9^ tljplfftf^,, ,, , ^ ,, ,b^ , m ,^y«>l
a
II
I. i
\ >
** I have had a good deal uf buaaaeBs with the Kimbering Diitr icta>
and I can say that drink is not furniHhed at all to these Districtis
unless in the medicine chest There was formerly a great quantity
of liquor used in all the c^mpa ; but, even those opposed to the Tem-
perance movement, do not now ftiraish liquor to thoir men. I know
-one or two gentlemen in that business, who are not with us «s Tem-
perance men, but they will not furnish any liquor to their men upon
any account whatever.
AUGUSTA, MAINE.
We proceeded to Augusta, as the Legislature was in Session, to
ascertain the kind of feeling which pervaded the Legislature in
regard to the working of the Law, and to have a few minutes conver-
sation with the Governor upon the subject. On our way down Mr.
Aid. Thomas, who was returning to his Legislative duties, introduced
us to Allen I|!aincs. Esq., of Portland, a gentleman who took the
deepest interest i^'. i u.* mis&ion, who devoted the greater part of the
day to us, to facilitate cur enquiries, and gave us a full insiglKt into
the political state of the question. The following condensed siiate*
ment we give &om his lips.
Mr. Allen Haines. — " My own impression is, that personally, Mr.
Dow has made a good many enemies, as every man who undertakes to
reform a great abuse, invariabl will. Mr. Dow is ardent, impulsive,
and fearless. At the time the question came up in Portland, th«
people had not got up to the point, that the principle of prohibition
and the Maine Law should take precedence of ail other movements.
It was on the eve of i Presidoutial election, and the Democratic
party felt it was necessary to adh^e to their old party organization.
But, as an evidence of the amount of popular feeling in fatonr of the
Maine Law, they did not dare to take up a man in opposition to Mr^
Bow who was not a thorough Maine Xiow man. I voted for Judge
Paris. Th^e is no man in the State of Maine ^ho has beldao maa^!
responsible offices, as Judge Pans. I remember, when I iva» a boy, ho
was Judge in the United States Court, and Jtdge of Prolate mt the
same time. He waj( ' elected Gdyernor otf the ^9ite oC Maine, at;
an age younger than any other man ever vihoe mftde Governor in thifa
State. He was then elected United States Senator — elated and r«N
elected ; and while Benotoir was appidnted Judge of our Supreme
Court. While Judge of the Supreme Courts he ^m tsiwsferred to
Washington — under the administration, I think) of G0*tr(d Jacflts©*-— ,
at er waa started, and
dragged out a brief existence.
^Whetn the Hon. Shepard Gary etaitedin bis oaovas'fer^CkyrerQor,
he went throogh all the State direatiBg his attadcs against theMaiii^
lami «tid wte «eooinpaoied by the Editor (*f this same Mvpodtor, Msi^
^y^
I ►>
58
'^>.
1^>
Cary was a member of Congress for several years, a member of the
Senate Houb3, and had been a leading Democrat for several years.
But he was brought out on the Bum ticket, directly in opposition to
the Maine Law ; and, notwithstanding that he stumped the State,
Rud had the Editor of the rum paper with him heralding his praises ;
and notwithstanding all his prestige as a man, he received only some-
thing like 4,000 votes out of a representative vote of 90,000.
" Here again the democratic party stood forward as a party, in direct
opposition to the Maine Law, and were defeated. I voted for Governor
Paris the regular democratic candidate, and he never was beaten at
an election in his life before. G-ovemor Morrill's brother, one of the
most emin^ nt lawyers in the State, voted with the democratic party,
and consequently against his own brother. We thought it 'neces-
sary to keep party lines distinct.
" Although we have suffered for the last year or two bj the law not
being fully enforced, — ^yet there is nothing like the drinking in the
city that there was. We have no open houses for the sale of liquor,
but people get it in from Boston in milk cans, and various sorts of
packages ; but the new Law will sweep all that away. There is no
question that the city is much quieter than it was before the passing
of the Law, and the sentiment in favour of the principle of entire pro-
hibition is neariy universal."
Leonard Andrews, Esq., representative from Biddieford : County of
York, a manufacturing town with a population of about 8,000. " The
Law has not been so strictly enforced in our town, in consequence of
some little difference in feeling among the town officers. We com-
menced soon after the passing of the law to enforce it, and in a very
short time, we closed up every grog shop in the place. There have
been no open shops since. It is howev^ to be had in some low places
kept by emigrants. So far as my own knowledge goes^ the law has
worked to a charm in Biddeford. When the population was not more
than 2,04X), I have seen as many as 30 places for the open sale of mm.
Dnmkenness was very prevalent. But now the scene is changed
Ever since the law was enacted the feeling of respectable citizens has
been increasing in its favour, and no combination of political parties
could defeat it if a popi\lar vote was taken on the question. From
my connexion with the ciiy affairs previous to the passing of the law
I had a good opportunity of witnessing the crime and drunkenness
that existed and can now speak of the very great change which was
speedily effected. We love the law in Biddeford.** 'H
J. D. Prescott, Esq., of Eranklin County ; Librarian of the House.
'V'At the time the Maine Law was enacted, the county of Franklin
was strongly democratic and the democratic party were accounted as
the opponenta of the Law. 1%e frioads c£ T&n^^enaaoe conseqnenlly
organized upon the Law and succeeded hj a majority of aeyend hun*
dreds in returning every member to this House and to the Senate
upon this issue alone. There were five Maine Law men sent to the
Assembly and one to the Senate, so that the delegates from that
County are entirely Maine Law. The Law is enforced successfully in
every town in the county, and the effects are most salutary; peace and
order and eyerything desirable is the result. I know a great many
instances of reclamation from intemperance in consequence of the en-
forcement of the Law amongst the labouring and mechanical dassee*
Before the Law, some of their families were living in wretchednest,
now they are surrounded by C(Mnfort. We have very many such in*
stances in our county.
" The attendance upon public worship has gradually increased since
the law was passed. 1 don't think that its effects upcm the attendauoe
at our common schools is so great, as the children even of thoae
parents who were intemperate, were brought out to school, but then
there is a marked difference upon the comfortable appearance of some
9f the children.
' iBnooh Gtoodole, representative of Wells, County of York, introdu*
oed to us as elected in opposition to tJie Law, and diieAy on the nun-
interest, said : — " The principle of prohibition is very generalli'
acknowledged in Wells. But I think that there is a majc»*ity of those
whom I represent opposed to the Law in some of its features. Some
of them think th^ a stringent License Law would be more beneficial
Hhaxi the Maine Law, while oljiers of them are opposed to the Maine
Law because it does not go far enough and prohibit the sale of liquoaoe
ttntir^y and not allow tiiem to be sold even by town agents. Both ci
iheee parties voted for me at last election. But there was a strong
political feeling manifested. My opponent was stron^y Anjki*
Nebraska and Maine Law. So far as my experience goes I think the
operations of the law have not decreased drunkenness, because it has
taken the sale out of the hands of responsible parties and put it into
the hanus of irresponsible parties. We did not appoint town agents
in Wells, because the majority of our people were opposed to the en-
finrcement of th") law. There were several licensed houses before the
passing of the law. Now there are bo houses for the open sale of
liquor; but 1 have no doubt there we places where it can be had/V
Q-ovemor Morrill :— " I think the law is worfting very well in Maine.
We have never had an opportunity to give it a fair trial, for the truth
iS| since this law was enforced the executive officers have been very
orach aginnst us. Those not opposed to us have, to say the least, been
iLdifferent to us, and consequently, with indifference on one hand
I
%
<
% >
■nd opposition on the otbe^ the Hw had not been generally enforced,
fliid no law can be beneficial or otherwise, if not enforced. But where-
erer it has been enforced it has worked well. In Portland when it
was enforced by Mr. Dow, it was potent enough to drive the traffic
entirely from the city. Mr. Dow published some valuable statistics
of the operations of the law during his Mayoralty which will fully
ihow its happy effects. These Statistics you must obtain as they tell
powerfully in favour of the law. Mr. Dow will furnish you with a copy.
Since the Mayoralty of Portland was changed, the traffic has revived
ft little. In all our cities and towns where the governments have beei*
fsYourable to the law and have been disposed to enforce it, it has done
iAie work admirably. I do not say that you can extinguish intern per-
toce by such a law all at once. It was too much to expect that. Bat
r do say that it certainly most wonderfully circumscribes the tr&iBxi
tad will finally drive it out. We have penal enactments against htt-
oeny, but although you hear of thefts, you do not say that these ste
the result of the penal laws. But unreasonable men when they sew
that drink can still be obtained in some places say, this is all in coh-
ieiquence of the law. I do not hesitate to say from personal ob3er?*&-
ticn that the evil has been greatly curtailed by this present law. Tfce
people now absolutely demand that it be made more stringent. But
erten where the present law has been enforced I can give you a list of
towns where rum-selling has been absolutely extinguished.
** In the l;ttlie town of Beadfield, where I reside, a place of some
4600 inhabitants, we had five Oi* six grog shops at the time of the
^sing of the Law. It was a border town where people came fta.
firom a distance, and bought to a large extent. When the law weht
iMo operation, #e got a Board of select men, who obeyed the instruc-
tions of the town, and we sncceeded in Shutting up every grog shop.
1a ten days every one was closed, and there has not been one optta
iince ; nor can it stay there in the public gaze, any more than a thifcf
ti6nld before his victim.
" We chose a town agent, and the select men furnished him vitti
liqQDr. The amount bought by the select men cost $198 ; an/ ;hi»
lias served fot* the last two years for aH medhabical and medicinal
pWrposes whatever ; and I think I would be safe in saying that for 30
years pricrto the passage of the Law, the annual expenditure would
not be less than from $8,000 to $10,000. From the peculiar situatiion
of the town, it was noted as a gi-eat place for selling liquor, but now
if^ have cleared it all out, and there is not a drop to be had.
*' From observation I can say that wherever the Law has been
etrfbrced, such has been the i-esult, and sueh will invariably be tli©
fesult of this LaW^ Wh^i^ver the people take hold of it. *
£6
" The Law was passed by the Legislature in 1851, and the feeling in
its favour has been growing stronger eyery year. The public feeling
in favour of the Law was very fully manifested in the overwhelming
vote on the election of Governor. There were four candidates in the
field. Mr. Cary was the rum candidate, nominated in direct opposi-
tion to the Law. — A man long in public life ; a Senator for many
years, and a very good debater. He took the stump and stumped the
State. And yet out of a vote of 90,000 only received from 3000 to
4000 votes. Opposition to the Maine Law was made the prominent
feature in all his stump addresses, and yet the votes he received will
show how far he had miscalculated. The fact is, no man dare enter
the field, as a member for Congress, or any other important office i|i
this State, and openly say that he is opposed to the Maine Law,
and have the remotest chance of success. I doubt very much whether
public sentiment was prepared for this Law when it was passed, it
seemed so stringent, — but that sentiment has been growing stronger
;^id stronger every day, and now we carry everything in favour of the
Law by acclamation. It operates upon every interest, and I say,
with the greatest confidence, that it has swept all strong opposition
away.
" Well, I can only say that aU those men who say there is more
liquor sold now than before the passing of the Law, state what they
know to be false.
;.■; " Here, in Augusta, parties would go to Boston and buy drink
enough to freight a little schooner ; and now there is not as much
brought to this place in a twelve-month altogether, as any one house
was in the habit of bringing in one single cargo.
" Last year the Stanley House was flooded, where you see one bottle
of champagne now, you would have seen fifty. "We have a different
house now. The Augusta House, now filled with members of the
Legislature, was formerly overflowing with rum. No decent man
could stay there without being annoyed with the effects of rum. But
everything has been so thoroughly swept, that I am stopping there
. this year ; all our temperance men are there, and we have not "been
. able to trace a drop of liquor in that house. And so it is with the
r.people who are here to do business, they find the house quiet and
, comfortable. When I say this, I may state that Augusta is considered
the worst place in the State of Maine.
, " We are now making our Law more stringent. In the Senate I
do not think there is one vote against the Law. The House stands
upon that question in private feeling more than three to one, but they
dare not even show that feeling. In the whole House, of 151 mem-
bers, I do not think there will be 30 votes in opposition to the I^^ir.
I
\ >
Ques. — How do you account for Jobn Neal's recent opposition
to the Law ?
Ans. — I account for it, and all intelligent men account for it,
siinply in his personal hostility to Neal Dow, his own cousin. John
Neal wus ambitious to be Mayor of Portland, and was defeated by
Neal Dow, and firom that time a violent personal hostility commenced ;
I have never heard any other opinion given.
Ques. — Are his statements in regard to the working of the Law
endorsed by any respectable number of the citizens of Portland?
Ans. — My own impression is, that his opinions on that subject are
repudiated by almost every respectable man in Portland. I know that
not one of the 1700 of a representative vote which I received in
Portland, would endorse his opinions on that question. Even those
who voted against me, in order to keep in their own political organi-
zations, the members of the Whig party and of the Democratic party*
the hundreds who voted for Q-ovemor Paris and for Mr. Eeed, would
■t>e the foremost to repudiate John Neal's statements on the workings
* of the Law.
Ques.— How do you account for the virulent opposition of the
■ Btate of Maine newspaper P
Ans. — I account for it by saying, that John A. Poor's aflSnities
have always been with the rum party.
Ques. — ^Are the statements made in that paper, in regard to the
working of the Law, to be relied on ?
Ans. — ^His paper is not at all lelied on in Maine, it has neither circu-
lation nor influence in Portland. It is the reputed Canada Grand
Trunk organ ; is in the Jackson interest, and is said to be supported
by some of the members of your own Canadian Legislature, to
advocate the interests of that Eoad in connexion with Portland.
Some of the Whigs, connected in the rum interest, who did not like
the old Whig paper, the Advertiser, conducted by Mr. Carter, in
'iconsequence of his taking strong Temperance grounds, started this
paper, and in came John A. Poor to the Editorial Chair, with strong
pro-slavery and rum proclivities — while our Temperance people, to a
man, are anti-slavery. The State of Maine was started since the Law
was passed.
" In regard to Mr. Dow ; he is one of the best men that ever lived ;
he is warm-hearted, generous and candid ; he is, however, impul-
, live, aud sometimes does things which even his friends object to ; but
you will find him at all times guided by the purest motives.
.; ; " I predict that that man wiU be elected to be Mayor of Portland
at next election. No man enters this Legislative Hall, no man goes to
a mass meeting, and is received with such enthusiasm as Mr. Dow \!b.
Whatever he says is listened to with profound respect.
I
ELEOTOBAL ASPECT OF tHB LAW.
Satisfied from the remarks of ifae Governor that the returns of
his election would sliow somewhat the feeling of the State of Maine
•o far as the electoral body was concerned, on the great point at issue,
we found ourselves quietly seated at the desk of the Secretary of
Btate, who furnished us a few of the more prominent figures con-
nected with the election.' We have already said that the old Demo-
cratic party, as it is termed, which has ruled in Maine — with the
exception of some four or five years— ever since it was a State — this
old party thought proper to array itself against the Maine Law, or
rather to stand upon their old democracy, irrespective of the inroad
which this principle of prohibition had made on the general feeling
of the State. Their party name was dearer to them than the prmciple
of prohibition, and in saying so we include in that list such men as
If r. Allen Haines, one of the most amiable, generous-hearted mm
that ever lived. Yet, thdy chose th^ party line, and in order to
succeed they selected one of the most popular men in the State,'— a
man superior in every sense of the word, and one who had never
been beaten in a long political career. — Judge Paris was just the man
they conceived to crown their party with success. Isaac Beed, Esq.
was selected as the regular Whig candidate; while Shepard Caiy
came out the Anti- Maine Law and Bum candidate. Li this state of
matters Anson P. Morrill, a man of considerable business capacity,
took the field as the advocate of the Maine Law. He took his stand
upon the Maine Law, and the result proved that he had not miB-
calculated the strength of the public sentiment in regard to tl^
principle of a prohibitory Liquor Law.
The Candidates were Anson P. Morrill, Maine Law ; Albion !l^.
Paris, Democrat ; Isaac Beed, Whig \ Shepard Cary^ Anti-Maine Law :
Xorrill,.
COLl
A
(lodged — and such a law will be passed. The Governor— evety
member of the Senate, and a large majority of the House, are in
favour of making the first offence against the Law, imprisonment, — a
course which they think will completely break up the traffic. 1 do
not know any place where liquor is now sold openly ; but the arresta
for drunkenness that are now and again made, prove that it can be
got somewhere, slyly. In many sections, when the Law was first,
passed, the people doubted whether it could be enforced, but from
that time to this the Law has made friends, and has taken so deep a
root in the public mind, that I think no town or locality in the State
would be found to vote fo^., its repeal. Every where the or) is — ^Let
the Law be enforced, -rv. rr ««j
" Several of the towns go so far as to refuse to sell it at all. They
say it is not needed either for chemical or medicinal purposes,
and, therefore, ought not to be kept. They have no objections to
pure alcohol being kept, but liquors they object to. Since this Session
commenced, various medical men have been consulted, and they are
nearly unanimous in opinion, that liquor can be dispensed with as a
medicine. I am satisfied the public mind is coming rapidly to tha^
conclusion." ■ ■ ^
Dr. Oakes, representative for Auburn, a town of upwards of 3,600
inhabitants. — " The Law has been enforced pretty well in Auburn,
and the result has been very favourable. Public sentiment there was
rather against it at its passage, because they considered some of itt
features oppressive — ^particularly the right of search and seizu!?8.
Since the Law was enforced the opposition has gradually diminished,
aad public sentiment among all the better classes is in its favour.
We have no place for the open sale of liquor in Auburn. "We have
not even an agent at the present time. There were several seizures
<^ liquors made, and almost all the cases were successful in leading to
conviction ; yet, notwithstanding that, the feeling in favour of tht
Law has increased. The sellers generally had this branch connected
with some other business, and they have turned their attention to
that business. So far as my medical practice goes, I think liquor can
be disp^ised with even as a medicine. I have always been of opinion
that it does more harm than good, even as a medicine. I do not
say that it is never useful, but I do say that the balances are against
its use as a medidne. K a strictly prohibitory law were introduced
into the House, restricting its use as a medicine, I would moat
certainly vote for it."
Seth May, Esq., Counsellor at Law, representative for Winthrop
— ^a town with about 2,200 inhabitants. — ^'^ At first we were unsuccess*^
ftil in ^hfi Appeintm^nt of; our Town Agent^ but at the hut annual
0S
meeting a new Board of select men was elected, and a new Agent has
been appointed. We have no place for the open sale of liquor.
Before the Law there were four or five houses, but the parties ha?«
quit the business. I do not think it can be obtained any where in
Winthrop, except at the agency. Drunkenness is exceedingly rare.
Four or five years ago, in my professional capacity, I used to have a
Justice trial every week nearly, but now my docket will show aboui
tiurea cases annually. Almost all our people are satisfied with the
enforcement of the Law."
Timothy Sudden, Judge of probate, resident in Turner — population
in 1850, 2673. — "There were seven grog shops in Turner at the
passing of the Law. The sale was very great for the size of the
place. We have no open shops now, nor have we had for some time,
l^tese grog'Sellers were grocers as well, and they continue the ope
business. Some of them were taken up at first for violating the Law,
but they were deterred from selling again. There was a struggle at
tbe election of our municipal officers, but' the Temperance party prC"
vailed. Public feeling is favorable to tiie Law. We have taken
great pains in regard to education in Turner, and the Law has helped
us wonderfully in that department. On Sabbath observance, too, I
aiki convinced it has had a very beneficial effect. Prior to the passing
of the Law, two of our most valuable citizens were great drunkards.
Tfaey are now reformed since the passing of the Law, and are
bdth of them members of a Christian Ohureh. There are sevenU
otiier instances of a similar nature although not so marked as
these two.
**I was a member of the Legislature^ aad gave my vote for the
Law when it was passed. In consequence of that I failed to be
iwtumed. Having received an appointment in liie Judiciary after)-
iMrds, I was not so much before the puibHc ; yet I know that otheit
heading the same opinion as sttionglj^! as I did were elected, and
public ofonion now Bustains che statiid that I then took. nd
'>f*iii i^ town of BuckfieLd, six. miles from Turner, — the adjoining'
Umur^yfe have one oif the most marked in^ances of the good work of
tiwi Law perhaps of any town in. ouir section; Before the passage i^
tliB! Lavi, there wene in Buckfieldf five regular rum establishnnents^
iAmra are now ikone. And although ihlere haVebeen great exertioiis'
made by the enemies of the Law; still they;ha^ not been successful xtt?
Bliataining one bouse for ithe sale of li^ox^ In every municipal el^-<
tion since the Law passed there has been a stlroggle between the'
fQend8;fuid-:fe!ea ofiienipenDxc^ ' Last yearN^lor^tli^ firet time* — tb*
ttniperanee party sunceeded' in dating! tike lentilietetikpei^anoe'tioketv
Saoh ia des theistattft ef thingtfitkare, tha*)l! think -we may reasoAsbk^
\^i'
68
f
M>
expect the law to be carried out efTectlyelj. The sentiment of the
poople is now pretty much in favour of the Law.
" I have no doubt that the election of our Chief Magistrate, identi-
fied as he is with the cause of temperance, has promoted that cause
very much. In the County of Oxford, in which I make circuit three
times a year, we have had a struggle in the election of County Officers.
TJntil the present year we have never been able to elect temperance
men. Last election we elected a County Commissioner, strictly upon
temperance principles, and two Senators and one-half of the Bepre-
sentatives, and gave a plurality of votes for those who were friendly
to the cause of temperance. So far as my practice as an attorney
goes, I know that actions for personal violence are far fewer than
they were before. I don*t think I have seen in that town one man
intoxicated since the Law was enforced.
Edmund Kent, Esq., Counsellor at Law. — Was Governor of the
S|tate of Maine in 1838 to 1841, and was Slates* Consul to Bio
Janeiro. — " Before I went to South America I have witnessed the evils
of intemperance in Bangor, where I reside. I know a very marked
change upon the place. The Iiaw seems to be enforced there wdth. a
good deal of determination. There are no open places for the sale of
liquor, although it can, undoubtedly, be obtained. I felt somewhat
doubtful in regard to the principle of prohibition. X had a good deal
of, hesitancy about it, and wbile absent as I was during the time the
I^w was enacted, I d^d not thi|ik it could be enforced. But the
Ipnger I am in the State, the mc|ro I am convinced, that by energy
uid determination the Law can be enforced, and be attended with
very beneficial consequences. It will be much more easily enforced
ijo, rubral dis^tricts than in Iflurge^ towns ; but my opinion decidedly is
th^t the experiment o^ght to bp fully tried ; and I see no reason why
an offence against the Law ought not to be punished as a very seripus
oflEence. I cannot un^lera^and why a man should step up and say,
because I do not think the yi9l^tioi) of the ]Uiw an offenoe, that theare-
fjure he is at liberty to violate it^ If it is the Law of the State I do
not pee why the fwst offence {fhouI4 uot even be seve^rely punished* —
that is to say,-^if sufflciei^t .i^tipe has been given that the Law wap
to be enforced. I do ^hink t^t a l^gQ propo^^on of the people of
ij^angpp are fiji^oral^l^ to the I^aw. !pven tl^ose, not strictly Temperr
ij|Dce men, are favorable t/o its enfprcement, and the fee^ng is,
gradually increasing. I am satisfied that if th^ authorities desire to
enforce the Law, puhiic senjtiment will sustain them in it.
^^ While in South Amei^^a,! n^t with,seye^,English.people, and th^,
gjipnepl impression witii thc^ ,wm^ that t)i^ Law jpermit^d t^e offioen
tjf ,go ifj^rough aU tJ^Orh^Mi^ aj^' ^^^^ ^^^^^v y^ 90\aae dun
r
•A
II
was a misapprenension, because the Law does not contemplate an^
thing of the kind. My own private opinion is now decidedly in
favour of the Law."
J. T. Leavitt, representative from Skowhegan, was introduced to us
aa one of the strongest opponents of the law in the House. He said
— " I was in the Legislature when the Maine Law was passed, and I
voted against it, because I am opposed to the principle of prohibition.
I would not, however, vote to repeal the Law, I am disposed to allow it
to get a fair trial, because I think it will work itself out. I do not think
that you can abolish the traffic in liquors by legislation. I think, there-
fore, that the Law will gradually die out, and that its supporters will
cease to enforce it. I think it has done a great deal of good in that
part of the country to which I belong. I use no liquor myself. I believe
it has a direct tendency to decrease the traffic in liquor, although it
will not stop it. The open sale of liquor in Skowhegan was almoi^t
entirely abolished by the Law of 1846. There is no open sale at
present, — and I do not know that there i^i any sold secretly. There
is none sold openly, and very much to our gratification too, for the
only class that drink was what we call our foreign population. The
native citizens of our place are decidedly favorable to the Law, and
are desirous that it be most stringently carried out. I think, in some
cases, it has not been enforced with much discretion. There was one
particular instance of that sort came to my own knowledge, but only
one. The right of seizure, if properly managed, I don't disapprove of,
because it broke up several places I was glad to see broken up. I
am inclined to think that the majority of our people desire a more
stringent measure. I want intemperance suppressed, but I doubt
very much whether this Maine Law will suppress it ; and I think its
friends are of the same opinion, because they are continiiallY
tinkering at it."
Joseph Eaton, of Winslow, Senator. — " "We have no open sale
of liquor in Winslow. The effects of the enforcement of the Law
have been very beneficial there ; and they are strikingly manifested
in the comfortable appearance of the citizens^in their dress and in
their attendance at church. No doubt liquor can be gr^, ^ u no
native citizen that I know drinks. Those who drink iS are
chiefly our foreign population, formerly we used to sel jO,000 at
least of liquor annually, on the Kennebec Eiver. Now w-. do aot
aeU in the whole $3,000 worth."
jT. B. Hill, Counsellor at Law, representative for Bangor. — " I am
a)t present Chairman of the Maine Law Committee, to whom the
new Bill has been referred to be printed and introduced. I have
^rawn up this bill with a view to supply some deficiencies in the Bill
1/
^
6S
•^
of 1858, bj making some of its provisions a Utile more stringent, and
guarding, as far as may be, against those points in the former Law
whioh oar opponents were ingerious enough to take advantage of, by
protracting the suits and appealing from judgment and so on. This,
we think, the present bill will guard against in a great measure. We
have now the benefit of experience, and have found where the rum
sellers,— by the assistance of the best talent in the Courts, and the
utmost ability and io^genuity, — have been able to prevent the execu-
tion of the law. In some places the law has been verj efficient— in
other places it has not.
" Wo have also, in the ubw bill, put very stringent peiialties upon
apothecaries aad artists who would take undue advantage of thr
privilege they have of obtaining liquor, and allow it to be used as a
beverage. We have also prepared very stringent penalties in regard
to Express men and common Carriers, and will not allow them to
msry it upon any pretence whatever. We don't prevent the citisen
from supplying himself, but we could not contrive any way in which
Express men and common Carriers could be controlled, and we just
out them off entirely and say you shall not carry it at all.
" The principal difficulty our people have had in executing the law
of 1858, is in the destruction of liquors when the owner is not arrenf^
ed. The officer seizes the liquor but does not find the owner ; and
the law of 1853 provides that the officer advertise a reasonable time,
and if not claimed, the Uquors must be destroyed. Our courts may
possibly come to the conclusion that this is not constitutional. A
case has been argued, but it is not yet decided, although it is believed
that the provisions on that point were not sufficient. To remove any
difficulty, in the new Bill it is provided that all liquors, when seized,
and the owner is not brought before the court, shall be proceeded
against in the same manner as smuggled goods, giving the owner
liberty to come before the court and claim his goods, and if he does
■0 and defends his case sucoessfuUy, he shall get his property again,
bi^ if he fails to do so, thcii he shall be subjected to the penalty of
keeping Uquors in violation of the law. The form of process for
rseisure of the liquors, and every other form of process, is embodied
in this bill and will be enacted in the Statute, and all forms of
procedure in court£|, and in the service of warrants, indictments and
bonds, are embodied in the law, and we shall declare that aU proceed'
iogs under these forms ace vaUd.
'■f^ Que provision I consider a very important one— the provision for
•tto regdatiou of the agency. I find in many instances that the
.«gesirs hava beeu gr^at scoundrels and have done aU they could to
tfev?«rt their offic^. Wi^ hvre now providod that they shall keep an
68
account of CTery sble they make, and for what purpose the sale wai
nude, date of sale and the name of the party who made the purchase,
and have this book open for the inspection of any Justice of the Peace
who wishes to consult it.
** In relation to Bangor, I have Kved there since 1835 — formerly I
lived in Penobscot. Prom personal experience I can say that the
law has operated very beneficially in Bangor and its vicinity. I do
not say that the sale of liquor is entirely stopped; there are some men
who drink still, but there is no open sale — it must all be done very
secretly. The chief reason why I think the law of 1868 was not so
efficient as was contemplated, is that it did not impose imprison-
ment for the first ofience. The present bill impos^es imprisonment
for the first ofience, and in all cases the first ofience vrill be followed
with 80 days imprisonment and a fine of $20 ; the second, 60 days
imprisonment and a fine of $20 ; the third, 90 days imprisonment and
a fine of $20, and the fourth ofience (I don*t think we shall have many
fourth ofier/*4^s) is six months imprisonment and a fine of $200. All
this our legislature is prepared to enact, and I think it will be suc-
cessful ir. abolishing the detestable vice entirely from the State.
When the bill of 1 S53 passed, there was a pretty equal balance be-
tween rum and anti-rum, but the feeling in regard to prohibition has
greatly increased.
" There is much less drink used now than formerly. Our
lumbeiers are very anxious to have efficient men to go into the woods
with them, and for several years past they have scrupulously prcTcnted
any liquor from going into the camp with them, unless in the medicine
chest.
" I have paid for labour, on the Penobscot Eiver, many thousand
dollars, and I have never had any difficulty in procuring men to
labour, ^though I have never furnished liquor of any sort to thf ..i.
All the statistics of our towns and cities shew that crime has greatly
decreased dace the passing of the Law ''
Danville, County of Cumberland, Calvin Becord, Counsellor and
Attorney at law. — " In the practice of my profession previous to, and
since, the passing of the Law, I have had a favorable opportunity of
witnessing the change which has taken place in the public mind, not
only in Danville, but throughout a considerable extent of country, in
favour of the Law. When the Law passed, the prevailing opinion in
Danville was, that it could not be eTj^rced, and many of the first
attempts to enforoe it wtre fruitless. It Tras difficult to get a jury
to convict the accused ; but the enforcement of the Law in other
places produced a jG»vorable impression upon us, and now, when the
Law requires it, conviction is easily obtained. IRiere is no putrlic
er
i
r
d
d
)f
>t
in
in
■St
ry
ler
be
<.
sale of liquor in the town of Daavillei ftnd the oidy request the
minority of the peoplo make is, that the Law be made a litUe more
stringent, so as to ensure its enforcement."
Br. B. Kolmes, Editor of the Maine i%vm«r, published iu Augusta.
** The change which has taken place in respect to drinking, sinoe the
passing of the Maine Law, is no less striking than gratifying to all
well regulated minds. In many places, to mj own knowledge, much
drinking and drunkenness existed previous to the passing of the Law,
but nothing of the kind is to be seen there now.
" There was a good deal oi feeling against the Law in Winthrop
when it was enacted, but almost all not only acquiesce, but have be-
wnAB interested in its rigid enforcement. In my opinion, no sane
man in the State of Maine would think of repealing the Law. There
«re those who object to some of its prorisions, but the general feeling
is, that Ihe prohibition of the sale of liquors, as a beverage, is essential
to the wel&re and prosperity of the State.
"I think public opinion will v^y soon demand that no agent shall
be appointed in any town for the sale, even for mechanical purposes,
but that nothing but pure alcohol ahali be all' 'Ted, and that only at
the Apothecary's.
W. H. McElrith. — ** There have been a number of violations
of the Law in Bangor ; but drunkenness has decreased very much,
and nearly all whose opmio& is worth askiag, have beconte convinced
that the Law has proved a great blessing to Bangor, and that it only
requires to be made a little more stringent, in some of its provisions,
to banish drinking and drunkeuness entirely from the State.
^' The Firm to which I belong employed 700 men in the lumbering
business last winter. We supplied no liquor to the camp, nor was
«i^y used by the men, and both employers and employed were
delighted with the workings of the Law. The men work better
without it, and the winter passes a«vay much more pleasantly and
cheerfully,
» ttfwt winter there were on the Aroostook !ftiver a large number
<>f men waiting on to be engaged for the season, and the quiet way in
which they conducted themselves was a general subject of remark. It
was, indeed, gratifying to see scores of our hardy lumbermen, who .
formerly were in the habit of drinking very freely, spending their
leisure days,— whi6h with all that class are days of temptation, —
soberly and orderly. ' "''"'P^ ^«^^ ' "^^^ "!^
. * Tto winter our Firm has 600 men out, and they endure fatigue,
^"pehonn more work, and do it better, than in former years when
■puits were ^eely supplied. With all the lumber merchants, great
aod email, the l^i^w works ireH^ and Kas already secured tW tarotirirf
both employer and employe^."
We give the foHewing graphic axLswers from the pen of Professor
F^nd, of Bangor ?—
n ,u
Q. 1. " To what extent lias the Law been camea into e^eraiion r'
Ans. — V^ genercdljf, as I have reason to belieye.
Q, 2. " Has what has heen 4one so ifHr been done without Violenee^^*
Ans. — Altogether without yiolende in this city, and 1 thii^ in bur
toyms and cities geneir^y. There have been a few easels of resist'
a^ee, and but a few. The !Ciaw cap be as Well e^ecatedas mos/t other
prohibitorjr laws.
i^. 3. "What has been done with the liqtio^ ^id't^&T' Mik:^
There has been a trial ujpon it, and if it appears that it was ^ept Hbr
sale, it is poured out. The earth drinks it ; and this certainly is a
better disposal of it than 1|o have it poured down the throats of
men, robbing them of their senses, and destroying their liTes.
Q, 4* ^' What efTect has the Law produced already ?" Ans. — It
has put an end to rum sellii^ for drmking purposes, except in the
lowest places, and in the most private, sneaking, contemptible way.
It has greatly diminished drunkenness. I have not seen a drunken
man in our streets for the last six months. At this season of the
year, with all our lumbermen firom the woods, our Irish and Indians,
I have not seen one intoxicated. The Law has made our streets quiet
through the night. Very few, comparatively, get into the y, atch-house.
The house of correction has been, at times, almost empty ; I know
not but it is so now. The expense of paupers is greatly diminished ;
also the expense of litigation. Hundreds an^d thousands throughout
the State, who but for the Law had been miserable drunkards, aUtd
whose homeiB had been the abode of the ext^mest wretchedneto, icte
now industrious sober citizens, uid their families are litin^ in $dlh-
parative comfort. ^ - v
Q. 5. " Has the Iaw been iijurious to the friendly relations of so-
<4«tyi so as to be iiyurious rath^ than beneficial, on the whole P*^ A^.
Kot at all. There is as much friendship among families and neigh-
bon, under the operation of the Law, as there was before, and
ipiobahly. more so. The Law does not inteifere with families.
Bwelling-'houses are not liable to be searched, unless there is strong
presumptive evidence that liquor is kept in them lor aale^ ,
Q. 0. "Will the Law, injoiHT opinion, be repealed ?" Ans. — I
hiii^iMit. I hope not. -It is a |;ood Law for us. Bsinflueiice is
^good'-raU^ good ; apd so I ^mk ei^|>eople undersUnd it. t see nbt
why it should be repealed, nor do I believe ft can be.^
•V >
»
t
1
)-
B.
i-
Ld
18.
-X
IS
\
The foUowin^i^ interesting and yali^ble answers from the Bey. Dr.
BurgasB, Bishop of the Protestant Bpiscopal Chyich in Maine, will
be read by many with sincere pleasure. In writing to the Bev. Br.
Andrews, under date, Ghurdiner, Maine, August 22, 1869, he says :
" Bby. ash Dsab Sik : — To your enquiries I reply briefly, in their
order i ;,
^ Q. X- Did thia ptsohibitory law originiate in l^e schemes of p<4iti>
cians for other purposes, or did it stand in the Letgislature upon its
own merits ?
^^4* X have very little knpwledge of the operation of politicians
«il^ongst us; r44» undoubtedly, individual leaders or others, members
of pities, may have been influenced by their political interests in
sustaining or opposing this measure. But I sup^se that, beyond
aJI quest' '^n, the law originated with persons who were solely concerned
iqt ^e v.-pp^ssion of intemperance : and that it wus passed because
it yraa voiieved to be demanded by a great majority of the people for
its own merits.
" Q. 2. ' Has it justified the expectations entertained in it by its
friends at the time of its passage ?'
" A. What were their actual ^peotations, I cannot venture to say ;
but every reasonable expectation must have been more than satis^ed.
Whatever it is in the power of a prohibitory law to accomplish with-
out extreme severity or inquisitorial scrutiny, this law has generally,
in my opinion, accomplished. Those who aj^ bent upon obt^ing
liquor can and do succeed ; but it has cea^^d to be an article of traffic ;
it hi^ ceased to present any open temptation : the young are com-
D^ratively safe ; and all the evils of public driuking-shops and bars
are removed, together with the interest of a large body pf men in up-
li^olding them for their own pecuniary advantage.
" Q. 3. * Have there been any reactions in public opinion, so as to
induce the belief that, at a future day^ it might be repealed P*
" A. In my opinion quite tbe contrary. Shoiddthelaw be repealed,
which seems in the highest degree improbable, it will be the result
merely of political arrangements; but I do not believe that any
political party would venture on a measure so hazardous to its own
prospects. tTndoubtedly many discreet and conscientious persons
aaw strong objections to somo features of the law, and still feel their
force. But multitudes who doubted tbe expediency of adopting it,
would, I believe, regret and resist its repeal.
" Q. 4. ' Has the law been generally executed, and the amount of
intoxication been speedily diminished in the State in consequence P*
" A. The law has been, I beHeve, generally executed, though not
everywhere with equal ener^ ; and the uno^t of intoxication has
70
Ibein,'^ SLequeno., most erideufly Btriking, «,i eren, I think I
may say wonderfully diminislied.
" Q. 5. * Has the health, wealth, morality, and general prosperity
of the State been promoted by it ?' ^j,^ hath*- ,
"A. Unquestionably. v.i,T
'' ** Q. 6. * Has the law been found in its operation to be oppressive
to any citizens not guilty of its violatioD P'
'* ^. So far as I know, not in the least.
" In thus answering yoiur inquiries, 1 would avoid everything like
the intrusion of an opinion respecting the practicability or wisdom of
such a measure elsewhere. I never appeared here as its public advo>
cate ; and I am not blind to such arguments as may be urged against
legislation, which, though it is peculiarly humane in its operation upon
pertonSf is so sweeping with reference to things. Nevertheless, I am
most devoutly grateful for the practical working of the law; and
believe that, to every family in Maine, it is of more value than can
easily be computed.
POETLAND.
Neal Dow. — " I have already explained to you several of the forces
which were at work to accomplish my defeat, as Mayor, in 1852 ; and
I need not dwell longer upon that subject, as your desire is to ascer-
tain how the Maine Law has worked hitherto, and what are our
prospects in regard to it. I have so much confidence in the Law to
accomplish, effectually, the object aimed at, — I am so pleased with its
working wherever it has been enforced, and I am so enamoured with
the prospect before us, that perhaps my testimony is all too sanguine^
for I am very decidedly in favour of its thorough and most stringent
enforcement.
** You cannot well imagine all the tricks that have been resorted to
by the rum sellers in Boston to defeat the Law in Portland. Of
course they thought that if my re-election was defeated, the Maine Law
was at an end. I am confidently assured that $ L7,000 were expended
by the nun sellers of Boston to defeat my election as Mayor. During
the time I have been engaged in the Temperance movement, I have
come into contact with our conservative men sometunes rather sharply,
and the consequence was that many of those men, good, honesty
worthy men, were rather alarmed at the way in which the Law had
been enforced, and they gave their vote and influence in favour of
Governor Paris ; but even with all that influence if it had not been
for the 400 naturalization certificates which were sent from Boston
fuid sworn to by parties brought in from the country for that purpose.
n
the election would have gone in mj &your. The votes stood for
Governor Paris, 1,900, while over 1,500 votes were recorded for me.
AU sorts of stories were published and circulated, about private houses
having being searched for liquor at my instigation, and great quantities
of property destroyed by the officers while they were searching
about for liquor, piercing with their spears through bales of dry goods,
and all such nonsense, but even with all that, had a Bum candidate
appeared he would have been defeated.
" The statement of John Neal, made in October, 1853, from what
motives I wiU not say, was, in substance, that there was more intem*
perance, more liquor sold, and more drinking in Portland, than any
time before the passage of the Law. He even asserted that there was
more intemperance throughout the whole State of Maine — with here
and there a doubtful exception — ^than there had been at any other time
for the past 20 years. The opinions he gave of the condition of things
in Portland, were calculated — if believed — to affect very injuriously the
&ir reputation which our city had heretofore sustained. The statements
were circulated extensively not only through this city and through the
State, but thousands of them were circulated in other States.
"It was deemed necessary for the honour of Portland that
something should be done, and a paper was drawn up and signed by
the Mayor of Portland, and 433 of the most respectable of the citizens,
Clergymen, merchants, and business men generally, denying in the
most unqualified terms the whole statement of John Neal, as being
most egregiously and palpably orroneous and false, and that this was
evident to every candid and unprejudiced citizen. The following is a
copy of the paper drawn up at the time.
" Our attention has been recently called to statements made by
two citizens of Portland, ui relation to the operation of the liquor law
in this city and State. These statements are, in substance, that there
is more intemperance, and Fdore liquor sold and drunk in this city and
State, at the present time, than before the passage of our existing
liquor law. One of them goes even so far as to say that there is
more intemperance in this city and neighbourhood, and probably
throughout the whole State — with here and there a doubtful exception,
than there has been at any other time for twenty years! — and both
give representations of the condition of things in Portland, calculated,
if believed, to affect injuriously the fair reputation which our city has
heretofore sustained abroad. If these statements had been published
and circulated only in this city and State, we should not feel called upon
to notice them. But having been circulated abroad, to the injury of the
r^utation of our city and State, and in a manner calculated to work
serious mischief, we feel it our duty to unite in saying — as we do in
m
fi
the most unqualifiied terms — that we de^m these, and all siimilai* irtate-
mentti, as most grossly and palpat)ly erroneous and unfbnnded That
they are erroneous and unfounded must be manifest to every candid
and unprejudiced citizen of our city, not only frorti the apparent con-
dition of things, but from that v6ry sure test as to the existence of
intemperance, the records of pauperism and crime. '"^"^
" We deem it proper to add, that the personal position which mos#
or all of us occupy in regard to the practical business and pursuits of
this city, enables us to speak in i^9 matter from actual personal
knowledge of facts.
" Among the names appended to this statement published by the
citizens of Portland, you will find the name of Mr. Alderman ThoniM,
one of our present city Kepi'^sentatives, and President of the Oanai
Bank, and Nathan Cummings, one of our oldest citizens, and fonnevlj
Secretary of the Port, John B. Osgood, formerly President of the
Canal Bank, Mr. Jewett, formerly Secretarj' of the Port, General
Fessenden, a man extensively known throughout the country, and
many others of our most worthy men.
" The progress of the cause is not only apparent in the election of
tiie Maine Law Governor, but also in the election of a representative
to Congress. John M.Wood, a whig in politics took the field on the
Maine Law ticket against Judge Wells, a very popular democratic
candidate, and in a Congressional district strongly democratic defeated
him upon this issue by from 3,000 to 4,000 of a majority. Mr. Wood
18 a bold, outspoken, determined man, and well known throughout the
community to contribute largely in money as well as in influence to
the enforcement of the Maiiie Law. No man I am convinced will be
elected to any office in the State who is opposed t > the Maine Law.
*' The statistics which as Mayor I published, after the Law had
been in operation nine months, will give you a very fair idea of the
beneficial efiects of the law when enforced.
.iiMaetraetsfrom tTfe Mayor* a Annual Beport :
** At the commencement of the year, the number of open rum shope
in full operation in the oit^, was supposed to be from 800 to 400 ;
800 was the lowest estimate ; at present there is not one. The receipts
of these places per Jay, B.t the lowest figure, may be reckoned to
averflge three dollaifa; this for 800 days excluding Sundays,- — and
Sundays itere the besit days for auch places — ^would give $270,000 per
year!
It may be thought that this sum is much too large to have been
eapended annually by the people of this city for intoxicating drinks,
but it is believed that the number of grog shops set doWn at 300, and
the sum received "bj each per day» at |8, is within the &ct. But if
n
w« ooadider tlie eipendiliiro m ttos w»y t(» have been only $200,000.
or about 92.22 per day for eaoh q{ ^& 300 pbqps^ the foict will be
•efficiently important to adrrvit th« f ^:
« " The whole of this aura, or of whatever mm may buxobeezi expen-
ded in thia way, was entirely lost to the city ; no yaluable return was
obtained from it This amount will purchase 40,000 barrels of flour
at Za each, or about Jim hmreU ofjlour andJLve cords of wood to every
family in the citiff estimating the number of families at 4,000. It in
true some persons accumulated wealth by this traffic, but it was not
by paying a fair equivalent, or any equivalent for property go gained ;
but the process was simply the transferring the hard earnings of the
labouring man to the coflfers of the dealers in spirits — while the vic-
tims of their trade were sent to their desolate homes to abuse wives
and children who were suffering for the common neecssariea of life,
which might have been purchased with the money squandered on
strong drinks.
" A great many families in: this city situated thus a year since, are
now comfortable and happy, being entirely relieved by the suppression
of the grog shops from their former troubles. The extinguishment
of the traffic in intoxicating drinks will not only be the means of
sairing this great amount of money to the poorest part of the pebple,
but the productive indtistry of the country will be stimulated to m
extent that we cannot at present foresee. The whole of the great
miiki which was formerly expended for strong drinks by the people of
this city and State, will henceforth be expended for the necessanea
and comforts of life, with the additional amount which will accrue
from the more" industrious habits of the people, or wiU be added year
by year to the aocumulatiag wealth of the State." ;
;j. In another part of his report, Mr. Dow says ;—
** There were committed to the Alms House from June 1, 1850, to
March 20, 1851, (before the Law,) 252 ; from June 1, 1851, to March
20, 1852, (after the Law,) 146— diflference in nine months, 106.
Number in Alms House March 20, 1861, 112; number in Alms
House March 20, 1852, 90 — difference^ 22. Number of families
assisted out of the Alms House from June 1, 1850, to March 20, 1851,
135; from June 1, 1851, to March 20, 1852, 90— difference in nine
months, just one third, 45. Seventy-five of the ninety in the Alms
House March 20, 1852, came there through intemperance— four of
the ninety were not brought there through that cause ; the history of
the remaining eleven is not known.
'* Committed to the House of Correction for intemperance from
n
June 1, 1850, to March 20, 1851, 46 ; for luroeny, etc. etc. 12 — ^in all
58 ; from June 1, 1851, to March 20, 1852, for intemperance, 10 ; for
larceny, etc. etc., 8 — in all 18 ; a difhrence in nine months of mors
than three fourtha ! Committed in April, 1861, 9 ; in May, 10 — 19.
The " Maine Law '* was enacted June 2, 1861, and from the first of
that month to March 20, 1852, 10 months, the numher committed was
only 10, although great activity was displayed by the police in arrest-
ing all offenders.
'' At the term of the District Court in Portland, March, 1852, but
one indictment was found for larceny, and that was the result of mis-
take ; while at the March Term of 1851, seventeen indictments were
found. These results have been obtained, notwithstanding an increas-
ed vigilance in arresting persons found under the influence of strong
drinks."
The Mayor continues : — " Committed to the Jail for drunkenness,
larceny, etc., from June 1, 1850, to March 20, 1851, 279 — ^for corres-
ponding period of 1851-2, 185 ; difference, 144. Deduct liquor
sellers (72) imprisoned in the latter term, and we have 63 for drunk-
enness, larceny, etc. etc., against 279 for the corresponding period
before the enactment of the " Maine Law," a deduction qf almost
seven ninths in the short period of nine months ! There were in Jail
on the 20th March, 1851, 26 persons ; on the 20th March, 1852, 7
persons, 8 of whom were liquor sellers — ^without them the number
would be 4 against 25 of the corresponding day of 1861,
a falling off of more than 83 per cent, in the short period of nine
months.
''There were committed to the Watch House from June 1, 1860,
to, and including March, 1851, 431 persons. For the corresponding
period of 1851-2, after the enactment of the " Maine Law " the num-
ber was 180, a deduction of almost three fifths, notwithstanding the
increased vigilance of the police in the latter period, in arresting per-
sons found in the streets in a state of intoxication."
" Such were the effects of the ** Maine Law " in Portland in ibe
short period of nine months, and such will be its effects throughout
the State, to dry up the tide of poverty, pauperism, crime and suffer-
ing which swept over us ; to empty our alms houses and prisons of
their miserable tenants, and to scatter peace, plenty and happiness
over the land. On the other hand not the slightest evil of any kind
has resulted to any body, from the execution of the Liw.
" Is this a good work or a bad one ? Men of Maine, do you wish
it to continue or not ? It is for you to answer the question by your
votes."
f
' \
^^ "' H0T7SI OF OOBBlCTIOir, POBTLAITD.
Extract Jrom the Overseers* Beport,for the year ending June, 1854.
^^ " We felt much encouraged when we were enabled to report that
there had been but forty-nine commitments for the year, or less than
one a week. But how much pleasure it giyes us you may judge, and
will undoubtedly participate in, as all human hearts will, to state that
the commitments for the year ending with June, 1864, are but nine-
teen! diminution of thirty. And better still, that for the last six
months there have been but seven. This is certainly a most cheering
accoimt. With but one exception, these were sentenced to the house
for that devastating sin, drunkenness. Bemove that evil from our
midst, and the cells would be solitary. It seems by the comparison
of the two years to be fast diminishing. We trust another year may
present a purer docket."
Professor Moses Stuart, of Andover, in an Address to the people of
Maine, says : — " People of Maine ! The God of Heaven bless you
for achieviiig such a victory. Many triumphs have been achieved in
the good cause, but none like yours. Others have more or less fought
with the drunkards, and the liquor sellers, in the way of argiunents
and moral suasion, and indirect and inefficient, and temporizing legis-
lation. You have followed the most adroit conqueror the world has
ever seen, in your scheme of policy, or struggle. Tou have steered
for the capital itself, with all its magazine;, and material of war ; and
these once in yoiur hands, you know the contest cannot long continue.
Whence are the arms, and amunition and rations to come, when all
the deposils are seized? You have the unspeakable advantage of
making war upon all the supplies of war, and not directly upon the
men who take the field against you. You combat with the body of
tin and death itself and not with those who are deceived and misled.
You do not purpose to destroy those who are misled and drawn to
ruin, but to cripple and annihilate the power that misleads them. It
is an elevated and noble purpose. When mighty conquerors, and
crafty politicians will be forgotten, the laurel on your brows will be
freshening and blooming, with a beauty and glory that will be im-
mortal. #*♦#*••
I know well what liquor dealers and distillers will say. They
allege that their property is taken away, and their means of living
prohibited. Very well; but what is your property ? It has been
applied to procure means to corrupt and destroy the community.
Counterfeiters lay out large sums to procure dies for stamping coins,
and plates for imitating the best bank bills. Are their establishments
to be protected? The erectors of those dreadful places (rightly
called) Hells, expend very large sums, and adorn them with magnifi-
w
ceDce. Must the community reipect tbia property ? If an boueiit
mau erect a alaugbtor-houae, or a manufactory with noisome gases
issuing from it in the midst of a city or town ; is this property to be
protected ? Men adulterate medicines, and Congress rises up to a
man, and forbids it, not only by legislation, but by active inspecting
of^cen. Are they not in the right ? But — are they couBistent ?
There are hundreds of thousands of hogsheads of adulterated liquor,
much of it containing rank poison, over which they exercise no
inspection, and submit it to no examination. Is this a due protection
of the ignorant and unsuspecting part of the community ? Scores of
thousands die every year, through the influence of these poisons. * •
And have society no remedy against all this ? Maine has nobly
said, Test eay£. She has spoken with trumpet-tongue, that which
eternal truth will sanction. Talk of property in the means of cor-
rupting and destroying the community! Why then the robber's cave,
md the counterfeiter's shop, where his expensive work is done, ia
property to be respected ! Even the innocent and industrious man,
if he undertakes a business i^hich poisons the air, and endangers the
UTq of the citizens, is at once compelled to relinquish his station.
How can any man rightly own that as properly, which sends forth
pestilence and death through a whole community ? The plea for
jproperty is idle. It is unworthy a moment's regard.
So long as Legislatures pursued the criminals personally, so long
they were sure to be met with false testimony to screen them, and
abundance of sympathy with them because of their penalties. It took
them longer than one would imagin,e to find out and believe thf^t
drunkards, and the makers of drunkards will lie. The discovery is
made at last. Maine has now laid its hand on that which can tell no
lies, and that with which no honest man can aympathiae.
Yes, — destroy it aa you would a poisonous woll, or a hyena, or a
tiger, without remorse aind without meroy. Stand between the living
and the dead, and stay the plague. Say^ thus far hast thou come,
with wasting find deaolati(Mi in thy train, but not a step farther shalt
thou advance. Nor is this alL Betreat forthwith. Abandon the
ground, thou foul fiend, which thou hast occupied, yea, make a speedy
and final retreat. We will bear thy presence no longer ; and if thou
delayest, we will sweep thee &way with the besom of destruction.
* ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ Give no more room for timidity
and skulking in this all important business. The people should send
no man to the Legislature for them, who is a coward, or a heretic
here. Let all the excuse i be taken away, and every man be brought
to feel, that he will never lay down arms, until the camp, and th«
V
Vety ^tadel of tlie enemy are taken, and all lis arvenals and Tnagusinei
blown skyWgh.
May t'he shadow of Mame never be l^iss ! May «be live mwfe than
a thousand years, twice told ! This is my toast for the Dirriffo Stafe^
dmnk in pure cold Water, but more cheerfilg than -tXi that wfere ever
drunk in witfe or brandv. '^
CONCORD, NEW HAMPSHIBE.
'Rev. iE. W. Jackson. * Out election vomes off in Blbout ihtet
Weeks, and we have every confidence that we will be able to carry the
State for prohibition. The Maine Law has passed lihe Lower Houae
tWi6e ; but the Senate baa hithefrtw opposed it. We have a law here
similar to l^e old Law of Masaachusetts of ^86, and the Maine Law
of *46. It is a probibitory Law, but it^ penalties a]^e such aa to make
it inoperative. Our Mayor, the Hon. Joseph Low, ia Chairman of the
State Temperance Committee, and is a most devoted friend to the
Cause of Temperance. The feeling in regard to the principle of pro-
hibition is viery strong, and if we couM separate it entirely from party
politics, we would have no difficulty in carrying the Law. But the
old democracy of this State has hitherto been very strong, and here
aa in Maine they have arrayed themselves against the Law. I have
no doubt they will share the same fate if they persist in their opposi-
tion ; for the old Whig party, the Know-Nothings, and the Anti-
Slavery party, have united with the temperance party on this iaane.
We have already made a rery good preparation for the La.w, for
througb the noble exertions of our worthy Mayor, we have no house
in Concord for the open sale of liquors.*'
Hon. Salma Hale — ^formerly Congressional member for New
Hampshire. — " It may be looked upon aa a trifling boast to be sue,
but I was the first man who carried roond the Temperance pledge
- in New Hampshire. In 1816 I carried the pledge round, and
the first day I got about 12 names to it. I have been connected with
the movement ever since. We hare made a great atdvanoe ainoe tlMt
time. The first pledge was to tbe effeet that we would not vse
spirits in our families, nor present it to tmx visitors, nor give it todur
workmen. Now we go for a thorough prohibitien. 1 hate no do«bt
that at the ensuing election the temperance candidates will prevail,
because the feeling of the respectable portion of society is altogether
in favor of prohibiticm. The old demoertiiAe party, it is trtte^ are
piut there hsivebeeti various inroads u{k>n that
psMy, iind many of them Imve dianged liieh^ tiews upon tius question,
«ali irfll help us to seoure Vhis niaflsm*e/^
fion. Jo^h Ld^ MaytK*, OonceiNl. ^Tto yeans ago the ^own
till
7»
organitation of Concord was changed and it was constituted a city.
At that time liquor houaes sold openly and freely in Tarious places.
•But the city goyemment haye succeeded in shutting up fdl the
groggeries, and there is no drink sold publicly that we know of. You
may, as trayeUers, get it in the hotels, but eyen there you will not get
it openly. We haye the power to do this under the old Law. Our
jail since the suppression of the sale of liquors has been entirely free
of tenantry ; our pauper accounts haye been reduced more than one
half within the last two years, and there are no nightly brawls in the
city. We haye fiye policemen and a marshal for a city of 10,000
inhabitants, and they haye a pretty easy time of it. The state of
feeling in Concord is decidedly in fayor of a prohibiten Law. Last
year my election was put upon that issue solely, and I carried it by a
reapectable majority. I haye no doubt whateyer that the next Legis-
lature will pass a Law similar to that of Connecticut or Maine. Our
professional men, our men of influence and our wealthy men ; our
^ergy and our judges, are all on the side of temperance ; our police
re<3ords will show that crime has been reduced more than one-half
within the last two years, and our Poor House accounts are consider*
ably less. We haye a pretty large Catholic population here, but our
reformatory measures don't reach them, and we are at great expense
in reaching them, for this reason, they go to Manchester where rum
is still sold and bring it into their families, and then we cannot touch
them. Our new Law will giye Manchester a lift."
Mr. H. A. Newhall, Dry Goods Merchant — "I haye been con-
nected with the temperance moyement for many years. I am satis-
fied the feeling in favor of a Maine Law is yery general in Concord.
In fact we will be forced to enact a law to protect ourselves. W«
are yery desirous to forego the privilege of being the grog-shop for all
the other States. We are already taunted with this distinction.
There is a general movement here among the * New Order' or * Kno\j
n Nothings,* and from all I can learn it is strongly in favor of temper-
^ mce. The leading men in it are controlled by temperance principles.
This, aided by the whig, anti-slavery and temperance parties, will, 1
haye not the slightest doubt, give us such a legislature as shall pass
t a prohibitory law next session."
BUBtlNGTON, VERMONT.
-i Mr. Moses L. Church. — f' I have resided in Burlington for thtf
faist fifteen years, and have been most of the time connected with the
town affiun. I have seen in this city somewhere about fifty plaees
for the open sale of intoxioating liquors, and now wq have ^qt one
a ^ea home. There are several low Irish d^s where I belieye liquor
79
is itill got, but we catch them up fwetty quick* We made a seisure
the other day of nine bairela at the railway depot, labelled to four or
ftye different Irish houses in town, that we had reason to suspect sold
liquor. The trial has not yet come on ; but one of the Irishmen
stated that as it was ' hard times' if they could make a little money
selling rum it was nobody's business — he wiU likely get a different
lesson by-and-by. We have four or five persons in jail at present for
violation of the law : they were tried, conyicted and fined, and in de-
fault committed. About a year ago we had a public meeting and
appointed a vigilance committee to go round and raise money for the
enforcement of the law, to pay Counsel and all other necessary expen-
ses, and you may judge of the feeling in favour of the law, when in a
short time we had 1000 names on the subscription list. I was never
a strictly Temperance man, but I became satisfied that it was necerv
sary to do something to check the spread of intemperance, and that to
get a good wholesome state of society in Burlington we must shut up
aU the groggeries. I must say that I am very much pleased with the
Law, and the more stringent you make it the better will it be received
by the community. You will not find a respectable man in Burlington
who is opposed to the effective enforcement of the Law. I am one
of the Select-men and we have concluded that when this law is
thoroughly carried out our poor taxes will be reduced about $1,000 a
year. This winter as provisions are very high, we have not saved so
much as that, but if it had been an ordinary year we would. There
is one thing that presses a little upon that fund that we will bye and by
get quit of. If a man is committed for violating the law we have tu
support his family. But we tell them that we will rather support
them and their families too, than have to support other 40 who would
be sent to Jail through their instrumentality. All parties who open
a house for the accommodation of the public pay a license of |15 «
year. You might stay here for a month and you would not see a
drunk man in this city. Burlington was in my day one of the most
drunken places in Yermont, and now it is one of the most sober law
abiding plaoes you can enter. ^^ ,«r .v>wi,r., r noh m.r rt
J. L. Adams^ County Clerk. — " I was one of the first friends, and
the first advocates of the Law in this State, and in New York State,
and I am pretty well acquainted with its wakings. In this town, u
year ago this winter, the Law was well enforeed, and the town was
never before so quiet and so orderly as it was last summer. The
difference was so great as "to excite remark both among the friends
and foes of the Law. The Gmnd Jaiy,-^fiot cQmf«sed of &ie|ids of
the liftw,— but a body appointed to note offimoes against the Laws
generally, in their la^ f^fc^ m -. *^ M» yroM also say tiuit wefeel
m
hi^^y graMel to find thfe Jail 4.iit\^\i\f6 '«f innaatee , a drciuaitaii(»
attHbutahle, m a tery igfeai; tn^sure, we belMve, to t^e aupprauiDn
of the sale of mtoxtcatmg l^nors."
" Oi>e uf the atrongettt and best«videiice(|J|^ait -Obn be gvriF«i in &vpr
()f the Law is the fiiet, that mafny ttien -Who weve not only op|>08ed to
the Law in feeling, but {mbiicty ad^ coated tbe other dde, kewa
(•(mqaered their pfrejndiceis and are now amofng the liigheat oen-
tWbatoi^ to the fund for its en^cHxsement. We were teld that tke
Law could not 'be ebfbrced, and that whoe^eer attenvpted *o do bo
WotiM Biibjec^ MmseYf to 908S, and to the hatSM«* of ^kwiety, and «vei^
otfher thing co(a<%iyably 'bad. A few of us, liowever, took lu^ of it,
ntid B!thaugh we met with coAsiderttble ^poeftioii at iirat, we Ibmid
no dMculty in enforcing it ultifne^tety. Five ezvergeliie inon cadi
enforce fhe Law in any locality w4iatever in <«ir State^"
o^M j^ ver^' piinfiil instance occurred here siboift a year «go :-^A
g»entlenian of respectable trtand!ing in Society, iraft addicted to iniem^
pefance, \t as found dead one morning in fronft of hk own door, in aiittle
ditch irith j ust as much water as would Huffoeate fakn. It wias belie? «d,
from the attendant circumstances, that coming heme to iiisiowniiotne
latis in the night, in a state of intoxication, — as he was too much in
t^e habit of doing, — ^he had stumbled and fisdlen into Uie ditoh face
downwards, and not haying sufBicient strength to rise, iiad thus
(Closed a miserable existence."
'^ This melancholy circumstance caused oonsid»»bie exoitoment in
the city, r nd roused the frieuds of Temperance to a sense of tiieir
dxitf m regard to the Law. A public meetia^ tnM called, and
numerously attended, and a series of stringent resolutions passed,
pledging the meeting to use every exertion to get the Law enforced.
These resolutions were ap{»x>red oi by nearly aU the respectable
people in Burlington, and they determined to use both money and
influence to make the Law eCTdcttive. Haimg obtained a iong list of
oMoes and subscriptions, we said to the officers, — Now these persons
haye oledged themsehres to support the Law by all honorable meana;
if rou don't enforce it we shall show you, ttt the baUot box, whethor
WB think you ore entitled 'to the position yon 'b**4. 3f you haye any
extra trouble we will pay you for it; if anyone attempts to bryig
oiium upou you foir discharging your duty. We will stand by you. in
consequence of this stand W 9 Ltive had no fbrtber tnmbte, and every
where the Law is popidar in pf».port{on«sitiB'eflfi6ieti^ly earned out.
Last wedk I was through eevenil places in the Covnty, and X found
^e Law woHdng well. I maj say that there ia no ^laee in tfaia
Stiato where E re-M^n %aa taken pilaee«igiktt 'laie LttW; flodithore
is no dttiger ^a reiidtioii againt the low, -for ite fi^endt are ^fradnatty
T
m
tp
T
mdre^eingj aUd ifcs bekie^cial effects are litttytiiStig geherallj felt.
These will seetire its enforeetnent. We huA one oi" tWd houses m this
dty whose £»in'ual safe of liquor Wdii, five yeata t^6y Supposed to
aVdrage f 50,000. This last yenst the tow^ sigeht of Burlington repot^
stiles f6r iA\ pftirposes to th« attt)unt of $4,000. In this city the Bo-
ititkn 'Catholic Bishop piirdcfipalieB heartily in the progfress of the moV^-
vtttid. Mt ik ih. faVor of enfoi^inlg it strin^^ently, and thunders agB&atii
those "wfeo bppdie it. A ybair ago, Whfeii the laW ira» mufch le«fe
eSttfoifc^, th* overise^Tf '6f tlib pdor tiM m^ it hM reduced the podr
1^^ ftt l^ast $600. It #ill be tholt^ this year, aithou^ provisioj&s ai^
yf^ high this Winter. Oiir rettfrns of this kibd have nithe^to be^
\iitiAe in the gross, so isha.t strangers wmdd ndt be benefitted by
merely glancing over the figures ; but in a few years th6 good efibdk
of the la# MB speak for themselves.
*'The Ik^ has already rid iis of some iiicorri^;fbfe' rtitn-sellers; Ifc^
Idk^ of that low ctess seend to haV6 bef6om!e resigned to thcfh*
Me. Sortie of the thembers of What has been f6t the last twenty-il^ig
y^istB, the hcrgest liqiioi* house in Burlington, are liow conitributot^ to
the fiiiid for ttie eitforcement ^f the Maine Ltkvr.
" When the law adopts the principle of regulating the traffic, i¥
becoitteis v^h such persons, a matter of dollars and cents ; but the
moment yoti make the sale a violatioi of law, self-respect steps in axid
the busineto must be given up. The large house of Peck & Co., said
' W^ wish to be honourable men and good citizens, and the moment
ymi pacs this law we will give up the traffic' Men of standing in
society ^anioot take any other course. The moment you say to ft
respectable man that ' Pat G-rogger and you stand upon the same
plaikk' — ^you are not <^heep-stealers it is true, but you are law-breakers
— you touch his 8< -tci^ect, and he is forced to say 'I can stand it
ttoktoger.'** ^'"'"^
B6V. Mt. Young — " I ftm of opinion that the Ikw is wise and effi-
cient, and as far as one can reasrnqbly expect, effectual. So fkr as
my bbs^r^tion goes, I kih. persuc .led that i^»s operations iu% highly
b^eflcial— in fact it is acftcrtapftishing as rapidly as could be rxpeeted
the H^brk intended to be accompliwhed. I think the longer it is
in opeiution the more numwous are its friends. I hftve no doubt at
.'ill of the better obsbi* pre-
vent this remark being universally applicable. Drinking where it is
still continued will be confined to the class of secret indulgences
which some people will now and again practise, but it will be ranked
by the community with licentiousness and every other vice. With
respect to its effects upon our own Institution, I can safely say there
is a very great diminution in the use of liquors by the students. Some
five or six yearu ago we were much troubled with cases of intemper-
ance among o'lr students. Since the Law passed there has been a
great improvement. Though we have no doubt it is still iised in a
secret manner by some of the students, from the effects which some-
times manifest themselves, yet there is none of it used openly. We
fi*^d che results of the law in that respect highly beneficial. We have
not had for a year past any of that kind of rowdyism which is some-,^
times manifested among students in such an Institution as this.f'
Th^e noiaea grow mostly qut o^ intemperance, for if studentti drink
they will be noisy in some shape or other.
k \
,
** I do not know a man within the circle of my own acquaintance
who is at all doubtM as to the usefid tendency and beneficial
results of the Law. I have never heard of any case uf hcrdship by a
seizure of liquors in any dwelling house. There can be no conceiyable
hardship of that kind unless the man is a very suspicious character.
No upright citizen is afraid of such a contingency, and even if his
liquor was seized the law would restore it."
ETJTLAND, VEEMONT.
James Barritt, merchant. — " The Law is working well here, and
we have done a good deal in the way of seizure. There are some
points of the Law, however, that would require to be remedied, if
the neighboring States do not pass a Law, because it is landed here
by Eailway and by Express-men, although we have no place for the
open traffic. I think there were upwards of 20 houses for selling
liquor in Butland before the passing of the Law *, now we have no
place whatever for open sale, although there are places r^here it is
said to be sold privately, though we have no proof as to where they are.
The feeling of the community is with us. We are put to a good deal
of trouble by the low classes of Irish that are here. We have de»>
troyed as many as 20 places of sale among their shanties, but still
they persist in keeping it, and they dig holes in the earth during the
night and hide it. We have had about 40 cases before the county
court within the last six mouths. Our select men are all temperance
men, and when we have a vote of any kind in any town meeting upon
the temperaui^e ticket, we have always over three-fourths of the voters
with us. The town of Butland contains about 6,000 inhabitants."
Hon. Zimri Howe, Caatleton, Vermont. — " Our Law has perform-
ed all that its warmest friends could expect. Intoxication is like
other crimes. We pas' a law against stealing, still there will be
stealing, and you can only punish the culprit when you have proved
it against him. So with intoxicating liquors. You may pass a very
stringent law, but it will oe evaded. But if onoe public sentiment is
thoroughly roused on the i lubject, there will be ao difficulty, for every
honest man will feel that/ it is his duty to help to bring the culprit
to justice, in the same way that bj would if he saw an urchin picking
your pocket. The Law is evad'jd, privately, but it has really done
woi:i.ders here. Our Irish population — some of them at least — go to
the State of New York, and get quantities of five gallons or so, and
deal it out amongst one another. They are a class of people Ihat you
can make nothing of, and they hare nothing to lose. Butland hsj
been, perhaps, as hard a place tus in the Sts^ ; but they are doing a
^M
^«t Pr&tk iJk^te, ainil tliei« is bow no diificAlty in ebl^M'cito)^ the UW.
A great maiay of!^i^ irefiistonoe ; a inaii ivlio k^ a public hofts^ ki
Butlaa^ pHo use all proper
means to si^press an evil which can be removed in no other way.
Not one of these principles is new in legislation. The most violent
objector cannot point to one. Only one of them is new in its applica-
tion to this subject ; and that is the one which puts thi^ evil on the
same ground with other evils which it is the purpose to restrain^ and
Xk&b merely to regulate. The propriety of sueh application we fear-
lessly submit to candid men.' "
Mr. Truebridge, Conductor of the Castleton and Wasliington Bail-
i>oad. — " The law is producing a good effisct upon our labourers on
the road. We had a brakesman, one of the best men we ever employed
for sueh a purpose, but imfortunately he was addicted to drinking.
It being a danger to ourselves as well as a violation of the law to
keep such a man on the road, he was discharged. Eeceutly they
hafve enforced the law with some determination in Eutland, and as
liquor eannot now be easily obtained, iMs brakesman made urgent
amplication for his old situation ; he was re&ised upon the ground thai
his drinking habits were such that the company could not with safety
employ him. He said the temptation is now entirely removed ; the
cam remain at Butland over night, and there I cannot get a drop of
liquor ; ' I can, and I will be sober if you give me one more trial.' He
was taken on, and has kept his word ; for the last six months I do
not t^ink he has tasted intoxicating liquor."
ALBANY, NEW YOEK.
Prom Castleton we proceeded to Albany, and there had a very
pleasant interview with the Hon. C. B. Delavan ; that gentleman — who,
as Dr. Beecher so enthusiastically stated to us in Boston — 'had carried
the whole Temperance cause on his own shoulders, since 1S36.' Mr.
86
Delavan is in dose correspondence with eyery gentleman at aH
prominent in the Temperance cause throughout the States, as well as
in Britain and Canada; and after many years of active, zealous
labour, looks back with an agreeable astoninhment at the wonderful
success which the cause has had, notwithstanding the inveterate
opposition with which it has had to contend. 'We have had to fight,* he
said, 'every inch of ground with the enemy. Oftentimes we stood still as
if further advance were impossible ; but we never retreated, and new
light dawned upon us to show the outlines of the yet untrodden path.
Our struggle has been onward, ever onward, and now the last for-
tress of the enemy is besieged. Every renewed victory has given ua
renewed courage and animation to prosecute the struggle with zeal ;
and with firm step and undaunted heart, we press forward to the
final contest, assured that our labours will be crowned with a glorious
triumph."
^« » >»
G-ENTLEMEN OT THE EXECUTIVE: —
A brief Eeport of our investigations is now before you. "We need
not say that our time was closely applied. Duty, patriotism,
philanthropy, alike urged us onward, — and the mass of testimony
here presented, will, of itself, evince the interest we took in our
mission. Imposing, however, as is that array of testimony, — conclu-
sively as it demonstrates the successful operation, and the highly
beneficial results of the Maine Law, — it is but a tithe of what we
might have submitted. We deemed it prudent to restrict ourselves
to a certain space, and, in aiming at brevity, selected the evidence of
men well known in Society, so that if the question were tauntingly
put— Who is the Eev.'d Mr. Seeley ? or the Eev.'d Mr. Button P
"Who is Chief Justice WiUiams ? or Allen Haines? or Zimri Howe ? —
to say nothing of those high in power and distinction — that we should
put faith in their statements ? — Ten thousand voices will join in
echoing back the answer : These are »iien whom we delight to honour.
It is due to the gentlemen, who$)e names appear in our Report, to
say that their testimony, — with the exceptions therein stated, — ^was
ail given extemporaneously. Not only was it spontaneous, but there
was no studied effort to weigh the words, to see how nicely they
would catch the public ear, or whether their authors would be com-
promised thereby. The questions, — many of them suggested on the
spur of the moment, by surrounding circumstances — were put, and
answered oflf-hand. The answers welled up as the overflowings of a
full heart, and were taken down, in short hand, as they fell from the
speftker's lips. This wiU, so far, explain the evident defect in
87
grouping and arrangement, — a defect rendered more apparent hj the
absecce of the interrogatories, nearly all of which, to save space,
have been withheld.
So fully does this Report, in our estimation, exhibit the successful
operations of the Maine Law, — so abundantly conclusiye is the array
of testimony, that we deem comment or application unnecessary ;
and, pointing to this trophy raised to Temperance, — to domestic
felicity and eternal bliss, — did we consult our own feelings only, we
would here close our labours with the simple but suggestive inscrip-
tion— Cirntm0)lice I
But something more, we are assured is expected from us, by those,
who will not peruse this compilation, and draw from it for theraselvea,
encouragement and determination to banish for ever that cup, which
brings with it neither a healthy body, nor a sound head, a pure heart
nor a peaceful mind. Our own opinion of the progress of the cause,
and the appearance which these respective localities present, may be
looked for, and we shrink not from so pleasing a task. We have
many prejudices to overcome in Canada, in regard to a Prohibitory
Liquor Law, and if we succeed in removing any of these, our labour
will have been well bestowed.
In 80 far as the custom of common tippling is concerned, one single
remark wUl convey our impression of the whole affair. We saw more
drinking in the City Hotel, in the City of Hamilton, in the space of
from 5 to 7 minutes, one morning before 8 o'clock, than we had seaiK.
in all our perambulations through the seven States to which we have
referred. It had never once in any form crossed our path, from
the time we cleared that dizzy height, —
" Where Niafi;&ra stuns with th\indering sound,"
until in our homeward course we halted at the City Hotel in Hamilton.
Even after so short a tour in these Maine Law States, so very striking
was the contrast, that we blushed for our country's honour, to see
from eight to ten men deliberately and individually gulping down a
portion of brandy and water in the few minutes we stood in the
public hail chafing our fingers at the stove, waiting the breakfast
gong to sound. Yet such was the lamentable fact, and it will explain
better than a thousand arguments the precise difference there is be-
tween a Canadian City Hotel, and a Hotel in a Maine Law State. No
wonder thebar-keeper,ashe handed the tenth man the bottle from which
to help himself, made the remark, that ■" they did not force their drink
upon anyone. If they did not ask for it they would not get it." Perhaps
he felt that there was another eye than that of the AU-Seeing Jehovah,
#
bpifit ifpo^ bim, ao4> Wm>i^ whU«» h|», oo,^ld fearltipaljr hvwfi tM powerful
gUuce of thjB O^y be qua,iled before tbe feeb^ gaze of tbe otb#c*
Such at all events seemed the fact, but the pitiablo s^o wiU m^ l,OBg
^^ For a Bolutiojd of tbo do,u,bts eatertained, evea by well me^uing p^-
HQua, regarding the practicability of a Prohibitory Liquor ilpaw, and
the tumlcncy and effects of its stringent enfoTi^ement, 'vya refer to
Maine. Frum MaiQe wo select Portland as an example, from the £u;t
tbflit the liaw was coi;icel\ed, there, and there had its first vigorous, en-
forcement, and because itii operations there have been most bitt^ly
maligned. And we say with confidence that what it is in Portland may
safely be relied on, as even, ofi inferior sample of the entire State of
Maine. In Portland before the Law passed ther^ t^ erQ at least 800
houses open for the sale of intoxicating liquors, to a population of
20,000 iiihabitants. There w:ere two distilleries in full blast in tbl^
cii^, and so great was the demand that a ihix^ was in procesg of
erection. So impressed were we with the idea that there was some
shadow of truth in the statements so industriously circulated, to th^
effect that drunkenness and crime had greatly increased in Portlaipd
since the passing of the Law, that we were prepared to realize a pi^>
tiire such as that so powerfully depicted by Cowper where : —
— Ev^ry, twentieth pace
Conducts th' unguarded nose to such a whiff
Of rtnle debauch, forth issuing from the Btjrei,
Thfkt I«aw ha» licensed, a^ makes llemp'ranoe reel^
There sit, involved and lost in curling clouds
Of ladlan ftime, and guzzling deep, the boor,
The lapKey ^alA the groom ; the cniiftsmaia thei;^
Takes a Lethean leave of al] his toil ;
Smith, cobbler, Joiner, he that plies the shears,
And he that kneads i)he dough ; all loud alike,
All learned and all drunk."
Such was, undoubtedly, our gloomy foreboding in regard ijp
Portland ; but in that city at this, present moment, with a population
estimated at 25,000, there is not one open house for the sale of liquo3(.
The enforcement of the Maine Law has swept them from the face of
SQpiety, and their devastating stream has been completely ^si^
1^. What, though five, or ten, or even twenty houses, in a secret,
flpeaking way, continue tp pander to the appetite, which even t|hO
feaf of punishpient cannot restrain r Is that at all to be compared
virith the sale which 300 hou^es, in the open light of ^y, and und^
the sanction of law daily effected? — No more than is the mountajn
to the molehill at its base. One would almost have been led to
believe, from the declarations so oracularly m^de, as to the perniciout
ejlects of the Maine L^^w oi^ Portland, that it had actvu^Uy produced
mi.
lUKWl
anrl
!r to
£u;t
V
1
a 9p9ne of t^ingi^ filnUmr t0i ^t so groj^l^cally geouped ^y ihe Htiv.
^^ftj HaiMiii, iM tbf vMiklfc of the New I^r BUI in. Ecigland,— "The
N^w Bilir i»ayo thu ditino, "hi^ biBguA it9 opeirfttiou^ ; evory body
m dri^k; th<;>9# wlio ara oio^ aiagiMg are »pmwUn^i the aovepoigo
^^]^^ aite in a b^aajti^i ^iat»." Balf will tea ov tmenty miiierfible,
wr^tched^ outlawed d^na ever prodaoe BUjoh a piotureP — we thiuk
4^^ It is only under the siaile and saqM^on of law that Bi^eh
diopravit^y oau prevail. It is said there are suoh clsAdestino hoimes :
but if so, they are uojt numerous, nor numerously attended, and their
sale must be ver^ secretly effected, for the vigilance committee
have not yet discovered their ree^ective localities^ The two distilleries
have long since ceased their operations^ and the one in process of
eveqtion has been ooaverted into a gasometer; the citi/.eas wisely
pjoe^rfiwg. th•
'
U V
m
i:
fire-nxths of the whole were oonvioted. I say, without fear of con-
tradiction, that nine-tenths of all crimes of personal violence are
committed in a state of intoxication, and if the source of the evil is
dried up hy this new law, it is easy to see that Judges by and by
will have little criminal business to attend to." This accounts, and
very satisfactorily too, for the increase in commitments under the
new Law, for the selling of liquor for purposes of a beverage, is now
a criminal offence against the State, and severely punished as such ;
and drunkenness, which before, in many cases, only furnished an
occasion for a ribald jest, is now punished as a criminal offence. The
statistics of the increase of drunkenness and comraitments under the
Maine Law, pawned upon the puolic, with a «eal worthy of a better
cause, are, when fairly understood, just so many irrefragable proofs
of the efficiency of the Law. If it was contemplated that the mere
enactment of a law against larceny or burglary, was to prevent the
possible recurrence of such crimes-why the waste of money in building
jails P Why the appointment of police magistrates, and judges, and
all the paraphernalia of a criminal court ? And if such laws have not
rid society of its plague spots, why so unreasonable as to expect that a
law punishing drunkenness as a crime, was all at once to check the
depraved appetite in its dreamy pursuit after stimulants, or eradicate
vicious habits, too firmly rooted, or allay the fiendish passions which
the intoxicating cup had aroused. The Divine law says, Thou shalt
do no murder : Thou shalt not steal. If the law of Gon is daily
violated, is it not too much to expect that the mere enactment of man
should be omnipotent. But the Law has already saved hundreds
from a drunkard's grave ; it has made many happy household homes,
and poured the balm of consolation into many a bleeding heart. It has
restored rights long infringed, and social peace destroyed. It has
already rebuilt many a domestic altar, prostrated by intemperance,
and fanned the dying embers of domestic love, and it needs only time
and a willing, helping hand, to make these blessings as wide-spread as
the curse which intemperance has inflicted.
Nor is the Maine Law exclusive in its operations. Wherever
there is a community groaning under the scathing evils of intemper-
ance, the Maine Law is happily adapted to the wants of that commu-
nity. It breathes the " two great laws of revealed religion, called by
moral philosophers, the law of reciprocity, and the law of benevolence,"
and is consequently adapted to all mankind. In no other way could
its rapid spread be accounted for. It has been already enacted by
the legislatures of Massachusetts, Conne'^cut, Vermont, Ehode
Island, Michigan, New York, Minnesota, G. .^, Indiana, Illinois, and
■
IMAGE EVALUATION
TEST TARGET (MT-3)
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WEBSTER, N.Y. 14580
(716) 872-4503
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Iowa, and is seriously contemplated by New Hampshire. The friends
af temperance in England, have pledged themselves to raise £10,000
Sterling during the year to carry on their movement in favour of a
Maine Law for Britain ; and we much mistake the spirit that has dared
the struggle hitherto, if Canada alone, be left to lag behind. The
practicability and beiielicial results of the Law, its adaptation to all the
States of the Union, and to Canada as well, are points beyond all
matter of doubt ; and it is the imperative duty of all who desire the
good of society more than the questionable aggrandizement of a few,
to endeavor to secure its enactment. We boast of our noble country ;
of our extensive resources, and our miexampled prosperity. — Not
tUese alone, nor all that art or industry could furnish form the true
constitution of a State, —
" No— men, high minded men—
'With powers as far above dull brutes endued,
In forest, brake or den
As boasts excel cold rocks, and brambles rude,
Men,— who their duties know ' i
But know their rights, and knowing dare maintain,
- " Prevent tho long umed blow •'■ -' - -^^
i. id crush the tyrant, while they rend the chain."
The principle? ji a Prohibitory Liquor Law is not so new a feature
ill legislation m /e i.re sometimes requested to believe. It bursts
upon US amid the wise laws of that sagacious Spartan Legislator, —
Lycurgus — who ordered all the vines in the kingdom to be destroyed,
in order to arrest the ravages of intemperance. Nor is it unknown to
the British Parliament. The fourth Earl of Chesterfield, a man dis-
tinguished ?or sound judgment and force of intellect, said, in his place
ii> the House of Lords, a hundred and thirty years ago — " The use of
those things which are simply hurtful, hurtful in their own nature,
and in every degree, is to be prohibited. * * If those liquors are
so delicious that the people are tempted to their own destruction, let.
us, my Lords, secure them from these fatal draughts, by bursting the
vials that contain them — let us crush at once these artists in slaugh-
ter, who have reconciled their countrymen to sickness and to ruin,
and spread over the pitfalls of debauchery such baits as cannot be
resisted." Such was the deliberate opinion of an English nobleman,
who filled with honor many of the highest offices under the reign of
George II., and had the evils here so eloquently pourtrayed, pressed
as severely upon the Peer as they did upon the poverty-stricken ple-
beian, there would have been another meeting at Runnymede rather
than endure them.
The same prohibitory principle is recognised religiously by about one-
thirdof thewholohumanfamily. "There are exceptions, of course, every-
■•: „ T
•i * V
93
•*; ,. r
.
<^ 4 V
wkere, but from the shores of the Atlantic, and the burning sands ot
Barbary, across more than a hundred degrees of longitude, on to th6
wall of China, south to Cape Comorin in India, and north into the
JHeppes of Tartary, tl ere is a vast surface of the earth which is neither
cursed by a drunkard'^ Lu jae, nor dishonoured by a dnmward's grave ;
where the clusters of the , -■ >e are gathered to be manufactured only
into raisins, and men sow not barley but to feed their horses. Buddh,
Brama, and Mahom ^d have banished intoxicating liquors from their
dominions. And must the Cross thus pale before the Crescent, and the
lie of Mahomed prove itself mightier than the truth of God." *
We are gravely told that such a legislative enactment restrMtts
the liberty of the subject, and breaks down those ancient safeguafdd
vtWch the law has thrown around him. In civilized life, the w^elfare
of society is the supreme law. Whatever fancied rights a man ill a
itotnad state may have, it ia simply an axiom of e very-day life, that
in society, no man has a ri^ht to do what he pleases, except when
he pleases to do what is ri^ht. The principle of the utter merging of
individual right, in the coBective rights, and for the common welfare
of society, has its ramifications through all our social system, and
seldom is either its justice or its propriety questioned. Let any one
who doubts the correctness of this remark, just sit down and consider
how much he could do for his own individual gratification, altogether
irrespective of the interests of society, before he found himself in the
hands of the police.
But such a law will so diminish the revenue that the machinery of
government wiU be stopped in consequence. The objection fortu-
nately is not a new one. "Surely," says Chesterfield, "surely, it
never before was conceived by any man entrusted M'ith the administra-
tion of public affairs, to raise taxes by the destruction of the people * ♦
This liquor corrupts the mind, and enervates the body, and destroys
vigour and virtue, at the same time that it makes those who drink it
too idle andfeeble forwork." Letusendeavourtokeepthewell-springs
of humanity pure, and there will be little fear of the revenue. An honest,
healthy, hearty people, are more likely to provide a generous revenue,
than a people dissipated by indulgence and debased by vice. A
similar lachrymose objection was made in the House of Commons
to the emancipation of the Blacks in India, to that made in the Can-
adian Parliament to the emancipation of the Whites in Canada. "Such
a step," said Col. Carlton, in the House of Commons, "would anni-
hilate a trade whose exports amount to £800,000 annually, and which
employs 160 vessels and mv/re than 500 seamen. It would destroy
the West India trade, which ia of the annual value of £6,000,000,
* Ghithrie's pi«k
94
and" — oh! doleful thought — "London would be a heap of ruinB."
Will ye abolish this time-honoured traffic ? asked the timid legisla-
tor ; and humanity nobly responded — yes, we shall sweep it all away.
The good of society demands it ; and in like manner the good of our
Canadian community demands the immediate abolition of the liquor
traffic, whatever the fate of the revenue. " ! God !" says Shakes-
peare's Cassio, " that men should put an enemy in their mouths, to steal
away their brains !— :that we should, yfith joy, revel, pleasance and
applause, transform ourselves into beasts !" ^^> jKuut n«xA am/mm^^h
We have thus endeavoured to fulfil the important, but very pleasing
duty which you devolved upon us. It is unnecessary to say, that it
win give us additional gratification to know that our labours, and
their results, meet with your approval, — that this one cluster from
Eschol, borne home between us, so pleasant to the eye, so redolent of
joy, and cheering to the heart, will only increase and intensify your
ardour to reach the Land of Prohibition.
JW
»
;*«■
•?:.r irjv 1 1-
n^^V,rw voiiiium^di 7.; We are respectfully.
oh Of
A. FAREWELL.
"•'"^^ G. P. URE.
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- U.iiu'f >fhi-l lihii iM ioli v^<*iiiqoiiuvKt3mr>')«idl^i,'' Rii 1«\i './I'la'JV'tol *Me^dHm« Mn o*>t
.T»f;iioiittA. .oua&r ^ 'nii'io'^iiih '/nt'fl >)(( Um m nii hna,4nbVy\i'i.nmm}{{ ^»
.s»oi7 y4 y^i^thh htm : miffi%iiihw \'S h*hs^h\0) ti^v&^ti i^t/ts
' ami HfterAi^i^B K
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