PROHIBITION STALWARTS.

Te Aroha News, Volume XXVII, Issue 43213, 10 August 1907, Page 1

PROHIBITION STALWARTS.

GENERAL NEAL DOW. All signs of liquor trading disappeared, and the example of the Mayor of Portland givingmoral aid to all other officers, the outward transformation was almost complete The harbour of Portland was a resort of ships, and many foreign sailors lodged in the town, not a few of whom, with some of the lower class of residents, found means to gratify the drink craving ; but Bacchus was uo longer enthroned. The effects of th:s change from License to NoLicense were seen in policecourt and jail, in poor-house, .= |in the" aspect of the streets, and in the homes of the people.- - Among the manly honours showered upon Neal Dow as the “ Author of the Maine Law ” was that of his election as pre- . sident of the

world’s temperance convention [held in New York, September 6th-10th, L 853, which was attended by several eminent Temperance reformers from this country, including Dr. F. lx, Lees and Mr John Cassell, the well-known publisher. British criticism of the Maine Law was abundant, sometimes rebundant, but it .was favourably noticed by “ The Daily News,” and two great quarter lies —“ The EdinJ burgh Eeview ” aud “The North British Eeview” —the former in particular discussing it in a sympathetic spirit. In Maine itself the law was supported by public opinion, but its enemies were busy conspir-; ing to strike at the law through its greatest champion. Hence - occurred

THE ROWDY RIOT OF 18'5'5,

rhe Act of 1851, provided-for he establishment of Slat e agencies for the sale of liquors used medicinally, and in arts and manufactures. This necessitated the storage of liquors for this legal purpose, and in Portland they were deposited in the basement of the City Hall. A rumour was spread that the Mayor, Neal Dow, was appropriating some of these liquors for his own use, and though pro bablv no one believed the falsei h »od, it was sufficient to brii g j together a large crowd of the | baser sort, including many foreigners, who assembled in front of the City Hall with the intention of getting possession of the liquor. Neal Dow acted with characteristic vigour, calling out a company of militia, and wheit all efforts at pacification failed, he gave the order, tp i fire, one man being killed 0., d ' several wounded. The rioters quickly dispersed, and the courageous promptitude of Neal Do w saved the city from the horrors which would have followed the success/of the rioters. All good citizens were grateful to the Mayor, and au attempt to get \ him indict d for manslaughter was quickly squashed. But the incident was not without its and being taken advantage of for party political purj poses, a majority of membeis 1 was returned in that year to f e i Legislature favourable to licencing rather than to Prohibition. 'Next year (1850), therefore, \ the Act of 1851 was superseded bv a stringent licensing law, which satisfied none ; but thougli ' a majority of s ] were returned in the autumn '< f 1856-7, the Licensing Act hid an existence of about twe 4 years in all. (To be Continued.) ./?.