THE TRIUMPH OF HUMANITY. OH! IF THAT HAD BEEN DONE TWENTY YEARS AGO, MY HUSBAND WOULD NOT HAVE DIED A DRUNKARD, AND I SHOULD NOT HAVE BEEN The woman of Maine. HERE WITH MY CHILDREN. RUM RAVAGES IN PORTLAND. Extract from a speech of Neal Dow, Esq., before the Licensing Board, February, 1847: The "Go through this city, or almost any part of it, and mark the houses, as you proceed, with reference to this evil, and see what will be the result. I have one street now in my eye, and you may take it as an example. first house was built by a man who died by rum; the next house was own ed by a man whose wife and two sons died from the use of strong drink; two daughters married drunkards, one of whom died of delirium tremens, and the other is now worse than dead. The next house, a large and elegant one, was owned by a man who died in the alms-house, and it then fell into the hands of a man who leaped out of a chamber window in a fit of delirium tremens, broke his leg, and died of its effects, while his only son died of brandy-drinking at twenty-two years of age, and his only daughter married a man who soon afterwards became a drunkard, and she died of a broken heart; and the next house was built and owned by a man whose only son became a miserable drunkard, who would drink raw brandy, at the grogshops, from vessels used for measuring lamp oil. "I have taken this street at a venture, just as it occurred to me. I know not that its residents suffered more from rum than those of other streets. But there is a house in my neighborhood, said Mr. D., the history of which is a frightful commentary on the Rum Trade. It was first owned by a man who hung himself in a fit of delirium tremens; his two sons died at an early age, and his wife and two daughters were also drunkards, and came to a horrible end. In the same house afterward, a man killed his wife, while under the influence of liquor, then stabbed himself, and lay weltering in his blood, while his wife lay dead at his feet. The next victim of rum in that house, was an old Irish woman, who perished with cold one Sunday night, while in a state of gross intoxication, her son living there at the time, and keeping in it a little grog-shop, to which he and his wife afterwards fell victims, becoming miserable drunkards; and running through with all their property, they emigrated to the west with their children, and all perished in the steamer Erie, which was destroyed with almost all her passengers, by fire. Thus perished from a single dwelling in this city, from eleven to thirteen individuals, through the trade in rum! and it frequently, if not generally happens, that those who engage in this horrible traffic, are among the first to fall victims to it; such, at least, is the fact in this city; thus fearfully does God commend to these men the work of their own hands." Extract from the SECOND QUARTERLY REPORT of Mr. Dow, to the Board of Aldermen and Common Council, Jan. 15, 1852: "From the first, the prompt and energetic execution of the law in this city, was submitted to cheerfully and quietly; the wholesale dealers in spirits, promptly abandoned the business, which it was impossible to carry on a single day under this law; and all those retail dealers who had any self-respect, pursued the same course, without waiting for the execution of the statute, which regards and treats the keeper of a grog-shop as a criminal of the lowest grade. Many persons who were habitually intemperate, abandoned the use of strong drinks, at first, from the difficulty of procuring them, and afterwards they were fully sensible that they and their families were much better without them. * * * * "I think it is not an exaggeration to say that the quantity of intoxicating liquors now sold in this city, except by the city agent, is not one fiftieth part so great as it was seven months ago, and the salutary effects of this great improvement are apparent among the people in all parts of the city. The amount of liquors consumed in the State, I think is not one quarter so great as it was seven months ago, and it will become less very rapidly, as the people in the country towns are now enforcing the law more extensively and vigorously every day. "The master of the Alms House has submitted to me the following returns:-Admitted into the Alms House, from Jan. 1st, to Dec. 31st, 1850, 290. Number admitted to the House from Jan 1st, to Dec. 30, 1851, 262; average number through the year was 106. Number of families assisted out of the House from June 1, to Dec. 31, 1850, was 60; average number through the year 1851, was 96. Number of families assisted out of the House from June 1, to Dec. 30, 1851, was 40. Number in the House, Dec. 1850, was 107. Number in the House, Dec. 1851, was 86. Number committed to the House of Correction for drunkenness from June 1 to Dec. 31, 1850-6 months-was 40. Number committed from Jan. 1, to May 31, 1851--5 months, was 34; from June 1 (the law was approved June 2), to Oct. 16th, was 8; from Oct. 16, to Dec. 31, none. From June 1, to Dec 317 months, 8. THE HOUSE OF CORRECTION IS NOW EMPTY! "The number of commitments to the jail of this county for drunkenness, assault and larceny, from June 1 to Dec. 31, 1850, was 192-for the same months of 1851, the number was 89, and for these months of 1851, there were 58 liquor-sellers imprisoned, while in 1850 there were none. The law was in operation here pretty well by the 1st of August, 1851, and from that time to Dec. 31st, there were 9 commitments for larceny, and for the corresponding months of 1850 there were 16 commitments for that offence. The whole number of convictions, before our Municipal Court under this law, for selling intoxicating liquors, has been 101, and the amount of fines imposed for that offence is $1310; amount of fines for keeping liquors, $360; amount of costs in cases of selling and keeping, $373 35; whole amount of fines and costs, $2043 35. The whole number of seizures of intoxicating liquors has been about fifty, and the market value of the liquors seized has been not far from five thousand dollars. "There were committed to the watch-house, from June 1, to Dec. 31, 1850, 332 persons; in the corresponding months of 1851, 152 persons; in October, November, and December, 1850, respectively, 43, 44 and 48=135; in the same months of 1851, 21, 23 and 11-55. "Rev. Mr. Mitchell has been City Missionary for many years, and has had under his supervision from six hundred and fifty to seven hundred families, and he adds that not one twentieth of the intemperate drinking can now be found that existed when the Maine law' went into effect. In his constant walks about the city, he does not meet one intoxicated person a day; and he does not recollect more than five or six cases for the last six months, of complaints of wives that their husbands drink too much; in many inveterate cases which he knows, where both husband and wife drank to excess, they are entirely reformed through the effect of the law, and are living happily together. "If the suppression of all our grog-shops could have been effected at a cost to the treasury of some thousands of dollars, it would be regarded as a good financial operation; but I have made it a point in carrying on the warfare against the illegal traffic in rum, to compel the enemy to pay the expenses of the campaign; so far, I have succeeded in accomplishing this object, and I am confident that at the end of this municipal year, I shall be able to report to the City Council, that this traffic is entirely extinguished, and that the city has not paid a dollar of the cost." "NEAL DOW, Mayor." The National Temperance Advocate. THE NATIONAL TEMPERANCE SOCIETY AND PUBLICATION HOUSE publish a new Monthly Temperance Paper, the object of which is to promote the interests of the Cause of Temperance, by disseminating light from every quarter upon its moral, social, financial, and scientific bearing. It is the intention of the Society to make it such a source of information and such an advocate of the Cause as shall render it not only a welcome visitor in the family, but indispensably necessary to every true friend of Temperance. TERMS, IN ADVANCE: Single copy, for one year, in advance.. 66 66 All over twenty copies at the rate of 80 cents per copy. $1.00 16 00 The Youth's Temperance Banner. THE NATIONAL TEMPERANCE SOCIETY AND PUBLICATION HOUSE also publish a new Monthly Temperance Paper, especially adapted to Children and Youth, Sunday-Schools and Juvenile Temperance Organizations. It will be ably edited, each number beautifully illustrated, and contain a piece of choice music, and no pains spared to make it a first-class paper for the children of America. The following are among the editors and contributors: Rev. T. L. CUYLER, REV. JAMES B. DUNN, Dr. CHARLES JEWETT, Prof. A. B. PALMER, Rev. Wм. M. THAYER, Dr. ASA D. SMITH, R. G. PARDEE, J. N. STEARNS, Rev. PETER STRYKER, Mrs. F. D. GAGE, Mrs. M. J. HARPER, Mrs. J. E. MCCONAUGHY, etc., etc., etc. TERMS, IN ADVANCE: Temperance Chimes. Price, in paper covers, 30 cents, single copies; $25 per hundred. Price, in board covers, 35 cents, single copies; $30 per hundred. THE NATIONAL TEMPERANCE SOCIETY have just published a new Temperance Hymn and Tune Book, of 128 pages, comprising a great variety of New Music, Glees, Songs and Hymns designed for the use of Temperance Meetings and Or ganizations, Bands of Hope, Glee Clubs, and the Home Circle. Many of the hymns have been written expressly for this book, by some of the best writers in the country. The Odes of the Sons of Temperance and Good Templars are given in full, and set to appropriate music. The book is edited by WM. B. BRADBURY and J. N. STEARNS, and contains over 150 Hymns and Tunes, which will be found worthy of the great and noble Cause they are intended to advance. HOPE Band of Hope Badge. Enameled $1 25 per dozen; 12 cents singly. Plain-$1 per dozen; 10 cents singly. Silver and Enameled-50 cents each. A new Badge for all Members of Bands of Hope to wear has been designed, and we are now prepared to supply orders for the same. It consists of a six-pointed Star, with an anchor engraved within a cross, which may be worn by all Members of the Band as a sign of recognition. It signifies FAITH, HOPE, and LIGHT. A very good representation of it is given in the picture annexed. J. N. STEARNS, Publishing Agent, 172 WILLIAM STREET, NEW YORK. it r illegal traffic in rum, to compel the enemy to pay the expaign; so far, I have succeeded in accomplishing this obnfident that at the end of this municipal year, I shall be the City Council, that this traffic is entirely extinguished, y has not paid a dollar of the cost." "NEAL DOW, Mayor." |