People's Pilot, Volume 3, Number 39, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 23 March 1894 — HONORS FOR A REFORMER. [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

HONORS FOR A REFORMER.

Celebration of the 90th Birthday of Meal Dow, the Temperance Veteran. New York, March 20.—1 t was made manifest at the meeting which the American Temperance union held Sunday in Carnegie hall in celebration of the 90th birthday of Gen. Neal Dow that the total abstinence advocates of this city look to the granting of suffrage to women as the only measure that will insure the abolition of the saloons and the general traffic in liquor in this city and the country in generaL Carnegie hall was crowded when the anniversary exercises began. It had been expected that Gen. Dow would be present, but he sent a letter saying that a severe cold and an engagement in Maine on Tuesday rendered it impossible to undertake the journey to New York. Dr. Theodore L. Cuyler delivered a vigorous eulogy of Gen. Dow’s temperance work. Dr. B.

B Tyler, of the Church of Disciples, declared that women’s votes were necessary to the cause. Noah Davis said that without women armed with a legal vote as an aid man could not battle with the temperance problem with any hope of success. Mrs. MaryT. Burt, Prof. Samuel Dickie, Rev. Dr. McArthur, Rev. Joseph Cook and others spoke and A. M. Powell, secretary of the National Temperance league, offered a series of resolutions praising Gen. Dow and favoring the annihilation of the liquor traffic all over the countiy. The Brooklyn Temperance league celebrated the 90th birthday of Gen. Neal Dow at the union assembly room. Chairman Walker spoke of Neal Dow’s birthday and said it was being celebrated all over the United States, England, Germany, France and Australia.

Neal Dow was born in the city of Portland, Me., on the 20th of March, 1834. Bis parents were of the Society of Friends. His first identification with the temperance movement was in connection with the Maine Temperance union, an organization composed of those who withdrew from a society which had, by the form of its pledge, compromised with wine-drinkers. The union appeared before the state legislature in 1837, aemanding the abrogatlon'Of all license laws, and the substitution of prohibition of the sale of all alcoholic beverages. His first public appearance aa an advocate of the prohibitory policy was in 1839, when he appeared before the board of aldermen in his own city, and induced them to refer the question of ‘‘license" or “no-license” to a vote of the citizens. No licenso was defeated by a majority of 35 out of a vote of 1,163. In 1842 he again succeeded In having the question submitted to the people, and it was carried by a \majority of 440. He turned his attention to the state in 1843, printing and circulating 'petitions to the legislature at his own expense, paying for a stringent law, and that ‘‘the trafflc\in intoxicating liquors might be held and adjudged an infamous crime.” In February, 1884, he went before the legislative committee, which reported a bill favorably. It passed the house, but was defeated in the senate. Meetings were held all over the state the next two years. Mr. Dow was speaking in school districts, and scattered a literature profusely everywhere over the state. In 1846 he secured the passage of a prohibitory law by a vote of 81 to 42 In the house and 23 to 5 in the senate. The penalties were insufficient, and the next year another bill was passed, but was vetoed by the governor. In 1850 he presented a bill of his own drafting, and secured its, passage in the house, but it was lost in the senate by a tie vote. In 1851 he was elected mayor of the city of .Portland, and for the sixth time appeared before the legislature with a bill of his own, which passed the house 86 to 40, and the senate 18 to 10. Mayor Neal Dow issued a proclamation that he should promptly enforce the law, giving venders sixty days to ship their liquors out of the city. He seized 12,000 worth of liquor and had it openly destroyed. Mr. Dow was reelected and u mob gathered to resist the execution of the law, but he was equal to the emergency, and the mob was repelled and dispersed. In 1853 he attended the world's temperance convention, held in the city of New York, and was made president of the convention. The “Maine Law’’ was repealed in 1856, but Mr. Dow rallied the people, and It was reenacted in 1857 with increased restrictions and penalties.

In 1801 he recruited the Thirteenth regiment of Maine volunteers and a battery of artillery, and entered the army. President Lincoln appointed him brigadier Reneral in 1862, and he was twice wounded in battle, in the attack on Port Hudson, Louisiana, .and taken to a plantation in the rear, was captured by a squad of Logan's cavalry and taken to Libby prison in Richmond, Va. He was exchanged in March, 18J4, for Gen. Fitz-Hugh Lee.

He was vice president of the national temperance conventions held in Saratoga in 1865 and in Cleveland in 1868. representing the National Division Sons of Temperance on both occasions. He ,vislted England three times and delivered over 500 addresses under the auspices of the United Kingdom alliance, In every part of the kingdom. He was initiated Into the National Division Sons of Temperance of North America at the session hold >n Richmond, Va., In 1852, and was elected most worthy associate of that body. He was the candidate of the prohibition pats ty in 1880 for the presidency of the United States, and received 10,356 votes. He was a member of the national temperance convention, held at Saratoga Springs in 1865, which organized the National Temperance society and publication house, and has been vice president of the society from its commencement.

GEN. NEAL DOW.