In 1838 began the legislative war against the traffic — a contest which has seen many victories and defeats, and will probably see many more before the final vic- tory. In response to growing public sentiment, the li- cense laws of several states were made more stringent. Massachusetts passed a law prohibiting the sale of al- coholic liquors in less quantity than fifteen gallons. In 1839 Mississippi followed with a "one gallon law," and Illinois adopted what would now be termed "local op- tion." The universal agitation on the subject created general alarm among those interested in the manufact- ure and sale of alcoholic drinks, and they, too, began to organize and collect funds to be used at the polls and in legislative halls to arrest the reform. Still the good cause advanced. Temperance organizations, temper- ance journals, lectures, and labors of every kind were multiplying. Good news of progress came from Eng- land, and from father Mathew, a Catholic priest in Ire- land, who had given himself to reform work and had achieved marvellcuis successes.
In 1840 the " Washingtonian" movement began in Baltimore. Six hard drinkers, who had met for a night's carousal, suddenly resolved to reform, signed a total-ab- stinence pledge, and formed a societj^ for active labor. Tliey held meetings, recited the simple story of their former errors, and how they were rescued, and invited the most hopeless victims of the vice to join them. Wonderful results followed, the work spread, and in the space of two or three years it is estimated that one hun- dred and fifty thousand inebriates had signed the |iledge. Immense good was done, and yet the movement soon began to wane. The demand for reformed drunkards as lecturers became so great as to bring into the field a crowd of irresponsible men; some without sufficient in- telligence for their position, others lacking in principle. These made a trade of the business ; they sneered at all workers who had no drunken experiences to relate, abused the churches, and sought to outdo each other in extravagant descriptions of their past lives. Soon that which began as an agonizing struggle for life became a merry popular amusement; the funniest lecturer got the most invitations and the best pay ; and the move- ment, powerful as it was at one time, broke down under the load of the ignorant, unprincipled, and foolish oper- ators who, for their own profit, piled their weight upon it. Still, bitterly as the friends of temperance were dis- appointed by the collapse of the Washingtonian episode, the general cause continued to advance. In the ten years ending in 1840, while tlie population of the United States had grown from 12,000,000 to 17,000,000, the con- sumption of distilled liquors had fallen from 70,000,000 to 43,000,000 gallons. In thirty years the number of distilleries had fallen from 40,000 to 10,30G.
In 1842 the order of the Sons of Temperance was founded in the citv of New York. This order is the
oldest of the compact organizations which not only pledge their members to total abstinence, but unite them on a i)lan of mutual systematic relief in times of sick- ness. During the thirty-eight years of its existence the order has varied greatly in numerical strength. In 1850 it numbered 232,233 mfembers. Suffering severely during the late war, tlie "Sons" in 1866 numbered only 54,763. Since that date they are again making prog- ress, and now number about 100,000 members. The In- dependent Order of Kechabites, a society of similar char- acter, established in England in 1835, was introduced into the United States in 1842, and sj)read with consid- erable rapidity. In 1845 another order, tlie Templars of Honor and Temperance, was established in New York city. This fraternity was originally designed to be a branch of the Sons of Temperance, whose members should pass tlirough various degrees, and be known to each other everywhere by signs and passwords; but it was organized as an independent society. They num- ber about 17,000 members.
The discussion in regard to the morality of the license system went on with vigor. In 1845 the matter was by law submitted to the people of Connecticut and Michi- gan, and the vote w'as strongly against license. In 1846 the question was submitted to the people of the state of New York (the city of New York being except- ed) ; several whole counties voted " no license," and five sixths of the towns and cities gave large majorities in the same direction. In 1846 Maine passed a prohibitory law, which, with many changes, made from time to time to render it more stringent and effective, has re- mained for thirty-four years the will of the jieople and the policy of the state, and it is to-day in full and suc- cessful operation, the glory of the commonwealth and the strong defence of its citizens.
For the next ten years (1846 to 1856) the question of license or no license was agitated in almost every part of the Union, but to give the history of tlie strug- gle in the several states would require a volume. Maine, New Hampsliire, Vermont, Massachusetts, Connecticut, Rhode Island, New York, Delaware, Michigan, Indiana, Iowa, Jlinnesota, Kansas, and Nebraska passed prohib- itory laws — some of them more than once. In most of these states, if not all, the question was submitted in some form to the popular vote, and the prohibitory prin- ciple received emphatic endorsement. In New Jersey, also, the popular voice was strongly in its favor, but the liquor interest succeeded in thwarting the will of the people. In two states, Pjennsylvania and Illinois, a small majorit}' appeared against prohibition,