The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1885-01-17 00:00:00

TEMPERANCE AMONGST CANADIANS

AND RED INDIANS.

Under tie auspices of the South London "Sons of
the Phcenix," and before a crowded audience, Mr. P.
O'Leary, of London, who has just returned from a
five months' tour in Cariada, gate an address on Sun-
day night at the Enterprise Coffee Palace Peckham,
on the temperance movement in Canada. Mr. Thomas
Teasedale (Camberwell vestryman) presided. Mr.
O'Leary, coming at once to his subject, said that in
Canada no women were ever seen in the saloons,
either as attendants or drinkers. In Lower Canada
the public-houses were closed from nine p.m. on
Saturday to seven a.m. on Monday, and in Upper
Canada from seven p.m. on Saturday to seven a.m.
on Monday, and with the most excellent results. The
Scott Act, which resembled the proposed Local
Option Act in this country, had been submitted to
30 towns and districts, and had been accepted by 27
(cheers) some of the towns being very populous
ones. 'Wherever he had travelled in Canada he
found that in proportion to the amount of drink
consumed there were misery and pauperism, and in
proportion of the amount of sobriety there were
happiness and comfort. He was glad to be able to
say that, as a general rule, the Canadians were sober
people. (Cheers.) On his visit to the great prairies
of the North-West, he found in operation a strong
prohibiting law applying both to the whites and the
Indians. There was on the ground a force of 700
mounted police, who confiscated any intoxicating
drink they found, and prosecuted the whisky-
traders, who 'were punished with six months' imprison-
ment and a fine of 200 dollars. In the great North-
Western country there were at present about 35,000
Indians, and if they could get intoxicating drinks
there would be constant contentions between them and
the whites, whereas, under the presedt system, life and
property were perfectly secure. (Hear, and cheers.) He
visited the tribes of the Blackfeet, the Crees, the
Sarcees, and others, and none of them, happily, knew
anything of drinking habits. On the famous Bell
Farm, where 7000 acres of wheat were growing, he
found all the husbandry work being carried on by
people who consumed no drink. The men employed
in the construction of the Canadian Pacific Railway
were absolutely prohibited from the use of intoxi-
cants. He found in the ranching country, at the
base of the Rocky Mountains, that the ranchers,
cowboys, and the drivers of the bull-teams took no
drinks. He paid visits to four Irish colonies founded
in:Minnesota by Dr. Ireland, Bishop of St. Paul's, and
in them, no drink being sold, the greatest happiness
and prosperity prevailed. (Cheers.) Having found
many other instances of the adoption of the total
abstinence principle by Canadian communities, Mr.
O'Leary, having testified to the general good results
all over Canada, said that the absence of intoxica-
ing drink was the salvation of the great North-West
country, which in a few years would be the home of
millions of men. The lecturer was frequently ap-
plauded, and at the close of his address was awarded
a cordial vote of thanks, a similar compliment being
paid to the chairman.