The weekly clarion. [volume] (Jackson, Miss.) 1863-1882, 1873-08-21
your obedient servant,
j. A. EARLY.
The Cause OF temperance

The wonderful rapidity that marked
the growth of Good Templarlsm wa
never equalled in the history OF volun
tary organizations. It's succeeding de
cline, though not so rapid, reached st
! low an ebb that it was virtually IN a dy
| ing condition. The revival of the order
and the steady increase of the number Of
| lodges, is as great phenomenon rs Is
exhibited in its early history
The Springfield Union, i'll comment
ing upon the growth of the order, gives
the following facts and figures:
In 1851 the first lodge was insti-
tuted, the locality being Oneida county,
New York Within four years the order
had extended throughout the Ohio and
Lake valleys, though not into New Eng
land, and in 1855 the representatives OF
ten grand lodges met at Cleveland and in
stituted the Right Worshipful Grand
Lodge of North America. In 1886 the
order numbered IS, 722 members. From
1866 to 1858 the membership fell of
over -, 600 During the ensuing five
years it greatly tluctuated, and IN 1865
numbered but 81 900.
1.-The order had been extended to Can
ada in 1853, or earlier, and in 1864 its
introduction into England was proposed,
and in 1872 the membership there had
reached 100, 600. Since its period Of
lowest ebb in 1868, the membership of
the order has steadily and rapidly in
creased, until at the session of last year
il was stated at 42S, SOB, including all
countries. The estimate for 1873, as
prepared at the London meeting, now in
session, is 525, 900. Lodges have been
founded in Newfoundland, New Zealand
and Australia.
Permission has recently been given
for the formation of lodges in Prussia
ED.
In New England the total present
membership of the order of 55,6O7, de-
crease of Is, 708 from last year. New
York has a larger showing-43, 020-
than any other Grand Lodge in Ameri-
ca. England shows the largest gain
within the year-31, 67S to 139, 663. The
States of the Union in which there have
been the greatest losses during the year
are: New York, IL, $50; Ohio, 10, 234;
Pennsylvania, S,2S7.
1.-The entire Good Templar Order
embraces forty-eight grand lodges, of
which twenty-seven show Il loss during
the last year, thirteen a gain, the rest
making no returns. The losses have
been in this country, the gains in Eng
land and Scotland. On the whole, as
will compare from comparison of the
figures given, there has been gain
within the year, loosely claimed by the
order, of 100, 0G0."
And adds:
lone of the measures to be pushed at
this years meeting will be the adoption
of a uniform constitution for all lodges.
1.-The political and social influence of
the Good Templars, although consider
able, is by no means in proportion to the
number of its membership, for the very
obvious reason that this membership
consists chiefly in children and young
persons. The somewhat puerile system
of degrees and titles which obtains in
this order has largely contributed to the
prejudice of many against it, and to the
of adults to identify them
selves with it. An effort to dispense
with this jejune feature was made in
1870, by submitting the matter to gen
eral vote; but majority of IL $50 voted
to retain the system, although in justice
to the good sense of the order it may be
pleaded that not over one-seventh of the
membership voted on the question"