Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1874-07-10
Wendell Phillips on the Temperance Question

Below Is Mr.. W endcll Phillips lecture un
flc temperance question, a~ delivered in
Boston
Lqaas and G,a'tn,a This is the
largest audience that ! have seen within
these walls for fourteen years (aprlau~e) ,
since the outbreak of the great rebellion,
and hope it forctel~ the outbreak of a
Greater rebellion still, oi the people Of New
England, against the tyranny the grog
shop hope it is the beginning Of a war
which vii. eliminate in even nobler and
more eomT lctc victory than that which sig
miilad the nations effort in behalf Of the
freedom of q race.
This isnot the only ~isn Of the great IN
tere~t which the temperance question has
stirred MP throughout the forty States Al
though tAc Senate of the nited States has
ultatruc,ed. perhaps, aS much notice a~ the
more popular demonstration in the West,
au not sure by any means that the action of
tae Senate Is not equally significant in that
gI Alpine height which reform has never
reached. ike the ever frozen altitude of the
White Mountains ! refer % the attitude
of the Senate in passing a law To raise
commission Of inquiry on behalf Of the
American people. To inquire into the results
ofthe drinking habits and the nature OF the
various drinks iu which the American poo
rle indulge. and their results, socially, civil
~. in pecaniary point of view and in re-
armu To- lite. Always iu the English race.
Slow moving, gaining each point By argu-
mtut. the fir, step in every great reform has
teen au inquiry that spreads the facts before
the people. Then comes the collision of
PARTIES. Then comes the victory, and ai-
Ircheni this movement of Congress. even
Ifit should he defeated in the popular branch,
.fthe wave not strong enough to float the
temneruec--air actually into Congress, it
shows thar the hulwark~ of resistance are
hreasiu. down. and that we shall soon hail
the davNAcu this cause. hitherto confined
To conventions and legislatures in States.
will follow it, great predecessor, the anti
slavery clu-c lapTHu~el viii pull down
and set up political leaders, break parties
% pieces, and az last, Ike Its forerunner,
write lis legend 0u the national banner that
floats over JIc capitol. ! think we see the /
first streak Ut t.e dawn of such dav in the f.
attitude ut tie Senate. and side hy side with .
that nag.n. sign is another sweeping
over the STATES, going forth c,nqucring and I
To conquer Il is thc march of the women I
Of the juitci STATES wiki their banner raised /
t1 Do that which the law has failed to DO. |
what public and police force has either neg /
leatel Hr failed 90 accomplish, and the social |
and religions influence Of women. rs in so /
many Instances hitherto, shall achieve
victory. ! read most encouraging ign in I
that popular enthusiasm
No neri to examine it, logic Nations do
no, I've on logic. History i~not maja up Of
argument. Thank God, t ], made up of /
hearts In this instance the temperance /
cause has planted itself cmphatically in the
heart of the American people. | have long
looked for political action. 1t is thirty
eight years since was a tectotailer. and
many weary winter have tried to urge
reluctant temperance men up to their dutie~
ei the ballot box. Tagging. Indifferent. /
unreliable, he-iaIing. divided. the temTer- .
anee sentiment and purpose of this Common /
wealth ha- ever failed To unite it~elftuliy
and deci~Iye.v upon the action of the people. /
We have got force now behind it. under /
meath il, around it, inspiring it, that. unless 4
al calculation fails. viii lift the cause on
ward more than the most Sanguinc man viii |
imagine. ! take large encouragement from |
these TWO signs of the times | prophesy |
ttat those Of You who frequent the doors of /
legislatures and the chambers of committee. !
viii find them infinitely more ready TO listen /
60 yuu than you have ever found them De |
fore. ! know what it Is 20 20 before "a COM /
mitjce upon the temperance question. Ey- /
cry feature of the chairman face said. al /
though bis tongue dare not utter til |
don't care for YOU. You don't represent |
anything. There Is nobody behind you. |
We can afford 10 insult you before the ballot |
box and forget Won az the Legislature. Il /
will not affect our political organization.
The dawn of a day that makes that man |
knees tremhlc has already broken (app.ause). |
and If the temperance men do their duty We T.
shall dag this cause onward largely the |
coming year.
said had been a tcctomllcr thiry-cisht
years. have attended legislatures, ire
qucnteG conventions. stood upon platforms, |
read the criticisms Of the press. studied the
pamphlets that have been flung at the cause,
and given to it the hest intellect | have to
understand It's merits and feel justified in
saving to-day that have not seen Vet the
first decent argument against 10 from any
quarter whatever. nothing that would hold |
water the moment yoa compare it ur apply |
it to any other great question that attracts
political notice There is vet to be framed
the first decent weapon against the temper
ance cause. Rolled up IN imposing Ian
guagc, covered up with the appearance of
logic. confusing mems minds with an array
of statistics. there are only three monsters
that stand behind one Is. that man loves
drink the second is. the success of the
temperance cause Will Staryc his pocket, and
the third is. il viii undermine his PARTY. In
every argument. if ynu put your ear close
down and listen to il. YOU viii always hear
these three sounds | venture the assertion,
although know right well the professional,
the scientific, the medical, and what Is call
ed the statesmanlike enemies that have been
arrayed against US, not one Of them has
stood the criticism either ot the temperance
or OF the general press. ! make the boast
TO three thousand men in fremont Temple.
| feel that faithful and patient study of
everything that has been said and written
against this cause for the last quarter OF a
century in this country and in Europe enti-
ties me TO make it. Meanwhile all this
time. the keeneSt, most selfish, most pro-
ioundy interested intellects Of the generation
have brought to bear their sagacity on this
cause have endeavored to tear it, logic to
pieces and to checkmate its arguments and
DENY its facts. While all this has been 90
ing on we have accumulated from Judges
and journals, from social science. from
political confession. from the documents OF
our opponents. from the confessions of men
who are studying the tendencies Of the age.
we have gathered an amount Of testimony
that is marvellous. that the success of the
civilization Of the age, and Of the Republl-
can theory itself, is bound up indissolubly
with some method of treating the Intemper-
ate habits of the race to which we belong.
The London Tfmc, that has no heart ex-
cept what is made of gold, and noeye that
sees anything but the interests Of society,
has confessed that in the success of the tenn
peance cause the prize lies, the true secret
of the success of the civilization Of the 18th
century, and that it IS the cause which gath
ers unto itself more important interests and
l pregnant with greater results than any
other single one whatever; and every year
that have lived in the last thirty-eight
years, every impression OF the profound i'm
portance, of the incalculabe evils and bene-
fits wrapped up in these two opposing forces
has deepened year by year. The more
have gone around in American cities, the
more | have studied the theory Of republican
government, or have watched the course OF
legislatures the more have Investigated
the origin Of what NAV be considered the