The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1874-04-07
The Great Temperance Revival Of
Is4O..WiII History Repeat ltSeIIt

lS4UssWil hlStoIy ASoRSSS AsS'
It needs no argument to show that tho
country 10 now passing through aperiod Of
abnormal excitement on the temperance
question. This Is patent to everybody. The
final result, however, 10 . matter Of COM
lecture and speculation about which PEG.
pie differ very widely. Under such cir
cumstances we may obtain some help
towards coming to calm and rational con.
illusions on tho question by recalling the
experience OF this country within the
memory Of many persons now living.
Very many readers Of tho lNTRLLIoRNcER
arc familiar with the rise, progress and
result of the great temperance revival OF
1870 They will remember that during
the preceding year there came 10 this
country the news Of tho magnificent cru.
ssle in which Father MATTHEW had for
time wtested Ireland from the grasp of
King Alcohol. III Baltimore, 10 April,
1910, Six temperance men who had been
in the habit Of meeting nightly for convl.
val purposes, were suddenly led TO frame
and sign pledge OF total abstinence.
They formed themselves into body
which they called the Washington Tenn
perance Society, and forthwith began to
proselyte. IulesS than a year they had
gathered into their ranks over one thou.
sand reformed drunkRrds.
"a prominent member Of this parent
society was John H. W. Hawkins, who
early next year headed delegation to
visit, hold meetings and organize go.
cieties in New York, Boston and several
Of the New England cities. The conta.
gion Of tho enthusiasm generated at these
meetings spread like prairie fire. During
the summer and autumn Of 194l the
whole country was In q blaze Of excite
ment, lnthe State oil Ohio 10000 signed
, the pledge; in Kentucky, 81, 900; in Penn.
sylVania an equal number. The parent
Washington society in New York had
gathered In 1000 members and had
twenty-five auxiliaries, with member.
ship OF 10000 The st, Louis societies
had $500 members In January, 1912,
the fire caught in Washington and Tom
Marshall, the first convert, led move
ment which swept through the halls oil
Congress, and carried away several oil the
city fire companies, The birthday Of
Washington, February 22d, 1912, was n
grand jubilee Of temperance.
The period of natural reaction was to
some extent postponed by the advent oil
John 3. Cough in the field in 1874. In
June OF that year Mr.. Cough and Rev:
DR.. John Marsh, Secretary OF the Amer
ican temperance Union, made tour oil
New York State, arousing great iervor
and excitement wherever they went.
From 1874, however, the decline Of the
revival In tie popular heart began. 1t was
marked by the initiation Of attempts tC
carry the movement into politics and So
cure the enactment OF prohibitory laws
In lS40 the people Of the State Of New
York voted license or no license. A ire
mendOusly energetic campaign was made
by the temperance forces and bill en-
acting prohibition outside Of New York
City was passed by an average majority
oil over $4,000. The law, from the date
OF its passage, was virtually dead letter,
and alcohol began to gain its lost terrific
ry.
"ln the mean time, however, the Ger
man brewer began to gain a loothold in
the land, and The growing use Of his
milder beverage prevented anything like
Il complete relapse into that excessive
consumption Of distilled drinks IRON
which the temperance agitation Of 1910
had reused the country.
ut Is thus seen that the great temper.
aDCe movement Of tho last generation
continued in force ut least four years, and
attained dimensions which have net yet
been reached by the revival now in pro.
gress II the present crusade has o
DrieIer duration and a more slender har-
vest OF results, the cause will probably be
In the less reasonable methods Of propa.
gandlsm that may become prevalent
among the crusaders"