New-York tribune., 1878-12-18


The cause of temperance found earnest and aole
,xponents last evening at the house of one OF its
friends IN the social gathering that took place at
william E. Dodge's residence in Madison-ave The
parlors were filed with gentlemen prominent In be-
nevoent and religious enterprises; the feature OF
the evening being an address on "lntemperance in
its Relation TO Crime" by ChiefJustice Noah
Davis. The Rev. DR.. John Hall, the Rev. DR..
William Adams and Professor Roswell ID. Hitch
cock also spoke briefly the general subject of in
temperance after which collation. was served.
EXERCISES OF THE EVENING.
OPENING REMARKS OF WILLIAM z. DoDGE-JUDGE
DAvIs's ADDRESS ON "ISTEMPERANCE IN IT'S
RELATIONS TO CBINE"-oTHER SPEECHES.
At o'clock large number of guests assem-
bled at the Hon. william DOdge's L. house in Madison
ave- Among those present Peter Cooper, the Rev.
DR. William Adams Professor Roswell d. HitchcocR'
the Rev. Dr. OrmistoD. the Rev. Dr. John
Hall the Hon. John BiGelOw. the Hon. Salem
H. Wales, ChiefJustice Noah Davis, OF the Supreme
Court Dr. Holland, the Hon. William waiter
Phelps Judge Sutherland of the Court of General ses
sions the Rev. Dr. Joel Parker, Judge Gilbert NJ speir
of the Superior Court E. s. Jaray the Hon. John JAY
the Hon. Jackson s. Schultz and others. After half
hour spent In pleasant greetings to the host and mis-
wife, Mr. Dodge gathered his friends about him and adj
dressed them as follows
IfeeI very much indebted to the friends who have
hdent shall ali be thoroughly paid for this evenings
attention have invited our friend. Judge Davis to adj
dress us of citizens who very large tax
payers who bear very large proportion OF the
expenses resulting from the use OF intoxicating drinks
We are beginning to realize extent in this eoun
try the enormous expenditure resulting Om the use OF
intoxicating drinks. There has been time
when there as intelligent ieehng
on the subject Of temperance throughout the
whole United States to There have been various
epochs in the history and of this great cause
and those who have been labcrng for many years
have watched IL very carefully and there is as say
ut present time intelligent feeling in regard
to it. The public mind is better educated than
ever before this subject and intelligent men,
men who have not ranked themselves among the tenn
perance Of the country, beginning TO look at
this evil in the light OF political economyi and when
they realize that this country ia expeBdine snnuuayb be
tween 5000 900 and S700000O0O for intoxicating
drinks and that equal amount expended the result
OF their use they convinced that is time thdt men
who are bearing tie burdens aud paying the taxes
should 6eStt tnemsSTes SOns n1t ana opy 10 eD9en
this financial burden bnt 10 remove the terrible results
Al rus present time on the other side OF the water
particularly in England owing to the depressed financial
this subject they did befOreaI IN recent
publication that member OF Parliament sala IN aIse
pubc meeting there that the annual expenditure for IN
toxieating drinks aside from Their results, was %l4O
has been some twelve years in Parliament,
been steadily increasing III the number OF It's ad-
Parliament who spending their time in the in
Of the sessions in gong through England ad-
GsN matter in ii' Which we are ali very deeply
interested and am very thankful that our rcnd Judge
Davis amid his many pressing cares, mas been Wiling 10
time the preparation OF an address, to which
we shall listen with very great pleasure
ADDRESS OF JUDGE DAVIS.
LADIES AND GENTLEMEN 1 have had time
20 prepare q speech, and therefore this afternoon,
after leaving court account OF Ill health,
sat down and wrote one The subject
is which, while 1t is Of vast interest,
wiI think demand extraordinary intellect to say
anything new about it. That very pleasant story
that went the rounds of the papers few years of
lady principal Of female seminary up the HudsOnwEO,
at tie approach of Lent called her pupils together and
said required Of them their youth and while
engaged in studies refrain during Lent from meat
but really that OF that period
they would least all to refrain from
some decacy luxury and 80 she requested each one
to send in on the following morning note indicating
the article OF food from which she would abstain You
can iudge her surprise morning opening the
notes TO find that each one had written the single word
"hash hP lLaughter.l
Now it is impossible, desire to prelimnarily 70
talk on the subject that has been assigned to me to
night without simply producing the material that these
young ladies desired to refrain FROM and IT we're not
for the fact that you to nd in the adjoining room
something that will COMPENSATE you for coming some
repast entirely superior to that which am about TO
give you should advise each OF you 10 take your
hat and now. lLaugDtcf.l AS 4 sduJ haNo Ooch
forced to put paper what little have TO say here
Tonight and though don't Ike read speech,
must beg your indulgence while read what l nave
am invited to speak tonight Of the relations of in
temperance to crime. The theme Is haekneyed one,
as old as alcohol and cannot consider 1t without
sort Of anger at the sehshness Of the men OF past
generations, who have said all our good things before
we born. Little is left to us but TO array ther
testimonies and confirm them by our own experiences
No one doubts the existence OF SID: ihrOngnont TnTs-
demnation OF ~ Yet the ugly Iact remains ana VIII
@ TGa SS Sp dfT sna enuy nRay Sa aPHedh this ~"nS ne
argument against reteration of Cody preaching ana
who began his argument IN the Garden OF Eden, 1t IS
safe TO assume that court knows something"
deuce knows by OF the existence Of crime and
nemperance and proceed 70 speak Of their cOreatons
intempersnce to crime is that OF There
other such as hate, ayarce jealousy, lust
eyi easily repressed by individuals and society,
more subject to moral influences ana restraints ana are
not sanctioned by law nor dealt out under statutory
The CHIEF CAUSE OF CRIME.
But among all causes OF crime ntemperance stands
out the uuapproachable chief" This fact may be
tablished both afirmatively and negatively. 1t is
proved by the existence OF intemperance and equally
as well by its non-exisJence, just as the tides
of the may be proved the food and
by the ebb. First, net briefly consider
the proof by The proposition is that when
ever and wherever intemperance is most prevalent,
crime is most abundant. Crime is the mercury OF pO
hucai ana moral thermometer which lntemperauce and
It's opposite affect heat and cold. Tqs recognized
TACT has an elementary principle the criminal
common law-that drunkenness ~ no excuse for crime
No prlneipe is better or was carrier settIed ana IL
was rested upon the manifest fact that allowed as an
excuse all crime would prepare ana f0rtiy Itself 10y ln-
tCcaiIOn. Hence courts even IN capital cases. were
compelled treat drunkenness as an aRgrayatlOn
OF crime. and to hold that a drunken intent % was
equally telonous as a sober one In common
acceptance, the drunken man IS temporarily
making drunk was a business licensed by law
source OF government revenue tne wisdom OF judges