Daily globe. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1878-1884, 1879-07-07
TEMPERANCE UNION.
Address of Mrs. Wittenmeyer at the First
Baptist Church Last Evening.

Address of Mrs. Wittenmeyer at the First
| Baptist Church Last Evening.
A large congregation assembled at the
First Baptist church last evening to hear al
address by Mrs. Wittenmeyer, president o.
the Woman's National Temperance union
The lecturer was introduced by the Rev. DR.
Chaffee, and commenced her address by say
ing that the Americans lived in land thai
the Lord had dealt with literally. He had
blessed US with liberty, and had revealed
many of His pet secrets to US. He had given
us grain enough to supply the world with
bread. He had given us mountains of iron
and precious ores, and forests of timber, but
in looking over the land that had been SO sig
nally blessed by Providence, there was wall
like unto that which went up from Israel
| There was one dead in every house. The
speaker here adverted to the Inauguration OF
the temperance crusade in 1872, giving the
statement of the alcoholic trade of the
United States. The speaker estimated that
| from six to seven hundred millions of dollars
was spent annually for alcoholic drinks,
enough money to make wagons loaded down
with flour reach twice around the world.
The people of this country would never
know the damaging and pernicious effect
of the burden they were bearing until it was
lifted from them. A contrast was made be-
tween tho amount of money spent before
the crusade in certain county, and the
amount spent during the three months
while the saloons were closed. Before the
crusade the county had spent ST. 900 per
month for liquor, and while the saloons
were closed it only cost $50 per month.
The speaker said that prominent states
man had given extravaganza in dress as a
principal cause of the hard times, in proof
of which he had said that $9S, 900 worth of
silk had been imported in one year. To re-
flute this fallacy the speaker had
answered that the amount spent
for liquor in one year would build
seven railroads across the continent,
and build railroad around the world, after
the full equipment of which there would be
two hundred and eighty millions left. The
perniclous influence of liquor traffic on the
rising generation was adverted to, and the
drunkard's doom was pathetically depicted.
A lengthy description of the women q
crusade and incidents connected Herewith
followed, which wereIlistened to with much
interest. The young women of Cleveland
had organized league which now numbered
1000 members, each one of whom had
pledged herself not to associate with drink
ing young men. The time had come when
women must take decided stand with re-
gard to the character of the men they as
sociate with. It had been said that a
womans, character, like snow, was never
susceptible of being raised after it had
fallen. Let it be SO with men.
The young man who entered drinking
house, for the purpose of playing cards,
drinking or looking at indecent pictures,
lost self respect and should not be PERMITTED
to associate with pure women.
In conclusion the lecturer briefly alluded
to the beneficial influence exerted by the
bible rooms as conducted under the auspices
of the Women's Christian union.