Clearfield Republican. [volume] (Clearfield, Pa.) 1851-1937, 1880-08-18

our country's institutions, in their
present state, would cause US to mourn
rather than rejoice, had nothing been
done TO eradicate this great evil from
our midst. But we thank God that
the great Temperance work has been
steadily going forward, and that as
we assemble together today to assist
in driving out, from our borders this
fearful curse, we are able to point
with pride to the record OF tho past,
and witness the success that has at.
tended this movement wherever it has
been properly introduced The carl.
est organization in this country was
instituted in March, 1908, by DR.. b. j.
Clark, OF New York, and consisted of
forty-three members. In 1926 the
American Temperance Union was
formed in Boston but it was not un.
til 1886 that the principle of total alb.
stinence from all that may intoxicate
was adopted as part of their platform,
The next impulse TO the movement
was given by the "Washingtonian
Society,", formed at Baltimore in 1910,
which swept over the land. In 1851
Maine passed her prohibition law, and
such was the succes of this experiment
that twelve States and Territories
have now passed similar laws which
have in every case proven wonder
ful advantage in the promotion of Tenn
perance among their people. But the
browning work Of the Temperance
movement has occurred within the
last seven years. Beginningin 1874,
with the Womens Temperance
Crusade it swept onward until it dc.
velopod into the murphy Movement" =,
under whose auspices it has been va.
riously estimated that from two to five
millions of people have signed the
pledge thousands of whom have thus
been saved from drunkards grave
and a drunkards hell"
Here, in our own community, the
work has been attended with great sue.
cess. Many men have, to my own per.
sonal knowledge, Joined this movement,
and have thereby been saved and pre-.
served from that fearful end toward
which they had so lately been hasten
ing, and although the first wave OF en-
thusiasm has passed over us, yet it is
evident by the very fact of our assem-
bling together here to-day, that a great
and permanent work for good has been
accomplished by the movement in this
county. Thus you can see that we
have much to encourage us in the
work, and the time has come for us
to show to the world that we intend to
take no backward step, but that our
faces are turned toward new conquests,
and along our serried ranks still rings
the cheering cry, "Onward ! Onward
until our great work is fully and
thoroughly accomplished. We have
taken this work in hand, and let us not
give il up until we have made 1t a uni.
versal success a grand triumphal
victory, which shall be fully complete
when all over our land the demon has
been driven forth, and the glorious
light Temperance shines as the eternal
sunrise. upon the brow of redeemed
and regenerated Nation. With such
encouragement as we have had, and
such grand results as have been thus
far successfully accomplished, let us not
despair for the future, but rise up and
/ gird on our armor anew, and 90 forth
to win fresh laurals for our glorious
cause and though some may do moth
ing to help on the great work, but may
prefer to die in cold obstruction" across
its pathway, yet let us remember that
it has achieved grand victories in the
past, and still grander ones await it in
the future if we are true to our trust.
1t is as impossible to retard the onward
and upward march of this great cause
as it is for your feeble hands to hurl
back the mighty wave that dashes
against the rocky shore, or change the
course of the rapid thunderbolts Of
Heaven. In all probability we are in
the midst OF new epoch in the annals
of the race the great depth of society
is'nven up, and the wired travails with
a new creation. No serious mind can
contemplate the signs Of the times and
not be satisfied that Providence is
working out some grand problem, and
that the unwritten history Of the world
Is pregnant with events as wonderful
as any that have ever been written by
the firely finger Of the Almighty
Upon the face of nature, part Of that
great problem, | take this movement
to be, and | believe firmly and faith
fully in its assured success that it vii
remain permanent in our midst, anc
will soon have chrystalizod into the
life and habits of our people. Let nj
then TO day, my dear friends in tht
living gpresenceoi this grcatanniversary
Of Freedoms birth, as we rest in Sc.
curity and safety under that banner
whose hues are all OF Heaven.
"The red Of sunsets dye,
The wheness Of the moonlli cloud,
The blue Of mornings sky,
and which is spangled with the stars
firmly resolve that we will be up anC
doing, and guard at all hazards The
beautiful temple of liberty cementeC
by the blood of our martyred dead
from the assaults of this demon o
prohigacy and intemperance, which
would desecrato its halls and prostitut'
its affairs.
The great experiment Of self govern
ment has withstood the opposition o
Kings and Emperors, the shock o
foreign war; and the horrors of interna
strife, but the danger that now threat
ems it is greater than all. 1t was thi
that crushed out the liberties of Greco,
and Rome, and caused the bard e
J write
"There is the moral Of all human tales,
'Tis but the same rehearsal Of the past.
First freedom and thon glory, when that fails
Wealth, vice, corruption, barbarism at last.
And history with oil her volumes vast,
Hath but one page
But il we are faithful and true to al
the great and patriotic trusts confdet
to us by our foreiathers if we remem
ber this warning that "etcrnal vigilanc,
is the price of liberty" and do not su
pinely permit the ignorant and the vi
cious to distribute througout the lant
this poison of hell if we succeed il
creating and sustaining that mora
sentiment which Is more powerful fol
good than any law that can be passed
then the greatest danger OF our coun
try will be over and you will secure
our glorious Inheritance for the "mil
lions yet unborn" who shall gathe
and rest beneath our flag down to Tn,
"last syllable Of recorded time"
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