Ashtabula weekly telegraph. (Ashtabula, Ohio) 1880-1886, 1880-09-17
ME rrMprRANcE RhFoRMArIoN.


In every great reformation there Is a
stage at which the people will take and ab-
sorb a vast amount Of Information, and at
the same time the work will be solidifed
and brought to the definite acting point,
by this very diffusion Of knowledge about
it, il this be opportunely given. This
period Is like tide--it must be taken at
It's food or it will recede, and then such
results cannot be looked for perhaps for
generations. II is an opportunity lost.
To us this seems the opportune time for
spreading temperance tracts and literature
all through our own band, and possibly
through Great Britain, too. The people
arc, if we judge rightly, in that receptive
condition, and the tide is still coming in.
Now let the friends Of humanity who
would redeem the race from the terrible
thraldom Of alcohol, see to it that tracts
and books, and papers, upon the reform,
fall like the leaves Of autumn, fairly COW
ering the face Of the ground. II this work
be wisely done now-it can scarcely be
overdone-sll our State institutions may
be prohibitory, and the dread monster be
driven from us.
Apropos to this subject, we give some
extracts from the report Of the committee
OF the N. W. c. Temperance Union on lit
erature. Miss Julia Comau, chairman,
presented at the late annual meeting ~
indianapolis, Ind:
"lustead of being content with present
ing individuals with miscellaneous tracts
suited to their needs, we study the needs
Of entire communities, and distribute suit
able tracts, leaflets, and handbills, through
out public gatherings Of various kinds.
Instead Of slipping them under the door
and then running away for fear some one
would find out who did the deed, we talk
about the tracts and leaflets that we dis.
tribute in public, and pray oyer them, and
get ministers to preach about them. The
prosecution Of these several methods of
work is the special province OF the Nation
al, State, and Local Literature Commit
tees. in which they cooperate with each
other. II may be correctly inferred TINT
the figures referring to this work so freely
scattered through the report OF the cor.
responding secretary, as well as the few
that we have been able to collect, represent
not merely so many tracts and leaflets
scattered, but in very many cases, so much
systematic effort at educational wo k
"The twenty-three unions Of Maine
which have recently commenced lteratry
work, have made an excellent beginning.
They have obtained subscriptions for TO
copies OF Our Union, sold 85 pamphlets
and 5,3l2 pages OF leaflets, distributed
$4,000 pages more, put 80 books into Sun
day school libraries, and 40 more into
school and public libraries. They have
been making special efforts to get temper.
ance textbooks into the public schools
have had the subject discussed at public
meetings with addresses from ministers
educators, and other influential men: have
presented the public school teachers with
the Juvenile Temperance Manual and
used specimen copies OF Richardson's les.
son Book TO promote its introduction into
schools and colleges
vermont has very generally secured
inc appointment OF literature committees
IN her iorty local unions, and is very dill
gently making progress in the line Of helm
ing them to an acquaintance with temper~
ance literature. This end was greatly mo.
NOTED by the sales from the literature tn
ble at the recent convention. Connectiaut
also had literature table. Rhode Island
mas been making efforts to introduce tenn
perance books into Sunday school librtrirs
IN one case securing the introduction of
nlJy volumes into one school. Much has
been done in Massachusetts toward the in
PRODUCTION Of temperance teaching into
the public schools. Manuals and lesson.
books have beed presented to teachers. and
temperance books have been placed In
Sunday school libraries. An extensive ef.
fort has been made to Introduce slientiac
reading into the unious. Handbins banr.
ing on the elections were used. An aggre-
gate OF BSl, 800 pages have been distribul-
ed during the year, besides using ona hum
dred manuals and four hundred cateehisms.
new YORK has Literature Committees
IN most OF her ninety-iiye local anions, has
"a III limo e L a
h"ndbllls, lesson.leaves aud circulars sop !.
times within the yeas This has s,;v, -
great impetus TO- work, but the unions srt n,
Tar more Iptent on doing the work than on
I9poEling u. This Is the right sr,iril win
Whlch to commences, but a cOrreSt bnsine.s
record OF things done, tracts. leanets. nnd
olher literature disposed of, and In wbnt
manner, is profitable for hose who do the
work as well rs others, pgb only rs record
OF what has been dOnA. but as suggesting
what Is yet to be dopa aud how II can be
done Some suggestive lines Of work bayo
been prosecuted IN different parts Of tbe
State OF New York The leailet price of
Soul has been distributed i'm some Of thn
hop-raising sections, accompanied by arti.
Giles IN tho local papers, and social and re-.
llgious influence brought to bear apninsl
this help to the traffic. One county, union.
has done q good work in sending speeimcn
packages Of temperance literature 10 is
thirteen local unions. The crusade against
beer has also been taken up in some "a our
local unions
New Jersey has succeeded wslf in, GET
ting reports OF work done. She records
200 Subscribers to Our U,iSa, O0O sub.
scribers for The YOUTHS Temperance Ban
ner ana 100000 pages OF leaflets dis.
Michigan reports much activity in In. |
eeralure work, though the report lacks Jef- |
mite sQnmaries. Its Importance is uRged |
" ah their conventions, and through, Inc |
euorts OF thelr State missionaries they |
propose TO push the work still mora yigoT. /
ousiy, especially In the line IL the beer |
una !, olaer orusades. They distribute much |
Al SUNDAY afternoon meetings, and fairs /
anu olher public gatherings. Literature 1
was so'I ht the state convention, as aAso |
az az tne oiGte conYeptions OF Pennsylvania, |
Ohio and New Jersey
Ihe cRREman OF the State committee
~ Wisconsin, reports the work rs Rnry dif.
Ieplb theugh great efforts are made TO
prosecute It, There is so little. money in
lhe work, and so few workers that Il moves
slowly. The placing OF racks in depots
a1u WY workshops, and keeping them supple1
WIN tracts ana papers, has been praclieVd
70 limited extent, Circulars have been
Sent out, and boaks have been given to
elergylnen by The state committee.
"lowa reports 9s7 subscribers Tor our
tRiOR, S19 Tor juvenile temperanee mar ners
1900 pages Of leaflets sold aud IA. sod AIN,
tEibuted, l3 books placed in Sunday school |
libraries, Ii in public libraries, and II col. |
umug i'm DaDeFs editn1 for w ~ fp ~