The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1882-10-07
Temperance Reading.


When the bill asking for Compulsory
Temperance Education in the public
schools of Connecticut was before the
Legislature of that State, the following
letters from eminent citizens were read
before the Joint Standing Committee on
Education TO whom it was referred:
GFrOm Noah Porter, Presidentof Yale College,
New Haven, Conn.,
YALE COLLEGE, January II, 1882
~ have no doubt that the State in its Public
Schools ought to give instruction in respect to
those duties and moral relations which are
generally acknowledged to be essential to the
welfare of the commonwealth. A knowledge
or the duty of Temperance, and the sin and
evil of intemperance, are both recognized as
essential to this welfare. 1t follows that the
state has the right and is under the obliga-
uon, TO give such instruction as may thus
promise TO be useful and effective for good
From John ID. Park LID Chief Justice of
the State of Connecticut
NORWICH, Conn, JAN s, 1882.
would begin with children while at school
TO teach them the terrible effects of intemper-
nnce-et1ects that rob men of honor, am
bltlon, energy, everything that is dear and
valuable; that deprivcs them of the means
ana disposition to make their way in the
world TO places OF wealth, trust, distinction
The consequences of intemperance are al
most beyond description-grcat, destructive,
ueplOrable; and they should be pressed upon
the young, innocent and susceptible minds
and hearts of children and youth with all pos
sble force and energy that a lasting impress
SION OF aversion to the destroyer of all good
may be made. think the State should fur
niSh sui able teaching for this purpose and
thus save hundreds of thousands of dollars in
tne end, and as many immortal beings from
lFrom Rev. l.. Il. Chamberlain D. D., Norwich.l
me express purpose of the State in estab-
liShlng puDhc schools, the one end which JUS
tl1les her leVy1ng pro rata taxes for their sup
port, is to secure good citizenship, such indi-
Ydual manhood and womanhood as is the con-
dlt1on OF public wCll-being BUTT is conceded
on every side that intemperanCe is the deadli-
est foe of that same good citizenship, the chief
destroyer of that very manhood and woman
MOOD. The State establishes her system of
public instruction, the community builds its
school-houses, and incompetence does its ut
most to prevent the good result 1t is, there
lore, the dictate of self-preservation that the
state should seek to teach in her schools the
fundamental truth concerning that alcoholic
element through which intemperanCe comes.
1t IS more than right, it is a duty. 1t is more
than simply prudent, it is truest wisdom. II
ls opposing the evil at its source. 1t is aiming
at the prevention of mischiefs whose actual
occurrence puts them beyond separation. 1t
is craftsmanship. 1t is philanthropy in its
highest sense"
The bill, with some notifications, be-
came law. This is the way Connecti-
cut proposes to settle this trouble
some temperance question. The con-
victions of the boy, backed by the au-
thority of the text book and the school,
are represented in the ballot of the man.
Shrewd fellows, those Connecticut
Yankees. This is flank movement on
the enemy. Fifteen years from the day
that instruction in the nature of alcohol
and its effects upon the drinker is as
thoroughly taught in their schools as
reading, writing and arithmetic have
been, the traffic in beer, gin or whisky,
will be no more debatable than stealing
or arson. What these wise men think
would be so good for Connecticut,
would be equally desirable for other
States. Why not?
Such legislation would make this
study universal would require teachers
to be examined as to ability to teach
the same; would lead normal schools
and other institutions of higher learn
ing, where our teachers, are educated, to
make it q branch of study; would push
it into our teachers, conventions and
institutes. At one stroke it would set
existing machinery at the work of
trainNg for the State generation of
intelligent. sober citizens Ie not tL~+
what we pay our school taxes for? Let
us, then, have a law that will set the
school-houses of our States to brewing
a correct public sentiment on this al
cohol question. -EIcha11ge