The Evening critic., 1882-03-31
REPUTATION
OF SENATOR LooAn,s BILL TO

hPBtS sttNthutb EtttWVTS w
PnbIic Education-The Temperance
Women Won't Have the Proceeds
OF What they Claim TO he "a vile
and Sinful Tramc-Addrcss OF mrs.
Foster Before n Senate Commit
tee.
About twenty-five ladies and n number OF
gentlemen Interested In tho cause of temper
ance assembled in the Senate Committee
room on Education and Labor this morning
to hear Mrs. j. Ellen Foster, the distinguished
and eloquent Iowa lawyer, and Mr.. A. NJ. Pow
ell, Of the National Temperance Adcocate, in OPP
position to the passage OF Senator Logans
bill to constitute the whisky revenue q Ma
tional educational fund.
Mr.. lowell spoke first and made strong ar
gument in opposition TO Senator Logans bill.
The speaker said that he did not know the OBJ
ject OF Senator Logan in asking that the
whisky revenue be voted specially for the
schools. He said that as the Illinois Senator
was desirous OF doing something handsome
for General Grant, there would be no more pro-
priety in his asking that the revenue derived
from whisky be given TO the cx-Prcsidant than
TO the schools This remark created consid-
cradle laughter
Mrs. Foster followed Mr.. Powell and spoke
and ennen an snS soSr sne e is & grdGetm easy
throughout with the greatest attention by tho
members Of the committee and others pres
ent.
Mrs. Fosters Address.
Mrs. Foster spoke follows.
GENTLEMEN OF THE COMMITTEE: The ex-
isteqee OF civil society is an assertion of the
Dement'S, yea even the need OF association
among the members OF the great human fam
lily. at is not good that man should live
alone" is truth of wide application. This
association appears In rude and simple form,
or in more finished and complex detail as man
himself Is barbarous or advances In civiliza-
ton.
Association for the development Of the
earth's material resources, which reaches from
the man who holds the plow and he who
drives to the wide range of agricultural Inn
plements made necessary by the opening of
the great West.
Association in mechanical arts, from the
child who holds the skein OF yarn while the
mother winds to the cotton and woolen and
silk mills, where hundreds Of eyes watch mil
lions OF flying shuttles.
Association in trade and commerce. from the
solitary vender OF fish from the sea water
carrier carrier from the well, to the Wall street
corporation with millions of aggregate capital
and miles OF railways.
Association in charity and philanthropy,
where two or three being agreed, walk to-
gether with open hands and tender hearts,
where even hundreds stand together against
the worlds wrong and sorrow.
Association in direct work for the better
ment OF society for the uplifting Of humanity
from its load of sin and vice and crime.
Association for use Of the more delicate and
unseen forces Of the spiritual world. The
ciation.
ernment is the widest, the most comprehen-
sive as well as the most complex. Under its
broad roof live and labor all associations Of
lesser domain or narrower circuit; even tho
Church OF God, of Divine origin, with sub
tective forces and objective issues deeper and
higher and more far-reaching than any human
association, even this, on the side OF Its visi-
BILE agencies, is under bonds to the State.
That is the most perfect form Of government
operation, and is itself the shelter and spirit
OF every good. In Bible phrase, that is a terror
to evil-doers and praise to those who do
To the representatives of such government
come. the Congress of the United States,
people, has appointed Its various committees
on all the interests of the body politic-on agri-
culture, on trade and commerce, on education
these aforementioned forces in society, come.
Why do come? Whom do 1 represent ?
An association Of women citizens, from tho
various States Of this Repub1c a voluntary
association for the expressed object of remov-
ing mighty evil; an evil confessed to be, in
| the eloquent words OF an honorable member of
your honorable body, the "gigantic crime of
crimes"
Did say voluntary association Yes but
compelled, made necessary by common griefs
| and common woe. The Woman's Christian
| Temperance Union, through its representa-.
tives, attacks this evil in every intrenchment
OF Its power to which they have or can gain
access. They educate the children of the
| Nation concerning the nature Of alcohol and
It's enects upon the human system. They
| carry the total abstinence pledge to young and
| old; they gather in the wandering and lost
ones; they feed tine hungry and clothe the
erature so that the testimony of science may
| stand side by side with the pleadlngs Of phil
| anthropy; and, more than this, they lay siege
to the legislative intrenchments of this evil
| 1t is concerning this legislative intrenchment,
| and the proposition to enlarge tho same, that
l rsob, desire to s speak to-day The association
| existence, no great financial strength, but ii is
rich In love Of God and home and native land
| and in prayers for the brave knights on every
field who fling free lances In defense Of its
principles.
In reference to what proposed measure do
| speak? The honorable Senator from Illinois
| from my own glorious West-a gentleman
tllustrious with achievements on the fields Of
war and In the arts OF peace, has introduced
appropriate and expend the entire income do
rived from the internal revenue taxes on the
manufacture and sale of distilled spirits fol
the education OF all the children living in the
United States. Also bill introduced by q
Senator from North Carolina to. enable thu
several States to collect an educational funt
from taxes on distilled spirits and fermented
liquors.
I'VE rejoice In any movement looking to tn,
better education OF the children OF to-day, wh'
are to be the citizens of tomorrow The tw
bills mentioned above, as also one from tn
Chairman Of the committee re" whn RtSdiv h an s
us to-day, are expressions of the recognize,
need Of national Intervention to stay the It'd
floods, threatens the homes. the life of tn
| nation.
Too much cannot be said as to the needs @
| national education. In the earlier years O
our history, when each State was not only a
now, individual in her laws and sovereign Il
her powers, but individual and separate Il
| the spirit Of her social and industrial life
then, while the education In some States wa
excellent and the illiteracy in others yer
| great, the benefit or the loss were largely COZ
fined within State lines. Not 80 now; til
nation Is one In its benefits and In It's dis
asters; thus national education becomes
present necessity. The condition of the Soutl
ern States, with their newly y-enfranchise
citizens, demands immediate attention. Mis-
Frances Z. Willard, the loved and honore
president OF our association, has been durin
the winter and still Is in the South, and give
her testimony not alone AS temperanc
advocate, but as an educator OF acknowledge
| position, that such national aid is the al
absorbing need of the present hour To al
this we give our thoughtful assent. Surel
women, who have been the educators Of tn
masses, must approve the establishment
this now life-saying service.
But when II Is proposed TO apply the reyenu
from spirits 10 this end, then we utter our pr
Test The entire system OF taking a revenu
ifom these beverages we believe 10 be wron
In principle and iniquitous In results. To II
stitute upon so great wrong system
national education would be as Ill advised q
10 build lighthouse upon the shifting sand
OF IA Missouri bottom. The liquor crime 4
: | this nation is doomed; IL has been tried befol