Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1882-06-10
AN ELOQUENT LADY.
Miss Mary A. WadswOrih, of Boston, ON
the Subject of Temperance.

Miss Mary A. Wadsworth, Of Boston,
who has for some time been working with
the Woman's Christian Temperance Union
in this State, last night spoke at the
Strangers church of her experience and Of
the outlook fJr the temperance work in Ten
nessee. The APPEAL regrets that 1t can
give but a very imperfect report of a most
entertaining address. Miss Wadsworth, in
an easy, conversational style, spoke in sub
stance as follows:
SIN coming to this State to work, my atten-
ton was first attracted in this work by what
is known as the "four-mile law" which pro-
vides that no liquor shall be sold within four
miles Of chartered institution of learning
Ih1s exesllsrt law may almost be said TO
,ifave been made by accideI.. The trainers
certainly built better than they knew" The
president q q college in East Tennessee,
annoyed by the drinking practices of his
students, prayed the Legislature some years
since to prohibit, by law, the sale of liquor
near his college, declaring that the saloon or
his school must go down. The law was
passed, and once passed, II was found by con-
stitutional provision that it must apply
lke,to all tections OF the State. The Law
became knean TO be general one, binding
alike all over the State. i was told
by the judge of a district in Middle
Tennessee, comprising eight or ten counties,
that this law had entirely suppressed the
sale, openly, OF liquor in his entire circuit,
and that the habits of the people were cor
respondiDgly improved, and crime dimin-
ished to an astonishing extent. A gentleman
in Chattanooga defended the license plan
there-high license, S500-on the plea Of in
come TO the city. An examination showed
him that the money derived from licenses
could not nearly pay the expense to the city
from criminal cases, the direct result OF the
liquor traffic. l find many who do not know
of your excellent four-mile law, and who
do not know how to take advantage
of its provisions. Here is field.
of work for the temperance people
of the State. In the matter of legal prohi-
bition many good temperance people hesi-
tate at the idea of curtailing personal liberty
In North Carolina this idea, used by dema-
gogues with the colored people, to whom lib
erty means much, lost the State to temper
ance. In all Citations of life, some of our
personal liberty must be given up. The few
must surrender rights for the common good,
and prohibition is no more truly a curtail-
ment of personal rights than is restriction
through license; no more than the prohibition
placed upon the carrying of concealed weap-
ons Statistics plainly show the liquor traffic to
be the most dangerous of evils-more SO than
all other evil influences; and in this, as in
all other matters, this State must have, and |
clearly may exercise, the right to step in
and protect society by prohibitory laws.
believe the time has come all over the coun-.
try when men of all ps-ties may say they
will vote for only such men as ara sound on
this question. When temperance people take |
this stand they will hold the balance of power
parties, and may dictate the action of
the State in this matter. The time is surely |
coming when the people will refuse to i'm
pose burdens of crime and expense upon
by the liberation of this fearful |
evil"
After few more appointments at Browns
vile, Milan, Mckenzie, etc, Miss Wads-
worth goes North for the summer. She will |
be remembered most cordially and pleas |
antly by the many who have met and known |
her throughout the State during her labor OF |
love here.