The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1884-05-10


In the FREE TRADER of April 18th we
had arrived with our statistics at the year
1851. Then came fifteen very eventful
wears. Great evils had accumulated upon
us. Between 1851 and 1850 fourteen states
had enacted prohibitory laws, but the Sla-
very question though the lesser of the two
evils, called for immediate attention. The
enactment of the Fugitive Slave Law ~ in
1850 and the repeal of the Missouri Com,
promise in 1894 threw the nation into Il
state of excitement and agitation that cu-
NJ 1t ted in the war of 1S6l-64. When we
had come to man and womanhood The
pomp and circumstance Of war had carried
the young mind far away from the cOntem-
pation of the subject of temperance. Sa-
looms had multiplied on every hand The
National Government had put its highest
taxes on liquor and tobacco, and the liquor
dealers had organized whisky rings and a
beer congress to watch and control the pol
itics of the states and the nation in the in
ter2stS of their trade. We soon learned
that we had young giant TO contend with,
beside which slavery was amere baby. So,
ciety was in fearful state of demoraliza
ton, going rapidly from bad to worse.
When the fifth national convention was
called to meet at Saratoga, August 1St 1868,
the feeling was very deep among good men
that something must be done. The grand
men who started the work in 1896 were
fast passing away, and those who remained
We're too old to take up the work anew.
The American Temperance Union was
recognized with the present National
Temperance Society and Publication
House and Hon William +. Dodge placed
at the head of it, where he stood firm and
true until God took him home on February
9th, 1888 Since then the cause has pro
crossed steadily and much good has been
accomplished And the foundation prin-
ciples are more firmly rooted in the public
convictions now and more widely accepted
than ever before. Temperance men and
women differ now only in the methods of
action Moral suasion is giving way to
legislation II is now high license or no
license
The sixth convention was held at Cleve-
land Ohio, in July, 1868, and me square
ly up to prohibition through the ballot box,
The liquor men had led ont and the tenn
perance workers must meet them on their
own ground. At the seventh convention,
held at Saratoga in August 1873 methods
of political action were freely and fully
considered Many were in favor of the
Prohibition Reform Party, organized in
1869, bat the majority did not endorse it,
When in the winter of 1914 came that
wonderful movement known rs the
"Woman'S Crusade" that shook the CONT
nent and was finally organized into the now
we'll known Woman's Christian Temper
ance Union
in Chicago, June 1870, women We're invited
as delegates. The ballot question was
again considered and states commended TO
the Prohibition Party method of action;
''srhere tie friends IF TIE cause IN any state
might regard that as tie best ,ody 10 ddpdHce
he cause" This session was vastly inter
esting in many ways. The last of the con
ventions thus far was held at Saratoga in
June 1881. At this convention the church
was called upon 10 putforth her mightiest
efforts for Temperance and place the work
side by side with the Bible cause and other
general movements. This for purposes of
education In the cause Now We have