The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1884-01-05
"BandS Of Hope"

The recent meeting of Christian phi.
lanthropists in Chicago for the purpose
of organizing, reviving and perpetual
ing Bands of Hope, both among Protest.
ants and Roman Catholics, was s'gnifi.
cant. The gathering was called by tho
ladies of the Woman's Christian Tenn,
perance Union. Remarks were madu
by leading clergymen of this city, to
gether with gentlemen acquainted with
the practical work in England. Favor.
able resolutions were adopted. and the
ladies have begun forming organiza-
tions with their usual persevering ear
nestness. The fact that only a small
proportion of the masses come directly
under pulpit influences was emphasized.
Reference was also made to the fact
that the liquor interest is not aRnprgan-
lied, tangible institution like Slavery.
1t is intermingled with business, poll
tics and society, like a corrupting
leaven. Its slaves can not be enamel
pated by single stroke of the Execu-
tive pen. Education is the fundamental
ultimate thunderbolt to reduce the rum
traffic to the minimum of theft OF for.
gerry.
Very encouraging results were cited
by Band of Hope leaders from across
the sea. Temperance (total abstinence)
principles have gained permanent ground
in England to q marvellous degree.
Thirty Mayors of cities have graduated
from Band of Hope organizations and
know not the taste of alcohol. " Ninety
per cent. of the ministers in our Meth
odist training-schools,n said Rev. Mr.
Hardy, care ignorant of liquors. taste"
Blessed be agnoso.cism upon the sub
ject of rum. This means great progress
when remembered that not infrequently
the local itinerant on the Sabbath
dealt in liquor through the week.
There must be tremendous power and
inspiration in the annual assembly of 49,
000 children at the Crystal Palace, Lon
don, arrayed in white, bearing Temper
ance banners and singing Temperance
songs. The result is a deep-seated,
inbred lifelong hatred toward
rum and rummeries. Like the
Christians at Sardis they have
not defiled their garments. They
shall walk before the Great Throne OF
God in white, for they are worthy.
"Wine is a mocker, strong drink is
raging, and whatsoever is deceived
thereby is not wise,' viz: the wine.
bibber, the beer-guzzler are not only
unwise in the sense of being foolish, but
often are unrestricted and lack infor.
nation. We are not troubled by sane
people taking arsenic, strychnine or 9th.
er well-known forms of poison. Let
people be rooted and grounded from
childhood concerning the deadly and
| poisonous nature of modern adulterated
| liquors. Let there be scientific lectures
and experiments in connection with our
common schools; but instead the chest
Mayor and City Council of Chicago
license saloons within a stone s-throw
of our school-buildings. Thus the nur-
sery of vice and the fountain of culture
spring up together in the same block,
protected by the same law and govern
ment Amazing Inconsistency and aw-
full duplicity! ''Whosoeyer is deceived
thereby is not wise"
Would we equip an invincible army
of public sentiment possessing the
mighty battery of legal enactment and
legal enforcement? 1t will not be ac-
complished alone by the fiery eloquence
of an hour, but by the patient training
of a generation. Mormonism, alcohol
ism, and every ism of evil may laugh at
the orator but trembe before the teach
er's power over the young. We waste
but little time teaching the semi-cente-
marian pure mathematics or technical
science, but consider him a fit subject
for lessons in morals and religion. 1t
would not be difficult TO show in addi-
ton that the surest avenue to the drunk
ards soul is the +" innocent heart of his
child. "-Rec. j. p BruShingham, in
! N. W. Christian Adr0cate.