The Bozeman weekly chronicle. (Bozeman, Mont.) 1883-1889, 1884-09-24
Woniens' Christian Work

Wonlens Christian Work
The Woman's Christian Temperance Unior
Of Montana, whose EfHt Anniversary wa
held In Helena on August 10Th and auth
lsel, send the following appeal to the citi
GEMS Of the Territory:
Friends Of Humanity and Truth:
We appeal to you IN behalf of you
own interests, your homes and the high
est welfare Of our rapidly growing Terri
tory. We voice not alone the wishes o
the Woman's Christian Temperance
Union of Montana, with it's eight loca
unions or auxiliary societies. We voics
the appeal of more than one hundred
thousand highminded and loyal " omeI
connected with the two thousand five
hundred and eighty-four local societies
scattered through the forty-eight Statel
and Territories, having thirteen separate
: departments and many ub-department.
ofsystemized labor, whose declaration o
principles are:
FIRsr-Total abstinence from all intox
icants for the individual:
SBcoND-Prohibition of the manufac
ture and sale of all spirituous and mali
liquors in the States and Territories:
THIRD-Temperance franchise for wo.
man equally with man.
]. We ask you to remember that pub.
lie sentiment, which rules society, il
fostered in the home life, and that in the
homes of our country are laid the foun-
dations of our State and National Gov
ernments.
We urge, therefore, the great import
ance of intoxicating and practicing the
principles Of temperance in the homes Of
childhood, that realm of life's formative
period where the mother rules as queen
and puts her fashioning hand on the
future destiny of her home and country.
We call attention to the frequent use
of intoxicants as medicine, when some
thing far better and cheaper. are just as
easily obtained, and can he used With
out any of the deleterious effects of al
cOhol.
2. We call to your notice the well es-
tablished fact, according to actuary re-
ports, and life insurance tables, that the
average length of life of an incorporate
mau is less than twenty years. "Pre-
vention is better than cure" 1t is far
easier to prevent our youth from becom-
ing, drunkards than to reform our inebri-
ate,.
We, therefore, appeal to you for all
legitimate assistance in securing the in
PRODUCTION Of temperance textbooks in
our public schools, that our children
may be instructed in Temperance n.y.
giene.
8. We point you to the $4,000 licensed
dian, shops of our country which aver
ages one place of misery, sorrow, and a
nursery of crime to every two hundred
Of our population.
We call to your mind that these are
all sanctioned and Endorsed by munich
pal and State authorities, under which
they are protected; that we have the
most unimpeachable authority for declar-
ing that the rum traffic causes the levy
of three.fourths of all the taxes and pro-
duces seven-eighths of all the crime in
our land; and that, by an incontrovertl-
bic law of logic, to license the rum traf-.
fic, is also licensing the results of that
traffic.
We, therefore, ask your helpin seeking
to destroy the strength of the liquor
traffic in Montana, bv annulling the law
which protects it.
4. While the formation of a distinct
Prohibition party may not be wise at
present, we ask your cooperation in en-
to secure candidates for the
next Territorial Legislature who will
stand squarely and unequivocally for
irrespective of any other
party afiiliation. The men who will give
us laws for the protection of our homes,
our property, and our lives are the safest
legislators to care for the educational.
social, and financial interests of our Ter
ritory, all of which are largely affected
by the curse of intemperance, and vastly
incommensurate with it in point of fin
ancial expenditure.
5. We ask for your influence in secur-
ing clause in the proposed Constitution
Of our Territory, now looking towards
admission to the sisterhood of States,
the sale and manufacture of
intoxicating drinks.
The most conspicuous feature of legis-
ative temperance work at the present
time is along the line Of constitutional
amendment, and the experience Of the
States now engaged in this work teaches
rs that our most favored opportunity is
IN the first framing of the State Consti-
luton, and not in its subsequent amend
ment.
With not far from two thousand Good
remplars in the Territory, with the
in our homes, the primary
'ource Of public opinion, and with the
lid Of many temperance people not yet
enrolled under our banner, we may Gre
tie public sentiment aud effect at this
line what may cause long years Of de-
ay if the present opportunity is neg
ected.
lift be said that prohibition does not
,bsolutely prohibit, SO it can be said that
does not fully educate, nor civ
|ization civilize, nor Christianity Chris
iauize. But every intelligent person
nows that fairly enforced prohibition
oes render intoxication more difficult,
hereby lessening vice and crime, and
oes so far save our children from the
snsres of the fowler, and from a noisome
that walketh in darkness
nd destruction that wasteth at noon
ay."
6. We appeal to all ministers and
1urches in Montana to use unferment-
vino in tho reclamation Of tho or1's |