West Virginia freeman. (Parkersburg, W. Va.) 1881-1886, 1885-10-28
Miss Wizards Centennial Ad-
dress, Philadelphia, Sept. "a, '85.
SYNOPSIS.

SYNOPSIS.
The words Temperance" ''li-
cense" and "pledge," do not once
occur in DR.. Rush's assay on the
Effects of Stimulants on the HUI
man Body and Mind" although
that document containing seven.
teen pages, gave rise to this Cen
tennial. The words were then in
current use, but all of them had
different meanings from those wor-
ked into them by hundred years
of specific agitation. Language
does not furnish more salient in
stance of metamorphosis, unless in
the word "let,' which means to
hinder, in King James version of
the New Testament. The Diction-
airy as we'll as the Scientific Trea-
tise, and the Statute Book, ought
to take cognizance of the new de-
finitions wrought out by 80 much
toll. Impressed by this considera-
ton, the speaker had written to
the progenitors of Webster's "Una-
bridged," and had received encour-
aging assurances of added defni-
tions which should express the ad-
vance of thought along the three
lines indicated. For it was claimed
that the words mentioned incar-
nate the history of temperance re-
form up to the present time.
Temperance" to DR.. Rush, meant
moderation in all things; to US it
means total abstinence from alco-
holic stimulants as beverages and
to wear its badge means ito give
up, not the abuse of a good thing but
the use Of bad thing"
The pledge" as now defined in
Webster, means the drinking of an
others h ealth, and its use is illus
trated by Cowley's line,
pledge me, my, friend, and drink till thou
Thus the word was at first purely
convivial, and the "pledge" was to
drink first, in token that poison
GUS draught was not being offered,
and to pass the token that the
"pledger" had no intention of stab
bling the "pledgee."
Even the first temperance socie.
ty, founded in 1908, went no fur
ther than to impose % cent fine
for drinking and a so cent fine for
being drunk, but the slow march
of experiment and steady logic of
failure, educated us up from the
sieve-like instrument of the past
to the present "ironclad" pledge
which "holds water" and nothing
more.
Now take the word License" It
was once used in sense almost
purely restrictive. The first "Act"
is dated 1862, and begins thus:
can act for keepers of ale-houses
to be bound in recognizarces, and
giving the justices power to close
all ale-houses in each town or towns
as they shall think meet and con-
venient." But three centuries of
experience have so revolutionized
the meaning Of the word, that it's
restrictive sense is lost, and tenn
perance men see in the licenpe sys-
tenn national compac: with in
iquity, while saloon keepers look
upon their license as a permit to
sell, which gives them a legal sta
tus, and by making the govern
ment partner in the proceeds of
their sales, makes them respectable
men of business. Thus in the de-
velopment of the temperance re-
form, the personal question "How
much may 1 drink 2" has always
been but one half the question, to
be off set by the legal question,
GLOW much may you sell 2" Hence
unlimited drinking had, as it's nat
tural and philosophic offset, I'M
limited sale; moderate drinking
had license, or:an unsuccessful effort
at moderated sale, while we have
now, as the final analysis, no drink
ing, off-set by no permit to sell.
Having thus stated, in general
terms, the unfolding of the reform,
it's vast development was traced as
a result of the demands made for
clear brain and steady nerve by