The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1885-09-22
THE TEMPERANCE CENTENNIAL.
The Friends Of the Cause Celebrate the
Tooth Anniversary Of the Movement.

The local celebration of the temperance cen
tennlal, dating from the time when DR.. Benjamin
hush, of Philadelphia, wrote his celebrated
essay upon the Evil Effects of Ardent Spirits
Upon the Human Body and Mind" was formally
opened last night at Roberts Park Church. in
the presence of large crowd.
The first address of the evening was by Mrs
j. r. Nichols on the subject, "A Century's Evo-
luton of the Temperance Reform" The speaker
said that temperance reform is the most vital
question that stands now before the public A
century ago the liquor traffic was thought not to
depreciate public morals, and was upheld and
sustained by the ministers of the gospel and
society in general. 1t is only of late years that
the sentiment has been growing against the use
of intoxcants. Compared with the short time
since, when an entertainment without wine
and liquor for the guests was thought
to be barren, the progress of the temperance
movement has been gratifying to all who are in
terested in the work
The first temperance movement was to brand
the habitual drunkard with the scarlet letter. and
to lay down laws prohibiting a man from drink
ing more than supposed to be needed by his
physical constitution, except on public occasions
when every patriot was allowed to get drunk
The essay of Dr. Rush stirred the scientific men
to thinking on the temperance question, and
since his day the progress of reform has been
gradual and increasing in strength. The speaker
thought that the prolific cause of intemperance
is the general ignorance of its evil effects upon
the human body. The law ought to provide for
teaching temperance literature TO the pupils in
the public schools. In this respect Indiana is
not abreast of her sister States thirteen of which
have already introduced the study of alcohol and
its effects into the school system.
The trouble thus far with the liquor traffic is
that it has been looked upon as a necessary evil,
a part of the original sin. and has imbedded it
self into the foundations of law and society The
work of the past has succeeded in making the
use and sale of intoXicants degrading to the
public eye, and the only labor that remains to be
done is to tear away the legal foundation which
supports and upholds the traffic. 70 reach this
end prohibition law must be passed and en-
forced AS the fight wages to-day, the reformers,
have to contend with the civil and municipal
government, as well as the liquor dealers them
selves. The temperance reformers stand just
where the opponents of slavery were before the
war. and the triumph of the cause Is the
forerunner of the other. The speaker believed
the time is near at hand when man will be as
great criminal for selling liquor as for stealing.
Every forward movement of the temperance
cause has left its mark behind, and the progress
that soon the liquor traffic will be cut off from
the government support which upholds
it. Prohibition is the platform upon
which the people must work. The women must
labor without ceasing to influence men to put
down the traffic with the ballot. Those who are
discouraged need only to read the history of the
liquor traffic u century ago to become enthused
with the proper spirit If the temperance move
ment in Indiana seems dark at present, it is only
the darkness that precedeS the suspicious dawn.
q ar W. II " re
Ravens on the subject. "Womans Part in the
Temperance Work" She said that woman is the
legitimate champion il the temperance reform
| movement. Her duty is to lift man out of the
lower depths to deliver him from bondage, as
Moses did the Israelites of old. and lead him to
better and nobler things. Aided by the attri-
butes of wifehood, motherhood and sisternood.
woman has made reform possible, and will not
cease till the triumph Is achieved. She has the
same right to oppose intemperance that she has
to raise her hand against the inv a6er of her home
| The work of women in the temperance cause
must not be confined to the women of
| the churches, but all who would desire
| to elevate the race, improve public morals aud
| properly train the youth of the country must
| enlist i'll the cause. The churches must be aid
| ed by outside sympathy. Woman's hand must
| 90 down even into the depths of pollution, and
| lift man up to plane of sObriety and honor.
Mrs. M. NJ Finch next spoke of the early eff
| forts at temperance reform in Indiana and in
| the course of her remarks gave several reminis-
cences of very entertaining nature.
| Mrs. q. G. Wallace was called upon for few
| words, and, in responding, confined her remarks
| to the question OF high license This manner of
dealing with the liquor traffic she fercely de-
| nounced as an endeavor to compromise with an
evil. The speaker alluded to the high-license
views of an evening independent newspaper of
| this city as devoid Of reason and good sense
and spoke of Indianapolis as city where the
municipal authorities are in league with
the liquor traffic; where it is impossible to
get an honest police commissioner and
where the laws are defed. What the State
needs. continued the speaker, is constitutional
prohibition. The people are being enlisted in the
cause of temperance reform, and as they are
sovereign, second only TO omnipotence, the flu
ture of the movement is bright and promising.
The meeting concluded with singing by quar-
tet composed of Mrs lowering. Mrs. Watson.
Professor Leckner and Mr.. Glover, and recita-
ton by Miss Dora Calvin.
The programme for this evening is as follows
Rev. /. H. Mcconnell, presiding; Scripture read
ing, James Adams; prayer, Rev John Heine;
address, THE Inception of the Temperance Re
form, Rev. c. E. Asbury; address, THE Total
Abstinence Movement" Rev. Geo. Booth; ad-
dress. "a Century of Liquor Legislation" How
ard Gale; music by the Seventh Presbyterian
oy,6 Finfo hnr ohO,r