St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1885-10-01
The Temperance Centennial.

The local observance of the temper
ance centennial comes few days later
than in some other places, but a week
on the end of 100 years amounts to
little either way.
In these days of aggressive temper
ance work the subject seems omni-
present and constant familiarity with
it sometimes leads us to underestimate
what has been and is being accom-
plished. The centennial that has been
SO successfully celebrated in Boston
and Philadelphia, and in many other
places on a smaller scale, furnishes OPP
portunity for looking back into the
past and forward into the future.
The beginning of temperance agita-
ton in this country dates from the
publication of DIR. Rush's Essay on
the effects of ardent spirits upon the
human constitution" written in 1885.
But it was $50 years before this, that
the governor of the New England com
pany wrote to the Plantation of Massa
chusetts Bay, protesting against the
excessive use of "strOng waters :" and
it was over 40 years after the publica-
ton of DIR. Rush's essay before the first
national temperance association was
organized. SO alcohol seems to have
been a disturbing element from the
very founding of New England to the
present hour. Folks got 'drunck, "
as the old records have it, way back i'll
1890 when the law makers began
wrestling with the liquor problem.
But this centennial is in honor of the
efforts of Dr. Rush in 1885. From
thence to 1871 the movement was spO-
radio. The first temperance society,
formed in 1903, imposed ii 25-cent fine
for drinking and a 5O-cent fine for be-
ing drunk 1t was in 1871 that the
general assembly of the Presbyterian
church took action in the matter, and
it was September IL of that year that
the general court of Vermont, in com
mon with other states, took steps to
act in concert with this body. Since
then the movement has gone on, sub
iect to the difficulties and discourage
ments that seem to be the necessary
accomplishments of all great reforms.
The battle is by no means ended, but
what a revolution has been accom-
plished since the days when it was
respectable" and customary" to
drink rum. Miss Willard declared at
Philadelphia that new definitions to
some English words were among the
fruits of the century's toll. The words
Temperance" license" and "pledge, =
three words that do not appear in DR..
Rush's pamphlet, gave rise to this cen
tennial. The words were then in cur
rent use but all of them had different
meanings from those worked into them
by 100 years of specific agitation. More
than this the prOprietors of "Webster's
unabridged" promise added definitions
which shall express the advance OF
thought along the three lines indicated.
The gatherings of the past week
| have been notable. The friends OF
temperance have been surprised at the
many evidences of progress and the
abundant promise of the reform move
ment. With the multitude of temper
ance organizations it is not surprising
that divisions have occurred but it was
one of the characteristics of these
meetings that representations from
nearly all prominent temperance bodies
met on the same platforms, reviewed
the work of the past and mutually dis
cussed the needs of the future.
One of the most noticeable features
of the Boston meetings, says ceres
pondent, was the prominence of the
women. Among the speakers they
were foremost, and it was evident that
much of the real practical work of the
dresent day is done by them, or under
their direction and control. The ia
miliar agitatOrs are as conspicuous as
ever but the fact remains that the
women are the systematic workers.
But the men and women of to- day
cannot afford to stop long in self con-
CALCULATIONS over the successes of the
past. The work that still remains to
be done will require the most unre-
hitting labor, thought, study, and, let
us not forget, judgment as we'll. The
meetings of the past week and those
that are to follow here and elsewhere
will have been held in vain unless they
shall serve as incentives to more earn
est efforts in the future.