Clarksville weekly chronicle. (Clarksville, Tenn.) 1873-1890, 1885-07-11

great bitterness and wrath; and as
might also be expected, instead of
looking within to see whether the peo-
pie had Cause to change their minds,
they of the defeated party looked
without for those on whom the blame
might be laid, and in the distribution
OF wrath our organization did not es-
cape. Not soul of us was among the
nlaiorities at the polls, not name Of
US counted in the result; no finger OF
ours touched the omnipotent ballots
which told the final verdict Yet we
were counted worthy to suffer with
others. Ministers OF the church OF
Christ, preaching righteousness and
temperance, agreed together that no
notices of temperance prayer meetings
should be read from the pulpits.
Boards of trustees shut the churches
against all services of the w. q. Il. u.
In a city in Missouri the othciary
voted to exclude from church MEM
bership all women who belonged to
our organization, and everywhere the
w. C. I. U. was denounced as pollti-
cal party, and guilty Of aiding in the
defeat OF the political party retired
from power.
Two questions face us at this point: :
/. Are we guilty of the charges made
against US, viz, of being political
party, and helping to the result Of last
November 2. Are We right and con-
sistent in our present position, even IT
that position did work harm to a great
political organization ?
The Woman's Christian Temper
ance Union from the outset has had
three distinct aims set before it; what
ever line of work has been taken up,
or new departure made, these have
ever been in view:
1. The reformation Of the drinker.
9. The salvation of the children and
youth from the degradation OF drink.
8. The final Punishment OF the dram
shop by prohibitory law.
The hrst years of our more than
decade of organized effort was spent
for the drinker. Pledges, prayers,
songs appeals and gospel meetings all
rounded up TO one invitation :sCome
To the pledge and to Christ. And
they did come; by hundreds through
out the land; eighty thousand drink
ing men signed the pledge during DIR.
REYNOLDS first visit to the state. But
the years went by, and the percentage
of those who went back TO their cups
was appalling. The church stirred
into interest by the first wave OF this
new revival, grew dispirited and inn
patient with the many failures, and
laith in the final perseverance OF re-
formed men who died out about her
same Christians who
were thus disguised voting meanwhile
to keep open the dramslIop that
them. ~
We temperance women SAW these
failures and felt them keenly. Why
should we not? Every fallen man
was the wreck OF our hope and our
endeavor. Then, with sorrow for
them, we turned to the youth and
children with the cry, 1t Is easier to
prevent the evil than TO save the lost
ones We organized young peoples
societies. Bands of Hope and temper
ance schools. We knocked at the
door OF the Sunday school and asked
Tor definite work in the nursery of the
church. We finally asked the state to
provide for scientific temperance IN
struction in the schools of the people.
We had victories that looked like real
success; but in the. face OF our efforts
drunken children were being arrested
in Chicago at the rate of one thousand
4 month.
The quantity of liquor consumed
was on the increase much faster than
The increase of the population and our
prisons were full Of young men. City
were lenient, police power
was inundated or traitorous. Laws |
made for the protection OF the young |
md tempted were disregarded. The |
very hand of empire, state and ma
.ional, seemed palsied before the legal
zed traffic. What destroyed our re-
Ormed men, honest i'll a weak inten-
ion? What tempted the children
md filled the saloon ranks from the |
nome and the Sunday school? Only |
he dramshop did it, This was its
legitimate work. And yet the institu-
ion was permitted by public opinion
md licensed by majority vote in both
parties dominant in the
states.
These facts, hard, stern and unde-
liable, brought us face to face with
)ur third aim: The destruction of
he dramshop by law. Our work was
we'll nigh futile while the dramshop
TODD in every town to destroy. What
,nginery should we turn against this
ountaIn of all the evils we had sought
o destroy? The gospel methods,
Bible, song and pledge, would not do
lere. What touched the drunknrd
lid not reach the drunkard-maker.
)ur educational methods did not
vail. What cared the saloon power
bout the action of alcohol-except
lpon their Golfers filed with the price
# blood? Where was the saloon that
We might reach it?
Ny friends, it was not in morals
lot in the educational realm. The
aloon was in government, solidly set
led upon the foundation of state and
ational law also, it came into the
calm of government by the path of
larty politics, as all things must in a
by the people. Finding
hese things so, we followed our ques-
ion where it led us. Just as ut tine
rsL we said, We will go after the
tinker to his temptation, after the
utcast child TO his danger; SO, said
re, We will follow our principle to
he end of our duty-God helping us
The liquor system was created ut the
allut box, il has seized upon every
lew lease of power by making not one
mt all parties to do its bidding. No
question can come fairly to the people
iithout the aid Of a political party,
nd seeing this we went to these slme
,olitical parties with our question.
We had been to legislatures and won
ere and there victory; but the atti-
ude of government was wrong.
the effort was to regulate
nd perpetuate the evil. We sought
DR. a party willing TO take the prohibit
Dry principle and so change the tire nd
{ political action. We peutioned
lev refused
The Democrats dashed all our hopes
iith their hoary-headed resolutions
hout asumptuary" laws. The Repub-
cans held their peace until our presi-
emit turned away, and then, in Tally
,rndish language, talked about @pro- !
voting all American industries" We
III MOI understand their words even
hen. until the party journals expound- ,
a their hidden meaning.
Concluded next week.