Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1885-04-23
The Temperance Outlook.
(communicated.)

A few days ago gentleman asked
me what had become of the temperance
cause. He said. at has about played
out, has it not p' That man is reader
of your paper. The question plainly
shows the lack of neaos on the temper
ance subject Please publish as mat
ter of public education the enclosed
letter of Miss Frances f. Willard, re-
Gently printed in The Advance, as its
contents are worthy of a place in any
progressive paper:
Never, in the history of the temper
ance reform, were there four months in
which so much has been accomplished
as in the last four. Only temperance
specialists are aware of this, for others
do not make constant study of the sit
uation. For instance, the reports from
the headquarters of the various states,
and the National Woman's Christian
Temperance Union (Which is acknowl-
edged TO be the most universally organ
lied and systematic temperance society
in America) assure us that never, in an
equal number of months, were so many
new auxiliaries organized, so many
special workers in the field, or so large
audiences convened.
'But it was in the field of legislation
that the great set back was predicted.
What are the facts? Alabama, petit
toned by the w. c. T. U. of that state,
has just enacted state local-option
law, and under the same influence the
Compulsory Scientific Temperance Ed
ucation" statute. Missouri, as the re-
suit of the efforts of its state w. C. T.
u, has just enacted the same law, max
ing scientific temperance education in
the public schools obligatory. In the
lower house of the West Virginia legis-
lature the same measure failed by but
one vote. In Pennsylvania the Scien-
title Temperance Education bill has
passed the senate with no vote east
against il, 40 out of its 90 senators vot-
ing aye. and the other 10 being absent
or silent. In Oregon, both houses of
the legislature passed the vote submit
ting the constitutional amendment for
prohibition to the people, and have also
passed the Local Option bill and the
Scientific Temperance Education bill
asked for by the w. e. Il. u. Maine
has adopted the same law within few
days, and Massachusetts is hopeful,
while New Jersey has voted affirmative
~ on the measure, though it has some
what crippled the original bill by
amendments. Nebraska, Nevada and
Kansas have walked by the same rule
and minded the same thing" to the ex-
tent of providing for the teaching of the
physiological effects of alcohol and to-
bacco in all schools supported by public
funds. Illinois waits little. but is
hopeful of a bill of the same sort from
even the gainsaylng legislature of 1885.
NN'"NooAS "a PcStS tIiC SUBMISSION Oh u
prohibitory amendment at this session.
and the question is the foremost one
notablyin Georgia, South Carolina and
Florida, but practically so in all the
Southern states, and for that matter in
the Northern, too. Dakota adopted the
Woman Suffrage bill largely as a tenn.
perance measure, and Colorado gives
promise of pronounced prohibition leg
islation. Within two years the w. G
/. U. has secured the Scientific Temper
ance statute in five states besides those
already mentioned, viz Michigan,
New York, Vermont, New Hampshire
and Rhode Island 1t is far more help
full work to tell over the gains than the
losses OF the temperance army, and sim
cerely will those regret their utterances
who, in these days, by word or deed,
have allied themselves with partisan at
tempts to throw discredit upon the w.
9. L. u, whose quiet, earnest work it
has always been to protect the homes of
our nation from the saloons"