The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1886-04-08
ArcIldeac0n FArrar Oh American TEN.
peranCe.

ArcIldeacon Farrar Oh American TEN.
perance.
From sepcch before the Church Of England
Temperance Society
I believe that your object in inviting
me here this evening has been that |
should say something about what have
observed as 10 temperance matters dur
ing my recent visit to America. The
simple fact is that have not very much
to say. In every great city of America
it is quite true that I was welcomed by
many friends of temperance, but because
vas not sufficiently acquainted with all
the circumstances of the temperance ref
ormation in that great country, l did not
think it right, either in caudor of fair
ness, to make any public expressions of
my feeling on the question there, except,
indeed, in one meeting, in ChickeriDg
Hall, New York.
may, however, say at once, that am
convinced that America is considerably
ahead of US on this temperance question.
Wherever 1 went, at every banquet, wine
was very sparingly partaken OF, aud at
many tables it was conspicuous by its
absence. I am convinced that a very
large number of the clergy of the Epis-
copal Church, and perhaps a still larger
number of the clergy of all other demon,
nations, are total abstainers. Every
where saw signs of very deep feeling
upon this question; and although l was
three months in America, and travelled
many thousands of miles, it is :: simple
fact that during all those long journeys
I saw fewer cases of drunkenness than /
have sometimes seen in the streets oi
London in single walk and in single
day.
Besides that, it is quite clear that
America is very far ahead of us in all
matters oftemperance legislation. There
are no fewer than five States of thirty.
six States of America which, by the vol
untary action of their people have adopt.
ed the very stringent measure of actual
prohibition. I am we'll aware that there
are cities in America, as in England,
where the votes are swayed more or less
by rum, and where the government has
been described, and I believe correctly,
as government of liquor-selers by
liquor sellers and for liquor. sellers; but
still the fact that five of the great States
out of the thirty-six of the Union are
now groverued by prohibitory law,
is one ofthe deepest possible significance.
1 am we'll aware that the policy of the
Church of England Temperance Society
is not prohibition. Further, I fully ad-
NIT that there is no chance whatever at
present in England for prohibition but
as the society is in no respect respon.
sible for any opinion of mine, aud as |
do not wish to make its members accom-.
pices in any Of my own views on the
subject, I am bound to say, if am to
speak about what 1 observed, that in my
personal view prohibition is productive
of the most beneficial results in every
single State where the moral sense of the
people is sufficiently alive and the con.
science of the people sufficiently edu-
Gated to give to that stringent measure a
hearty and voluntary acceptance. Let
me begin with the State of Maine. 1t is
now thirty.two years since the first pro-
hibitory law was passed there, and am
perfectly aware that many interested
and prejudiced persons lose no opportu-
nifty of telling US that the Maine liquor
law is dead.lettcr, and that prohibition
does not prohibit. Now, Visited Port
land, the capital Of the State OF Maine,
and there l had the honor of being the
guest of the Hon. Neal Dow, who is the
sturdy father of the Maine liquor law.
he is a man Of eighty.one years of age,
who still retains the heart and freshness
of a boy. l never saw any man of that
age equally vigorous and equally active.
He is a splendid specimen of total
abstainer. I heard an anecdote at his
house Of his having been in former days
attacked very violently, believe, by one
ofthe roughs who is in the pay of the
liquor traffic; but this sts@wart gentle
man gave the rough SO warm a reception
that he became the attacker, took the
fellow to prison, and had him punished
for his fragrant offense against the liberty
of the subject. Talking to Neal Dow,
our conversation turned largely upon the
subject of prohibition, and I became
more and more convinced that the Maine
liquor law is in no sense of the word a
dead letter. If had any doubt, it
would be removed by observing how in
tense is the hostility of the liquor interest
against the law of prohibition. They
would not oppose it with such frantic We.
hemence if they were not considerably
afraid oft. Now, what constantly hap
pens is this /: Some traveller from Eng.
land visits Portland, or some other town
in Maine, and does manage, as Of course
be can, to get drink but the drink is
illegally sold and the drink is surrepti.
tiously taken, and in spite of that, the
fact that the liquor traffic has been made
disreputable by being under the prohibi-
ton law has tended to very large ex.
tent to decrease the consumption of
spirits; it has educated the conscience of
the community, and, although the meas
ure was first proposed as a dubious cx-