Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1888-02-27
THE CONGR ESSgONAL TEMPER.
ANCE SOCIETY.
Celebration OF the Fifsy.Fifth Anuiver-
sary Of the Orga niz alton Last Night.

Celebration OF the Fissy.Fif,h Anniver-
sary Of the Organization Last Night.
Tnat veteran organization, the Congressional
Temperance Society, celebrated its fty-ifth ami
Nersdfy last evening. 81. Paul's Lutheran church.
At the corner OF IL b and II streets, was crowded,
ana the speakers were received with apprecialive
attention The pastor OF the church. Rev. DR.. Do
mer, opened the meeting with reading from the
b'ole ana then Rev. DIR. Butler, the pastor OF the
LII ner Memorial church, led In prayer Before
Tue regular program was entered upon DR.. Domer
made some brief remarks, In which he spoke OF
the interest felt by the people OF this District In
congress ana the members OF Congress They
looked to Congress for legislation I'VE don't
vote here" continued the speaker. sand, for my
part, don't want voting here" In referring 10
the subject OF prohibition ne SAID that Nebraska
Whrre they had high license. the complaint arose
tnaI the lai.s were Overcrowded while In the pro-
nlOltlOn state OF Iowa many Of them were empty.
lie transportation In this city, and Thought
that II the 9o2 saloons we're banish-d that IT
would not only De the most beautiful city In the
world but the most perfect city.
PRESIDENT DIS6LEY's REMARKS.
The president OF the society. Ex-Governor and
Representative Dingley, OF Maine, then took the
chIlr. Before, however, proceeding TO discharge
the duty OF his position, as he termed IL, which
Was 10 Introduce the speakers OF the evening 10 the
audience, he referred TO the great age attained by
the society OF which he was the president. During
the nfly-nye years OF Its existence the modern Or
gained temperance movement had begun. and IL
has been period OF gradual and triumphant prog
ress. lie spoke OF the drinking Customs or the
early years Of that PERIOD and said that there was
great deal more drunkenness then than now.
Then 10 attracted no attention because IL was SO
common. All classes OF the community, even the
ministers OF the gospel drank, and all the stores
sold liquor. In contrast with that condition OF az
fairs The speaker said that be can now travel for
days through the rural districts OF his state with
out seeing any signs OF the sale or liquor or or
drunkenness This condition Is true in other states
I here Is less drinking In Washington; and
he remembered the tine when Congress
could not hold night session without
Intoxicated members being seen In their seats.
During the seven years he mad been In Congress he
had not seen a single intoxicated member In his
seat IL there were any drinking members the
speaker thought they were few and lar be ween.
Such Is the public sentiment that they dare not
now make a public exhibition OF themselves In
their seats In Congress. He said that in the pro-
gress made in the temperance movement during
the past half century, certain fundamental prin-
clples OF temperance reform have been establish ID.
The first Is total abstinence from all that can il
toxlcate for the individual In the early days the
pledge OF the society only prohibil ed the use OF
dis, filed liquors. Vice President Wilson told him
that Luey IOuud out their mistake. "Our society,""
ance because we allowed the members to use
wine" The second principle, said the speaker,
which is fundamental Ia this WORK, Is prohibition.
No high-n, ense law or other law was acceptable
unless IL con- aimed the elements OF prohibition.
THE vENERABLE SECRETARY
OF the society, Rev. DIR. Chicker1ng then made his
annual statement, as he has done for the past
fifteen years, and this oral statement served as
a prefal e TO a paper, which was read by his son,
Prof Joseph n. Chickering. The paper gave Il
clear and concise statement OF some phases Oh the
temperance problem, and the gratifying success of
the Congressional society. "besldes It's other in
a voice which, through successive years and even
generations. has been echoed and multiplied
by telegraph and type, forming part OF the tenn
lerance literature OF the country and the world"
Ex-Governor and ex-Representatiye Perham. OF
Maine was the next speaker He referred To The
change In pubic sentiment on the temperance
question, and said some years ago when he ia Tor
governor an objection was raised that he was
radical temperance man, and for that reason he
Was united 10 discharge Lne public business In q
wise and orderly manner. But n was elected and
the people seemed To be so well pleased with The
admins ration OF a Temperance man that they
elected his friend Mr. Dlngiey TO succeed him, and
further attested their satisfaction by sending
him 10 Congress The speaker then referred To the
progress that had been made In the growth OF tem
perdnce sentiment, and he agreed with Mr.. Ding
ley that there Was less drunkenness now than
some years ago. lie would be glad 10 see the day
when youns men can make their social calls in
this city without having intoxicating liquor offered
them.
TEMPERANCE IN IOWA.
The state OF Iowa, said Representative Kerr, OF
Iowa, who was the next speaker, had, in 1851,
adopted a very radical policy on the subject OF
temperance, and as far tn traffic OF .spirtuOuS
liquors Is concerned this policy remains Unchanged
TO this day. on three occasions tue people have
been asked 10 cnange the law, Dut they have re-
fused. A beer-and-wine clause was Inserted, but
drunkenness Increased, and In 1882 IL was re-
pealed. He spoke OF the hold which the temper
ance sentiment had upon the people.
REPRESENTATIVE CHEADLK,
Of Indiana, said that when he was running for
Congress one OF the papers opposed to him asked
what in the world would Joe Cneadle do when he
got to Washington. He sa d that In his own paper
he quoted this paragraph and added by way OF
comment the four words, HE Will keep sober" lie
said that there was no prohibition Indiana, but
the people mad asked the dominant party In the
legislature TO submit constitutional amendment
TO be voted on by the people, but this request had
been refused. He believed that local option in
thTee-flfths OF the state would drive out the sa-
looms. In us opinion there was evil OF greater
magnitude confronting the people than the Use of
Intoxicating drinks. lie Thought that public SEN
liment in his state would soon demand prob BIZ
ton. He believed that the presence OF place
where liquor Is sold creates a demand Tor IL.
THE LAST SPEECH
was made by Col SwitZer, who said that at the re-
quest OF the National Druggists Association,
through the President OF the United states, he had
Just concluded an investigation as 10 the proper
ton OF the liquor consumed yearly In this cor 3try
used In the arts and manufactures lie mad
found, from the reliable data which he had OBJ
tained officially that this percentage, Instead OF
being 80, as nad Deen claimed or even 30 Was only
7.2 per cent. 1.-The peope OF the United States"
he said, "consume1, in 1887, 10000 900 gallons Of
distilled liquor, 100000 OF imported wine, and
604, OO00O0 OF beer, at an average cost OF s47 TO
every man, woman and clild." The meeting was
dismissed By singing the DOXOlogy.