The Monitor. [volume] (Woodstown, N.J.) 1884-1892, 1890-03-21

AK LALlAE4t4AAiV u LIZ AiGt3OAs W
may think l am using pretty strong Ian
guage, " said Mrs. Hoffman, "but / say
thai neither the temperance societies nor
the churches have diminished a jot of the
power of tue traffic in this country. We
have made great effort to bring to the con
siderati0n Of the voters the importance Of
this temperance problem. But this is a
government for the men, by the men, which
would be we'll enough if the men were all
right. If they were all right we would not
see such nastiness in politics as we behold
to-day. For a hundred years we have had
good and active temperance societies. The
Good Templars is perhaps the largest that
ever existed. Then there is the Washing
t%onians, Sons of Temperance, the Alliances,
all the different Ribbon movements and
Unions. / claim that they have all done
honest and persistent work. We have had
tremendous temperance REVEALS, and cities
and towns in all parts of the country have
been shaken by the tide of temperance.
The signers to temperance pledges can be
counted by tens and hundreds of thous-
ands. The meetings went on all right.
Good men and women talked in those
meetings and did their full duty. But it
is shown conelusiyely that out of a hun
dred drinking men who sign the pledge
only three stand. The other ninety-seven
60 back to their habits. Did they mean
to reform2 Yes, they did. Then why
didn't they reform? The reason was be-
cause signing the pledge and taking part
in the exercises didn't kill the appetite
within. The temptation of the legalized
saloon oyerpowered their good resolution,
and they fell and went back like swine to
their wallow, ike the dog to his vomit.
The legalized protected saloon. LOCALIZED
bv N, h,vnOL DD 4Ia x-4nv- Vf1.wz
manship for you. LOCALIZED temptation.
John d. Cough forcibiy illustrated the eff
fects of the liquor traffic by a figuratiye
story. Cough said a party Of men, while
standing on the brink of Niagara Falls,
saw a man struggling in the rushing cur
rent below unable to help himself. The
sympathy Of the men on the bank was i'm
medistely aroused, and they set to work to
rescue the man from his perilous position.
By DIM of hard labor they brought him to
the shore more than half dead. Just as
they are landing him they see more COM
ing, and they try to save them also. They
manage to save one. but the others go
down. To their surprise they see more
helpless men borne along in the angry
waters and on down obstruction. Final
ly they appoint a committee to go up the
river and investigate the cause of so many
persons being cast into the flood. The
committee fonnd q bridge spanning the
river and upon it are some stalwart fell
lows who try to catch and throw into the
river every person who attempts to cross
over the bridge. The committee are hor-
rifed, and cry to those heartless, burly
men TO stop their murderous work. But
they pay no regard to threats or entreaties.
They tell the committee that they have a
lawful right to catch whom they please,
and order the committee 30 go about their
business and not interfere with their legit-
innate work Of throwing people off the
bridge.
Ny friends, the perfect organization of
the liquor men gives them all the power
necessary to control political action in
state and national legislation. They be-
gin at the primaries and Lot a single
liquor man stays away from the polls.
They always lay their plans and make an
estimate of how much money they will use
in the campaign. The liquor traffic don't
care an atom Tor party; it only cares for
money. 1t will flop from party to party
just as a housewife will flop over a hot
buekwheat cake on the bake iron.
Tine churches are afraid to touch this
question. They are afraid to say what /
an saying tonight. never discuss any
subject or use any language that would
not be appropriate in a church. But some
think the church walls and pulpit and the
inside adornments- are too pure and holy
for the admission of a temperance lecture.
| remember well wheni it was the same with
the slavery question. Why? Because the
pulpits are afraid of the pews, and the
pews worship the rich more than they do
the Lord.
There is not a saloon in New Jersey that
does not lie at the door of the Christian
church. You may say | am too immoder-
ate. Let us see. We have got in tins
country 9s, 600 Protestant clergymen and
20, 900, 900 church members. There are
three times as many women and children
as men. | will say five times as many,
which leaves 1000. 600 men. Now how
long even would 1. 600, GOO OF voters demand
in vain the prohibition of the nefarious
rum t~raffie?.'
The lecturer contrasted the p~ro-slavery
power with the power Of the liquor inter
est in state and national legislation. For
every five slaves the STAKEHOLDER was enti-
tied to three votes. This was constitu-
tional, and was called the ''three-fifths"
basis. Now how do the brewers control
legislation today Let me illustrate. One
brewer in New York has n chattel mort
gage on six hundred saloons in that city.
Every saloon has a proprietor, and every
saloon-keeper has from two to five helpers.
We will say each one has two assistants,
and that wealthy brewer controls 1900
votes. They must all vote as he dictates.
Mrs. Hoffman related an affecting story
OF j young man imprisoned for life for the
preparation of a crime when under thei in
iiuence Of strong drink. After speaking
over two hours she concluded her address
v It'll 2 beautiful peroratior. l..