The Helena independent. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1875-1943, 1891-06-17
Col. Balm Says Its Traflc Lies at the
Bottom OF Many So
cial Evils.
The Famous Orator Addresses
q Large and Enthusiastic
Audience.
N.ither Of the Great Political Parties Can
Provide tho Remedy for
the EVIL

in the audience. Before the lectufe tnere
was singing and music, and prayer by Rev.
| Rollins, the pastor. Col. Bain's voice Is
somewhat hoarse. He has been on the
coast for two months continually engaged
in lecture work. At Portland he spoke
night after night to large audiences. Sew
eral DAYS ago he was in Seattle and adj
dressed a gathering of 5000 people. Inc
work of speaking each evening for such a
long period has left its traces on his voice,
| although after he warmed up he was heard
in all parts of the large room which was
somewhat too close for comfort. BY
vay of introduction he said If his hearers
would not allow his husky tones to trouble
them he would not be troubled himself.
Probably they thought it somewhat curious
that a Kentuckian should come among
them to lecture on temperance. especially a
man from Bourbon county. Amid the sur
round,nps of his early youth with it's temp
tations in the way of strong drink he owed
his salvation to his good Christian mother.
He had no harsh words for those who had
suffered through this evil, he was only full
of sympathy for them.
First he would say that he did not pre-
tend to know anything about evolution and
/ man IlblklR lIOu VIC OIuto =
did know that the liquor traffic was the
level of the brute. The lecturer then re-
lated some instances which happened eight
Years ago in Kentucky. He told of the
bar room quarrel between Harry Clay. a
grandson of the great commoner, and the
bartender. the fatal shot and the carry
ing away of the gifted descendant of Clay
to die. Liquor lies at the bottom of the
trouble between labor and capital. Col.
Balm said he had been wonderfully i'm
pressed with the many questions which con.
front the people to-day and the cry OF hard
times. Hedrew n photograph for business
men of ovsrcrowded warehouses and swell
ing banks, while in many homes there was
want. Some called it overproductlon. Last
year $500, 600. 900 was spent for intoxicating
liquors, and the money came out OF the
pockets of the working people. AS an Illus
| tration of how money could be put into the
hands of merchants instead of going into
the hands of the saloonkeeper, the
lecturer related the circumstances sur
rounding the reformation OF the one time
notorious prize fighter, George Hess, who
lived in New York state. hess went 70
Rochester one night determined to break
up a temperance meeting. He took a sup
Div of eggs with him, and they were not
good ones either. George remained and
was charmed by. the eloquence of the
speaker. The next morning he became
| converted 10 lcllgio1 hIlb bCAlpCAG4SSs III
forwards he went about the state and de-
livered lectures himself. One of the points
> he would make was to tell his hearers what
he did with the money he earned. He
kept a book in which he jotted down the
receipts and expenditures. The receipts
were proceeds of temperance lectures. Most
> of the expenses were for furniture for his
home, which he had in the past despoiled
Of all Its movable effects III order to
BUY liquor. The balance of his earnings
f he put in the bank. After reading each
item of expense and mentioning the nest
egg in bank, the reformed pugilist would
shout out, "And not one dollar went to u
saloon keeper"
Close every saloon in Helena next Satur-
day morning, said Col. Balm, and put a
policeman at the door, and another to
watch him, and on Sunday the will not
be a pound of beef or loaf of bread left IN
the shops. He wondered why the business
men of the country could not see the logic
of the argument and drive this pirate from
S the commercial seas. Some of the politi-
worked and needed q rest. This was not
true. Close the saloons, and in
less than ten years we would
have the grandest country and
the sweetest century the eye of God eve
looked upon. Master Workman Powderl,
. received warm words of praise from the
lecturer for declaring war against the
American saloon.
1t had been said in opposition to temper
ance that this was a free country. If a mar
wanted to drink let him do SO and take the
consequences. But the trouble with THU
was that the wife and children usually tool
the consequences. There ought to b.
enough of true manhood in the country K
protect the women. The saying that "th'
hand which rocks the cradle rules thu
world" was nothing but a Fourth of Jul,
compliment to women. There was no trutl
in it. The ~cruelest wrong done the womer
+ and children came from the liquor curse
and God would smite the country If it dill
not protect womanhood.
A storm of applause arose when Col
Balm said on behalf of the New South tina
it desired no other flag except the sta
spanRled banner. A pleasant reference wa
/ made to the old family row, and Col. Bal
said he was glad that the application for
divorce WAS not granted.
e. The two great parties he said had tim
and time again evaded the question of pro
= hibition, and its only hope WAS in its be
e. coming 80 powerful that it would defes
them both. Col. Balm said he left the dem
r ocratic ranks because he could not be tru
to his prohibition principles and remain
IT The last time he voted the democrat
- ticket was when he voted for Preston T
Leslie for governor of Kentucky, and
n, never regretted it. Once the colonel vote
j. the republican ticket, but only once. SIM
'e then he has been casting his ballots for til
prohibition party.