The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1891-11-14
Women and Temperance.

The Worlds Convention Of the Women's
Christian Temperance Union opened at Bos-
ton on Wednesday with Miss FRANCES WILL
LARD in the chair. and Lady HENRY soMER-
SET, who has come from England to en-
figure on the stage.
At the outset Of the meeting Miss Will
LARD linked together rum. opium. and to-
bacco as "the great deteriorators Of the
human race" against which the Union
should bring to bear all its religious and
reformatory zeal. Perhaps these good
women would be wiser IL they husbanded
their energy for an assault on rum and
opium alone. There is no question that
the abuse Of these is serious and prevalent
evil In society. The inordinate indulgence in
tobacco also Is bad undoubtedly. but 1t does
not drive men into violence. A man who
smokes too much may suffer in his own
person. but he Is not dangerous to others
because Of his refusal or inability to control
himself. The effect is rather to quiet him
and keep him peaceable. More than gen.
Grafton ago Elder TRAsK made war on the
use OF tobacco as the most crying evil Of
the day, but even the reformers Of his pecu-
lIarly rcformatory period smiled at his
efforts and looked upon him as sort Of
Don QU1xoTE, and the practice is now more
general than ever.
Tho good women assembled In convention
at Boston will need all their resources in
the battle against rum and opium alone.
Alcohol has been assailed by moral and re-
ligious reformers in a multitude OF organ
lied efforts Of many kinds during almost
the whole Of the present century. but so far
it has come Off the victor. Even where alco-
hol has been driven out. oftentilnos o more
dangerous stlmulant has replaced 1t. as we
SEQ in the introduction OF ether drinking
into Ireland after Father MATHEWS tenn
perance agitation, and the rapid increase OF
the use OF opium and cocaine In this coun-
try during recent years. until now Miss
WILLARD feels the necessity Of attacking
both opium and alcohol.
None of these schemes OF temperance re-
form has been successful. All Of them have
been futile and fruitloss. The craving for
stimulants Is AS strong as ever. and their
use probably. is as general as ever. 1t is
obvious. then. that II tho desired and desira-
BILE reform is 10 be brought about. 1t must be
secured by other means than those which
have been used hitherto. and Upon which
alone the Women's Christian Temperance
Union still relies. A different method OF
treating the evil must be adopted to give
any hope of better result.
Such II method Is suggested by the KELLEY
cure for drunkenness. Thousands Of drunk
ards are convinced that their morbid crav-
ing for stimulants has been overcome by
him and that they are released from 1t
finally. The Bichloride Club OF Dwight.
made up OF such cured drunkards. has been
described by one Of its members as the
most powerful temperance society In exist
ence. and the only body which presents any
real hope for general temperance, reform In
the future. Why, then. does not the Wo-
mems Christian Temperance Union enter
into alliance with DR.. KELLEY to accomplish
It's objects? His cure is for both the drink
ing and tho opium habits. against which
that organization Is arrayed. and II the
complete efficacy claimed for 1t by him and
his patients is true. it solves the question
which the Boston Convention is discussing.
The answer might be- made that these
temperance women would not he justified
III. thus commanding o proprietary nedi-
cine which its compounder Is using for his
individual pecuniary profit rather than for
the moral elevation Of the race. which 10 the
sole object Of their own 'altrulstic efforts.