Morning journal and courier. [volume] (New Haven [Conn.]) 1848-1894, 1892-01-22
REV. MIR. GREELEY,s ADDRESS

REV. MIR. GREELEY,s ADDRESS
At the State Convention of the Con-
necticut State Temperance Union
The Hamden Reform Called For
The Power of the Press-Mot1On for
a State League.
did not know until yesterday that I
was to occupy ten minutes of the valuable
time of this convention, and have not,
therefore, had leisure to condense or pre-
pare an extemporaneous address. IF you
will pardon the egotism will say that
there are other members of the Hamden
league present who could representa- it much
better. We have had to do with caucuses,
elections and courts, and am probably,
without exaggeration, tho poorest politi-
clan in America. Hence, in moulding and
hammering out the Hamden reform, the
stalwart, sledge-hammer blows have been
struck by others, and have assisted in
blowing the bellows. Possibly am asked
to represent the league very much, as the
farmer wanted his youngest son to be an
editor, because he wasn't good for any
thing else. will merely suggest the an
swer to three questions: ~ Why We
formed the league; ~ now we formed it,
and ~ what we did with 1t.
I. Why we organized.
The efficient cause was the press. The
immediate purpose was to get rid of GER
tain immoral places of public resort, the
ultimate object being to train the people
to q sense of responsibility and need of
interest in law and order everywhere. AZ
ter the immediate object is fully accom-
plished we expect, of course, to turn our
attention to the enforcement of the liquor
laws.
Our reform has not been remarkable,
perhaps, in quantitive results, but very
important, we think, as means of awak-
ening q sense of the need of social and in
dividual regeneration. Sermons and edi-
torials do not of themselves close saloons.
Our proximate object might have been OBJ
tanned under favorable conditions
without them. But from the outset
it was leading characteristic of this
local movement that we recognized our
selves as of comparatively little Importance
except as we were part of a higher organ
ism-the town having a vital relation to
state and nation. While we did our work
Independently, we were inspired by what
was going on in the state leagues. We
have not regarded the abolition of two
houses of infamy of twenty years. standing
as the end of all. perfection, but only the
beginning of our work, and of interest
wherever the passion for humanity exists.
| The reform is important, we think, as an
| example of the holy alliance of press and
| pulpit, having in view the distinct and def
mite purpose of awakening moral sentiment
| by letting the light shine far as the curse
| is found. That is, the closing of the places,
1 = e l,s, $hn 10 81
dent; the Interior object has been the main
thing.
| am not entitled to the credit of start
ing the movement. That belongs to Mr..
Amos P. Wilder, who, in a series of vigor-
GUS and trenchant editorials, coupled with
the publication of stubborn facts, called
the attention of the laity and clergy in
general and myself in particular to the il
legal resorts which had existed in our
town, practically upheld by its officers for
two decades. I hesitated to fall into line
then until investigation convinced me of
the need everywhere, and after two or
three weeks delay consented to begin at
home, in Hamden, not because the town is
| an exception, but rather because it is an
example of the need of publication
In all towns, states and nations. The fact
that the efficient cause was the
press extended the knowledge Of our aims
and purposes beyond the town at once.
Mr.. Wilder sounded the trumpet and pub
lished four sermons in full. All of the
New Haven papers, especially the CoUR
the league, and even the evening papers.
such a. the Register and the Union, have
briefly mentioned the work. The New
England Home devoted half column t.
1t, and is ready to render further assist
| ance. It has also been alluded to in tn,
correspondence of the Congregationalist
and Lyman Abbott, editor of the Christian
Union, wrote letter commenting tn,
sermon on the league, which he Lad read
Why did we organize and awaken an in
terest SO widelya Because of the power OF
, the press. When 1 consider all of the Gle
ments not interested in such reform
and how such evils are fortified behind
prejudice and Misrepresentation; the apa
| thy of some of the best citizens who sin
cerely thought that the league could &C
complish nothing; the influence of parti
sanship, which asks only how it will affec
, the party, and the considerable number O.
men who made living out of these re
sorts; when I think of the years during
which the evil had become rooted ant
grounded, am confident that we should
not have organized without the aid of tn
, press, which has given this local reform
widespread interest as an example of wha
can be done elsewhere, and has dissent
> | mated far and wide the Importance of sucl
reforms wherever the need is urgent. Gu
motto has been agitation and education.
+ 2. How We organized.
. The way to organize is to organize
When went down that road that day il
June hardly believed that man in tow
| could be found actually in favor of form
ing league. But one man had expressed
| To bo
I wrote at once asking him to be presiden
of league. We have never had mucl
machinery, but we have had with due re
spect to the noble men who have assisted
and to the consciences of those who hav
not, one live man at least, the initials O
whose name are Captain Crafts. Our lit
tie league comprises democrats, republi
cans, prohibitionists, high license men
the president of the Connecticut Stat
! Sunday School association, Catholic an,
/ | an Episcopal priest, orthodox Protestan
: ministers, Unitarians, and so ont vel
comes all who don't want the immora
houses there. We organized on a broa'
platform, but with two very definite pur
:. poses in view, abolition and education.
8. What we accomplished.
!: Two results. ~ We let our light shin
4 before men. (2) We carried out our in,
mediate purpose. We learned somethin
/. | ourselves OF human noeOS ana OF the his
!: tory of reform. I never knew before
. | Q. e., that the social evil was ut the root O
the French revolution. began to realiz
that Connecticut is suburb of New York
and Hamden "a place where New Have
' vice might escape police control" Whe
: discovered the fact that hardly any class
age. or land has been free from the socis
q evil in society, government or institution
! styled it "the crime against creation.
). We have learned something. In the declal
alton of the purposes of the Handle
q league, as drawn up by Rev. Humphrey
}. rector of Grace church, is the following
j. "To hold public meetings, to discuss pub
!. lie evils, to stimulate the moral tone c
n the community. We used brighter light
/ than our own. We put ourselves into col
! respondence with the secretary of the inte1
!: national league. We ought to have a vita
relation to an active state league. T
l. awaken general interest in the cause "
a have published cordial endorsements of th
o work by some of the best minds in the pu
IS pit of America, if not in the world such Q
= Munger, Smyth, Phillips Brooks, Abbot
Mckenzie, Meserve, GLADDEN., Clendenni
(high church), Hale, DeForest of Japan, an
9 score of other preachers scattered froI
l. Maine to Kansas. This was needful b.
It cause of the indelicacy of the theme; an
J. We called attention also to the fact tbs
: such men as Lyman Beecher and the eide
70 President Dwight urged the necessit
8 of bringing 1t into the pulp
= instead Of leaving its treatment I
:. the friends of vice. Our object was t