Morning journal and courier., 1893-12-22
FROM AN ADDRESS

Delivered by the New. Clarence Gree
ley-Recently Delivered-The w. G. |
r. U.-Legislation-The Labor Ques- |
t1on-Publie Opinion.
From an address delivered at Portland,
Conn, before union meeting of the W. |
O. T. q. and the Temple of Honor, the |
president, Mrs. q. E. Culver, presiding, by
Clarence Greeley, general agent:
shall speak of only three functions of
your society: ~ of its outlook regarding
legislation; (2) of its relation to the labor
question; and ~ of it's influence on public
opinion.
1. Your society provides for committee
on legislation. Under the Gothenburg
plan, to which the 8. G. law is similar, the
Norway saloons are all closed on Sunday.
Under the Connecticut system they are in
Portland all open on Sunday; and they
were not all closed in Portland on election
(Chapter 26D approved July /, 1898.
It is question, therefore, whether you
would have enforced no license law had
you carried 1t. How many women would
have voted for 1t we do not know. Only
four Ia your town registered as voters for
school officers. 1t is easy enough to get
the laws enforced against comparatively
harmless, moneyless anarchist like Emma
Goldman. But they are not generally en-
forced against certain more dangerous an
srchists, who, in the name of law. but
largely lswless, receive some 5000, DOC. 900
yearly, although the very first article in
the constitution of the state Of Connecticut
declares that no set of men is entitled to ex-
elusive privileges from the community.
But in this year of business depression
ought we not to help men rather than pros
the Hamden reform. But the lady mis-
sionary in New Haven, Miss Hume, has
done as much as dozen Hsmdens. Sup
erintendent Mossman uses the City mis-
sions to aid the suffering.
2. Your by laws provide for q commit
tee on the relation of temperance to labor.
Do not let selfshness or ignorance con-
vince you that the poor are all drunksrds.
Some are. But statistics indicate that So
per cent. of them are not drunkards. If
the Woman's Christian union should de-
vote itself wholly to the labor problem it
would perhaps do more good than in any
other wsy-not because the poor are
drunkards above others, but because SO
much thought and money are thrown
away by all classes in drink, gambling and
the enormous waste of excessive competi-
ton. The world moves. But work is not
guaranteed 80 regularly as 1t was 10 the
middle ages. Men steal and women fall
when they cannot live otherwise.
8: According to your constitution the
first object of your society is to educate
public sentiment.
To this and your bylaws provide for
conference with influential societies.
Last fall you came within 81 votes in
this town of no licenee) Men complain
that benevolent societies are expensive.
But they are cheaper than malevolent 40
cieties. They understand that some 4O0,-
600 non-producing preachers and teachers
are living on them, while this hard winter
and chart able appeals are at hand. But
do they realize that we are, even If
| total abstainers, indirectly supporting over
500 600 liquor dealers, and paying twenty
times as much annually for their support
| as for the maintenance of the gospel and
all other missionary and benevolent enter
prises combinedf There is need of union
According to your bylaws you 'line up''
| with all good against all evil. I am here
| to receive and extend the right hand of
| fellowship You expect me to cay some
| thing of the international law and order
| league. 1t exists to awaken public senti-
ment and to influence legislation perma-
| nently, especially wherever in the whole
| world the poor or the rich sre being
robbed systematically, for example, by
official blsckmail in Nsw York, gam
bling in New Jersey, the lottery
from Honduras, pugilism in Florida, or
tho sale of liquors to minors in Boston.
We are not alone. This ia not a guerrilla
warfare. am grateful for personal let
tiers of cheer and instruction from your
own leaders, such as Miss Willard and Mrs.
Livermore, and from that greatest living
statesman, the Ri. Hon. William E, Glad
stone. A crank campaign is said to b.
confined to one idea. The W. G. T. U.
and the International league are Christian
because they see that all reforms are one
Yes, you are rightly named Christian
Christianity includes all campaigns.