The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1894-01-02
TO PASS THE PLEDGES.
Temperance People TO Circulate
Teetotalism Promises
TO BE SIGNED BY THOSE WHO WISH
The Speakers Did Not COnnne Them
selves to.NHorai ssuasIon'and Bishop
Vincent said They Ought Not 10
Keep Prohibition ia Politics

selves t0s.NAOraf sSuasHGn7 and Bishop
vincent said they Ought not 10
Keep Prohibition ia Politics
Total abstinence was almost side
tracked last evening at the total absti-
hence mass meeting at the Methodist
church, prohibition was more talked
about by the speakers
The Shawnee County Phalanx of Tenn
peranee workers, is the name Of the total
abstinence society formed at the mass
meeting. whose purpose it is to make
complete canvass Of the city and county
with total abstinence pledges on one side
Of which IS the 18th century pledge. the
signers Of which pledge themselves to
abstain from the use Of intoxicating liquor
as a beverage the remainder Of this
century and on the other side IS q
life pledge A committee Of fifteen
prominent temperance workers was APP
pointed TO district the city and county
and carry on a complete canvass. The
plan suggested is to get all store keepers
to ask their employees to sign the pledge.
and some Santa Ee officials to carry on
the work among the Santa f'e employees
and then continue the work into every
home in the city and county The object
Of getting employers to do this is to bring
to bear the pressure which every en-
ployer exercises to Il greater or less ex-
tent over his employees, and induce them
to sign whether they secretly desire TO or
not. The result Will be. of course in
many cases that the employe Will break
the pledge on the sly: it is regarded by
many as merely an encOuragement to
deception and hypocrisy. The PROPOSE
ton to make store keepers and Santa Fe
officers the guardians Of morals for their
employees, met with considerable opp0si-
ton from some Of the persons at the
meeting. Every man should be per
Gectly free agent in signing pledge, it
was thought.
Some OF the temperance workers
thought that a total abstinence cam
paign is the only true way to make pro-
hibition success and to keep the law
upon the statute book 1t has also been
4 suggested that such a campaign could
be Instituted at the time Of the con-
ventions of the different political parties
that even the Democratic party would be
afraid 70 oppose prohibition.
The originatOrs Of the meeting wanted
to conduct it simply Ola its moral phase
and not let political questions enter into
the meeting at all.
Chief Justice Horton in the opening
remarks defended the prOhibitory law as
it stands upon the statute books, and
showed what a benefit it had been to the
state.
Albert Griffin. the prime mover of the
cry for a total abstinence campaign con-
fined his remarks almost entirely to the
moral phase Of the question, and said
there were fewer total abstaiuers today
than ever before, and as drinking
increased it rendered it much
more difficult to enforce the prohibition
law. The ealy way to have successful
prohibition, continued Dir. Griffin, us
to keep up the campaign Of total abb
stinence.7
Addresses were also delivered by ID. g.
Miner, d. G Tillotson, J.. A Stebbins
and Bishop Vincent.
Bishop Vincent thought that the polit-
zeal parties should take up prohibition
/ and advocate it more than ever.
After the addresses the pledges were
passed around and about 200 Of them
we're signed: Of course, by people who
don't drink, which is the general result
Of passing temperance pledges.
This afternoon the committee are in
session at the T. ". q. "A. rooms map
ping out the plan Of the campaign.