The Monitor-register., 1897-07-16

lmpoItdub gatherings WHICH Aoiopbo
will have this summer, none. it declares,
will breathe more hopeful spirit for the
future of the race or have with it
larger potency for good than will the
Worlds W. G. T. U Much gratifica
tion is being expressed by the Prohibi-
tion press of the Dominion generally
that tie international convention of
white rbboners is held this year in their
midst. 10 view f the plebiscte prom
ised by the government-and which has
been postponed until the next session of
Parliament-its visit is regarded as most
helpful and timely.
The Great Victory for a Stronger
Scientific Temperance Law
in Illinois.
EDITORS UNION SIGNAL:-I W ent home
from the newly made grave of my
mother to find the following call from
Illinois:
Our bill for a b. t or enforcement of
our scientific temperance education law
is in peril; come to our help"
l kew l must go.
A bill, practically the duplicate of the
New York Ainsworth School Temper
anoe Physiology law, was already
wedged in the Senate committee on edu-
cation, at Spring field, ILL.,. resisting the
heroic Efforts for it's report, made by of
the energetic, devoted state superinten-
dent Of scientific temperance instruction,
Mrs. Mary L. Bfumbeek, and Mrs. Mary
E. Metzger, chairman Of Woman's
Christian Temperance Union leg gislative
work.
A delegation of fifteen thousand,
claiming to represent the German
Lutheran Church, had presented to the
Legislature petitions not only against
any advance, but for the repeal of the
old, weak temperance education law
enacted in 1890.
At once, to an experienced eye, the
battle became question of the possi
bility of reaching, rousing and focaizing
upon the Legislature the intelligent
sentiment of the hundreds of thousands
of people who wanted the law. The
doing or not doing of this, in the brief
time before the fioal adjournment of the
Legislature was the question of defeat or
success. But the difficulties in the way
of doing this in time seemed mountain
GUS. The question If fnauce-from
whence would come the money to pay
stenographers, mimeographers. printers,
postage, etc., etc., would have staggered
the timid disciple called by Bunyon
Little Faith
For weeks the voice of the people
from the great prairie state echoed not
only in the ears of that Senate committee
on education, but in those of every man
in both houses; while letters and mes
sages from men who had been Influential
in SECURING this legislation in the
National Congress and in other States,
and from great religious bodies aud other
influential sources, led hesitating gentle
men to see that the pending bill was a
question of more than mere local inter-
est. April 81 the bill in it's entirety was
favorably reported from the Senate com.
uittee. with Recommendations that it be
made into law. May the bill, which
had been presented in both houses at the
same time, came before the Fl )use ou
second reading, when violent speech,
which appealed with great bitterness to
fear of the German vote, put the house
into an uproar of excitement. In spite
of the able defense by Representatives
Murray and Selby. of Sangamon county,
Judge Salmons and others, a misera BILE
amend ment, which left the bill weaker
than the old law, passed by a small
majority.
Every body in the Legislature and out
considered this the final defeat, the death
of the bill. We were told that we "were
beaten" and should "abandon the
effort
because good bills of this kind have
been pulled out of deeper Il 'ughs of
despond and carried on to victory, we
will not go without another trial." was
the reply of the writer. Then folio W ed
quick appeals again to the people
through the ever f .iti ful members of the
local unions of tue State, and especially
to the Christian churches of Illinois
The Springfield and Chicago daily PRESS
came out for US The writer was intro
duced to the latter by the Hon. Luther
Latin Mills, of Chicago.
The Chicago minister's meetings of
the Presbyterian. Methodist, Baptist,
German Methodist and the State Asso-
citation of Congregational churches, in
behalf of the hundreds of thousands of
members of their various bodies, sent to
each member of the Lsgisl ature earnes
petitions for the passage of the bill un
amended They also called upon the
various pastors of the local churches OF
their denominations at the capital to
represent the ministers throughout the
state in energetic Efforts for the passage
of the bill. The Spring field pastors
nobly responded to this ca Great
union mass meetings wee held, ad
dressed oy the best talent of the city .
RESOLUTIONS expressing the widespread
desire of more than one half million ni
the sovereign people for the passage II
the bill in its entirety were passed D.
immense audiences aud read the next da,
in the Legislature.
Meantime scene, half comedy, halt
tragedy, had providentialiy opened tie
way that before seemed closed to the
House. Sometime in May the citizens OF
Illinois were made ashamed by great
turmoil in the House over some parlia
mentary tactics, not on this questio
however, on which the minority in thu
body rebelled aud confusion followed
Fne bitter opponent to the scientific
temperance education bill was involve.
In this. Nevertheless, tie business 4, 1
the House went right on, and the alert
Representative who had our bill Ii
charge, Mr.. Wilson, moved that it (the
poor emasculated thing, the amended
House billy be made the special order 70
| fixed hour next Tuesday, and it was
| done without the man who would have
rent the air with his opposition knowing
it, because he was at the time deep under