The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1898-03-07

A woman of national reputation, Mrs.
Clara Hoffman, of Kansas City. ma
tiunal secretary of the w. c. T. T., de-
liVered an address last evening in the
Second Presbyterian church under the
auspices of the Good Citizenship league,
of this city. She was heard by large
audience.
In view of Mrs. Hoffmans intimacy
with Frances f. Willard and promin-
ence in the w. c. II. L. organization it
was expected that she would have
something to say of her personal re-
latlonship to Miss Willard and con-
cerning the union and the liquor ques-
ton. She did not do SO, however, ex-
cepting as the latter related to ner
topic christian Citizenship" Her ad-
dress was received with peculiar in
tercst. not alone due to the subject
matter but also to her exceptionally
lucid and comprehensive way Of put
ting things. OF the detailed way to
handle local reform or of any local
evils of which size may have received
information, she did not burden her
hearers. Mrs. Hoffman aimed, rather,
to treat the subject in q general, COM
prehensive and instructive way.
The Good Citizenship league is COM
posed of representatives. from the
young peoples church societies who
were recently interested in Rev. DIR.
w. T. Crafts movement for local re-
form and have been attached to the
general reform committee. Last nights
lecture under the leagues auspices was
the first of several to be arranged. One
will be heard about once a month the
speakers to be procured from abroad.
= part of TIE expense will he met by
the offerings collected at the meetings,
SPEAKER INTRODUCED.
Last nights address occupied the per-
iod usually devoted 70 the sermon. The
service was conducted by the pastor,
| Rev. Dr. Charles T.. Robinson, who
gave Mrs. Hoffman a fitting introduc-
ton and took occasion to say that her
| teachings could be put to good use by
the league ir Scranton. Mrs. Hoffman
said, in part:
| 1t would be well to remember that ours
| is a heterogeneous population, not hon.
| Ogeneous one, and is massng itself in
| cities and towns. IN 1850, Is per cent. of
the country's population was in cities OF
| 5000 and over and in 1890 over 29 ner cent
| About 50 per cent of the population lived
| in towns and cities of 5000 population
and over in 1890. These facts are neces-
| sary in considering municipal misruIc
| corruption, vice aud bribery From the
| Atlantic to the Pacific the fact is gener-
ally true that gambling houses, saloons
and other haunts of vice flourish. Mos
places are, like Chicago. neither Repub
liCan nor DemocratiC--they the saloon
| cratic.
The faults of the franchise and natur
alization laws are fragrant. The doors o
the United states cannot be closed be
cause this is no mans country, it i:
Gods country but the government ough
TO have the right to discriminate as t(
who it's citizens shall be. Again, 1t is {
great fault to make naturalzations aftel
five years of residence. Dreadful is th'
strain on the power of the government
and threatened is it's perpetuity in max
ing citizens of persons who have neithe
the knowledge OF our laws and customs
nor any state in the state" and no de
sire to attain that knowledge Not mucl
else could be expected when undesirable
foreign laborer are imported by the thou
sand head through deals between con
tractors and officers of steamship lines
nor is such procedure OF benefit to Amer
lean labor. In Nebraska 1857 Italian In
borers were imported to work on tn
Chicago, Rock Island and Pacific rail
| road, and were led to make declaration
J of becoming citizens. The scheme wa
put through by politicians who saw to
J that the 1,597 voted in the interest Of tn
, saloon at a subsequent election. Thi
incident serves to illustrate why the poll
| tician Is more dangerous to our govern
ment than the gambler, or the saloo
keeper.
l NOT EMIGRANT'S FAULT,
Is the fault with the emigrant VIII
, seeks to escape the privations of his ow
! country and 10 lind plenty for himse
. . and family here? No; it is not. 1h
| fault is with American citizenship, witt
, | out patriotism IN regard for the bale
box. We will see dark days and blood
' | days il this col dition is not changcI
But how? 1t must be done by spiritu;
| and educational crusade through III
| church and school. Like the liquor evil
exists because the countrys citizenshi
y will have ii so. We have 5000 900 citizer
iii the church of God. What could NJ
. be accomplished by them for good If the
q effort was combined? They could accon
; plish anything. Yet we see a deplorab
- condition, not only in the nation but
the city Evil influences are at the fol-
and have control
10 How will we get at the remedy? II
n ballot is the only means by which the so'
Y eTegn citizen registers his opinion {
q public questions. l smile inwardly-ar
n sometimes outvardly-when | hear II
:, answers of some citizens to what is ba
u lot? What the ballot and the use
IL which 1t is put is a much broader con
bined subject. politics" today is not
Webster described it i'm his dictionary.
Our Christian men and women are n
absolved from responsibility for bs
state of affairs. Woman can do much [
:, moral influence and should do so. Wh,
;. Because she and her children are affect,
IL for better or worse by every political a
It perpetrated, Women, however, in tn