The Worcester spy. [volume] (Worcester, Mass.) 1898-1904, 1899-07-21


Clark university summer school, on al
cohol, created a sensation among tenn
perance people Of the city, yesterday.
This was particularly true in the case
of the members of Catholic total absti-
nence societies, who fear much harm
to their work might result from the
treatment Of the subject in such way
by such a learned scholar.
A reporter Of The Spy called upon
Rev. D. f. McGillicuddy, president OIL
the Springfield Diocesan Total Apstl-
hence Union and an officer in the Ma
tional Total Abstinence Union for an
expression of views on the lecture. ReV.
FIR. McGinicuddy was an auditor OF the
lecture, and had given some thought
TO DR.. Halls remarks during the day.
He said: ~
/ was present last evening at the
lecture on The alcohol question, from
the standpoint of psychology and physl :
ology, and would say that the stare
ments of the president OF Clark
bsdded in the cold type Of the morn
ing journals and divorced IRON +,,n .ne
pleasing personality of the lecturer,
take on a character quite alien to the
g,Ibiect as treated by DIR. fall. Fer
haps the genial glow of the dim elec-
trio lights of the lecture room softeneo
the .ipse bixits" of the black goWned
decent standing before his audience.
There may also have been a sup-coI-
sciousness pervadtng the audience tna ,I
the lecture was aot lacking in motlr
Undoubtedly Clark University pos
sesses an esprit de corps" ard all
through the lecture one could not get
away from the recollection OF Ut.
Hodges recent tilt with the w. Z. T..
u. DR.. Hodge had flung down the
gauntlet and now the DaVld OF the
professional ranks stepped forward
with his note book full: of polished
S+onea eathered from various streams.
Facts from the dried river beds OF ms
torv ancient customs from primitive
sources of religions long since sunk IN
the ouicksands of pagan superstition
or heatfenish error theories SatherSu
by the banks of unstable waters OF So
GEOLOGY and physiology lurked IN that
diminutive receptacle. , =
In the estimation Of the Telegram
Taking O. drink is like taking a Vaca-
tom was the particular pebble from
DR.. Halls sling which feled the COIL
ath of total abstinence.
To get back to the lecture hall, to
dis,nterested listener, if it were pos
efble to discover such an anomalous
character at any of these lectures, TINS
taAk on alcohol was treat. Rlpples
Of Ynerrinent flowed over the audience
az sixty or more summer school stud
ents It was an appreciative audience.
one Individual, of the masculine gend-
er. Of course, seated in the section or
the hall where / had esconsed myself,
more than once drew the attention Of
the listening body from the speaker by
His quick appreciation and emphasized
that appreciation by an audible
'snlile" which would have done credit
70 an habitue Of a dime museum show.
1t was evident from the start that
the w. C. T. u. had few sisterly sym
pathizers. If they We're present, the
contagious visibility of their neighbors
or the presence of that roguish elfin,
PUCK, who gets abroad midsummer
nights, wreathed every race with
smiles ] fancy 1t must have been the
witchery of Puck for the countenance
of the average lady summer student at
S,lark's is adorned with a rather serious
makeup.
When the doctor spoke of the expert
racnts conducted by DR.. Hodge with
two generations Of dogs, with bees and
ans as subjects, and brought forward
M statement that the cat was about
\ fhe only animal which could not be in
duced to take a drink" there never
was q suspicion that this ohstinacy on
the part of cats had anything to do
with the femininity Of the w. c. r.. u.
Perhaps II is not quite fair to DRAG
in the w c. T. u, as DR. Hall made nc
specific reference to that admirable So
ciety. His Davidical efforts were di-
rected against the philistine Of total
abstinence. 1t seemed to me that the
siib-consciousness ] have mentioned
was in the air, as everybody was in
terested at times all were amused, and
no one seemed to feel hurt.
Or. Hall appeared very serious Nc
doubt the cap and gown he wore in
tensified the usual gravity Of his
thoughtful and scholarly face. AT nc
time did he appear more In earnest
than when giving expression to the fol-
lowing sentence: II am a practical tee
totaler for ethical reasons. from policy
and not on principle" This is the pro-
fession of DR.. Halls every day, practi-
cal, personal faith regarding the vexa-
tious question of the bibulous use of al
coh0lic stimulants. Are we to dis
criminate between the learned head oil
the university, dogmatizing before q
group of men and women who repre-
sent The advanced culture of every por-
tion Of Our country and the citizen DIR
HALL who is respected for the store OF
learning he brings to our city, the re-
suits of long years of laborious study
Consistency has never been an index
OF greatness, yet the force Of example
has ever been stronger than precept.
~ Can the layman reconcile, TT Is well
Id = the few and learned TO know that