Rocky Ford enterprise. (Rocky Ford, Colo.) 1887-1950, 1900-10-05
Mrs. Hoffman's Address.

SPcIo houDo ouuu"y c'ous"b w. ~
mass meeting of the friends of the
temperance cause. All the rcgu-
lar church services were suspend
ed for the evening and q union Of
the several congregations crowded
the Opera house to nearly its full
est limit. A union choir rendered
music specially selected for the
services and Rev. Andrew led the
large meeting in prayer.
Mrs. Hoffman. after reading
bible selections suggestive Of her
theme. proceeded to srraign tho
American people - . nation Of
law.breakers. Disregard Of law
she declared to be the greatest
danger threatening the Republic.
She begun with a review Of the
marvellous progress made during
the closing century. in which pro-
gress the American people had led
the world. But having accom-
plished such wonders Of territori-
al growth and mechanical inven-
ton, and having amassed such
enormous wealth, we were become
q nation OF boosters. American
conceit was now in full blossom.
This boastful conceit was shutting
our eyes to the evils that existed
and We were cultivating an utter
disregard for the observance OF
law. This was manifest in our
disregard Of the Sabbath. Citing
tho conditions she met with in
Houston, Texas. last spring. the
speaker said the Texans were not
sinners above all Gallilenns but
that this condition Of Sabbath
dissertation prevailed throughout
the country.
A striking disregard Of law was
illustrated in the importation Of
liquor into Alaska when the Unit
ed States bought that country Of
Russia and passed a prohibition
Law. And later the law was re-
pealed in order to give the liquor
dealer full sway when the gold
mining craze broke out in that
country. It was the shame Of the
American people that only where
self.interest was involved were the
laws Of the country enforced. The
people Of the United States were
in the liquor business, and the
power that ruled the people sat
enthroned on the liquor revenue.
The people of the United States
were consumed, were eaten up, of
the lust of commercialism. The
speaker then entered into detail
ed statement Of what constituted
the army c.nteen and the nnti-can-
teen legislation which the McKin-
ley administration had abrogated.
The point made was that under
the canteen, or post-exchange sys-
tenn, every young man in the U.
s. army. whether disposed to
drink or not could be detailed to
the work of a bartender. The
anti-canteen bill destroyed the
post exchange system and made it
illegal to sell liquors in any bar
racks or on any military reserva-
ton. 1t forbade any soldier from
dispensing liquor. This law had
been declared unconstitutional by
Atty-General Griggs and when
the president had been Emporium.
ed by the friends of temperance he
had answered that the decision of
the Attorney General was final.
The speaker then drew terri
BILE picture Of the growth of drunk
enness and debauchery in the
Philippines since American occu-
patton, and closed by declaring that
the judgments of heaven would
surely be visited upon nation
which in its lust and greed of
commercialism permitted and ap-
proved and encouraged such a con-
dition of things as she had de-
scribed.
Navajo Blankets.