The Jasper weekly courier. [volume] (Jasper, Ind.) 1858-1922, 1902-06-20
w. C. T. U.COLUMN N.
CONDUCTED BY MRS. N. l.. HOBBS.
SOME EARLY HISTORY.
N. e. Shiel Tells How the Prohibition
Party Came to be Organized Ia
Indiana.


Indiana.
The Indiana State Christian Tenn
perance Union was organized in
1877, with John w. Ray, presl-
dent, and ID. B. Ross, sc cretary. 1t
was composed of delegates from
Blue Ribbon clubs over the state, OF
which there were hundreds at that
time and all active.
The State Grand Temperance
Council was organized in 1873,
with Gen. Jas. A. Shackleford, OF
Evansville, president, and myself
as secretary. II was composed OF
representatives from all temperance
organizations in the state-Blue
Ribbon clubs, Red Ribbon clubs,
Good Templars, Father Mathew So
cieties, w. C.. I. US ETC., and the
work was pushed into every county.
Such Democrats as DR.. j. w. +.
Gerrish, Of Seymour; Preston Rider,
of Crothersville; Judge Harrington,
Of indianapolis; John East, OF
Bloomington; Judge Coffey and
Frank P. Taggart, Of Nashville !;
Col. Dobbips, Of Shoals; Judge
Tracewell, of Corydon; Vint Kirk,
of Madison; Isaac Keen, of Evans
vile; Dr. j. j. Baker, Of Westfield,
and many others; and such Repub-
llicans as exit. Gov. Cumback
Greensburg; W. H. Trammel,
Huntington; Cicero Buchanan, Ev-
ansville; Al. Conner, North Yer.
mon; l. N. Davis, Frankfort; Judge
Land, Princeton; Col. f. F. Ritter,
|Dr. r T. Brown, 7. A. Goodwin,
indianapolis; DR.. j. d. Mitchell,
ITerre Haute; Prof. Hoss, Bloom
'lington; j. N. Huston, Conners
willie; Barnabas Hobbs, Blooming
I|dale; John Ratliff, Marion; DR.,
Huntsinger, Mishawaka; Col. Dick
'IDeHart and l. s. Wade, Lafayette
lE. B. Reynolds, Hagarstown; JohI
lW. Copner, Covingfon; +. A. Fried
'Iley, New Albany; and many Others
taking an active part in the work
|all on the moral suasion plan.
/ Thousands Of drunkards were re-
formed. The churches OF all de-
! nominations encouraged the work,
; County organizations were formed
J and the work pushed into the town
Iships and school districts.
The old Monitor Journal (ol
(which the Phalanx is the successor,
was established by me at Seymour
lin Sept, 1877, on cash capital o
I$4O, borrowed from my mother. Il
was soon changed from monthly
to a weekly, with a printing Office
OF it's own, and was made the state
official temperance organ, and o
! times appeared to be rather "trou
!. blesome," having to face three dit
lferent suits for criminal libel, bu
came out on top each time, and tn
editor had to write able editorials
with bull dog pistol in easy reach
. In a number of towns saloon
. keepers quit for lack OF patrons. II
''|fact this general movement wa
largely due to the woman's cru
|sade, when christian mothers, SIS
tiers and wives went to the saloon
land held song and prayer service
land were often insulted, and II
lsome instances refused admittance
land then they sang and prayed ant
|plead on the sidewalks and often il
1.-the mud. They we're scoffed q
C. and ridiculed, but don't know 2
u lanything that ever appealed to hon
lest, intelligent manhood as the cru
-|sade did. Though in most instan
Ices not acknowledging It as tn
cause. il was the foundation Z
many a reformation. The larges
public meetings were temperanc
meetings everywhere.
In 1880 Judge Harrington wa
elected president Of the 5. CT: v
'.and DR.. Gerrish president OF tn
y y Grand Temperance Council. Bro
2; Ross aud myself continued as SEE
retaries.
u T. A. Goodwin and other temper
ance veterans called state conveI
|tion to nominate prohibition ucl
ct. All our organizations were ol
posed to separate political actor
we advised the temperance peopl
to stay in their parties, attend y
primaries, nominate good men, an
|urre the enactment and enforcement
|of the laws. Mr.. Goodwin and otl
|ers insisted that the dominant pa
|ties were whisky soaked, and pa
|experience with the Baxter bill an
other efforts showed that the onl
hope for prohibition was the orga'
lixstion and success Of a party who
existence depended on outiawir
the liquor traffic;