The sun., 1902-07-13
Women aud Temperance.

Women aud Temperance.
We print IN another column ~ thIs
paper letter from Mrs. MARY II HUNT.
the National Superintendent Of the de-
partment OF the Wouan's T"np-rance
Union which conccrns itself With scien-
tihc temperance instruction IN our
schools and colleges Mrs. HUNTS
letter ~ IN reply to an article IN TIE SrN
- long ago Published that we would b"
justified in declining To- print II, bu, We
respect 80 highly the motives Of these
good Temperance women that We arc
gl1I - give her a hearing in THk SrN.
THIS wo,nans Temperance movement
j. one of the lltes' of IN" organized at
'rnpfs IN this country to bring abou,
temperance reform, but II has dis'in-
g,.l,hci ,tsc ~ one ot the most influen-
tIa, and practically successful IN III"
whole history of an agitation Which
began vigorously century ago.
Under the stimulus of the zeal of the
first great American Temperance society.
founded at Boston IN 1879. the movement
had gained such headway seven years
tt'fs NlttNl V ~ ~ ANU F''f'hi''' '''''
more than million members, had been
forced aud 80 ucthlng Ike two thousand
dis',l'cr.es had hccn stopped. AZ the
population oi the t'nlon was then only
about thirteen millions, these resul,s.
It vii 30 secn were very remarkable
ll,c Washug,ori1n movement, which
succeeded II IN $40 had life of only q
few wears hut q made a great star during
- hrof existence It, great feature
waS pledge to abstain from drink
.rg to which Il obtained nearly three
quarters of a million signatures. The
later history of the Temperance agitation
i well known
Tho vCmcn's movement represented
hv Mrs HrNT had its immediate fore
runner IN the Temperance crusade In
Ohio of which the most notable feat
ure was prlviug IN liquor saloons. Tho
prc-an, SOC ctv is described "a the larg-
ct ever comp sod % women exclusively.
It i organized IN every State and Terri
tory and has branches in thousands OF
towns l,s badge is 4 knot Of white
ribbon. and there are said TO be ~ many
a. a quarter If "a million whlte-ribbon-
,rs in the United States. each Of whom
l. cyreo,ad 10 pray at noon Of every day
+ ? ~. overthrow of the liquor traffic.
The article To which Mrs HuNT takes
"yrrn, IN consisted chiefly of summary
oC a rapcr on the results Of the intro
drctl,n II the study of Temperance
rhvs.ologv in tho public schools. con-
tr.h rod 60 an educational review by a
Connecticut School Superintendent.
TN, instruction. introduced under
pressure from the women's temperance
society. lie cun,ended. is not 80 ei,iCscious
IN promoting practical Temperance @
ts or.ginators suppose /, To- be. Mrs.
HUNT takes issue with him on this point
and her argument is that slnce the intro
a dlrticn of ,h,s scheme of study ~ a warn
ing against the physical ills Of the use of
alcohol there has been noteworthy
growth If temperance We should
Ice .u,lucd. however, 20 refer this happy
result to other causes, and not tho least
cNc,cr' of thcm other jealous labors of
rh- great army oi good American women
she gepTeSrnts.
purins tho period 81 which she speaks
rhausc- IN social customs and practices
have toudrd 20 produce greater temper
aucc IN both eating and drinking The
.mr consumed at fashionable dinners
has boon much reduced and they have
b.sn ~inp'ihai. The long lists OF wines
formerly deemed obligatory at them
have h.on discarded and few only Of
,hr,o bpvera yes arr nos provided Tho
heavy drinking VI the past has cone 20
ho looked on as an evidence Of ill-breed-
ING expressing itsoif IN absence OF decent
self-con,rol or oi dcpiorable malady
In club. ani all congregations OF men
there - much less drinking than formerly.
Habits of temperance are made more
amt more rrqu-rt" by modern business
methods Tho dr7inknrd n no longer
tolerated as man Of an amlaDie weak
nos. but L. looked on as An offensive
person Of intolrrab,c habits, or a. proper
subject for restraint A. victim ~ a very
obnoxious form of insanity
How far this womens Temperance
m we hrn' st~'ll'tl'N nN pc'h '"'u'"'
tai IN bringing about - civilized trans
formation We cannot undertake. to de-
r..mtr". bu, that u has been beneficial
lu! tlp' ~ ,- 20 "vort way Credtable
q, mo scn'.' -p"ri 1t the multitude al
g1ut women ,psaE'i m u W" conccd6
willingly N.acn -u0"r more thar
any other pat Of H." community from
IN, eyli- caused bv alcoholic lntempcr'
aucc. Thcv scc y enter their homes ~
a hend which DESTROYS Their sons an
husbands aul they have goou reasor
tp haze the liquor trafic