The Saint Paul globe., 1902-02-17
WILLARD MEMORIAL
GREAT TEMPERANCE AnvocArr
EULOGIZED BY j. ID.
O'BRIEN
SIGNIFICANCE OF HER WORK
Temperance Question a Social Prob
lem ana Not Religious and Must
Be Solved Outside OF
Church.

i
John D. O'Brien delivered the address
at the Frances e. Willard memorial serv-
ices held at the Plymouth Congregational
1 church yesterday afternoon by the st.
Faul union, w. c. T. u. In his address
| Mr. OBrien paid a high tribute to the
memory of Miss Willard, and referred Ia
her as one Of those people who became
| SO great that the commonplace things in
their lives were forgotten in the interest
people took in the great things they ac-
compllshed. He spoke of her as a person
who was not for any place, but for
every place, and who was interested in
the great work which was her life mis-
sion because it was for the good Of man
kind
Mr.. O'Brien said anyone was able to
speak on the work of Miss Willard be-
cause the results can be seen on all
hands. 1t 1s~one of the features of the
cNAlzatlon which surrounds us, and if it
were removed one would notice its alb
sence. He drew an illustration from the
essay OF Jean Paul Richter in which the
world and all creation is pictured as it
would be il there were no supreme con-
trolling power over it, The vacancy in
that case is somewhat similar to the va
eancy that would appear in society were
the work of Miss Willard to be taken
away.
teal person, and for that reason the
speaker thought it appropriate that a
practical lesson be learned from tha
meeting. He said veneration for a de-
parted being should resemble the venera-
ton of the Chinese in remembering their
ancestors, simply a backward venera-
tlon which has for it's highest motive tte
enulatlng Of the personal characteristics
OF the departed. True veneration is that
worship of departed man that will lead
one to look forward to the elimination
OF all that was good and noble in his
conceptions. Then true veneration for
Miss Willard is to strive to accomplish
the great work that she began.
The temperance question is a social
problem, and like all problems of its ma
ture is one that is not to be solved in a
moment. 1t is question that calls for
the work of the best intellects the world
has produced in order that the best re-
suits may be gained from it's study 1t
IS a social Illness and like all ailments
of the body, requires the treatment pre-
Scribed by one who is specialist in his
line | would say that the thing which
is greatly needed in order to arrive at
the best results from the work applied
to this question is that an institute which
has for it's sole object the conducting of
Investigations on the subject be establish
ed. Such an institution would not cost
great deal for its support, and yet it
would be the source of great benefit to
the community.
THE Immediate work for the temper
ance organizations is to deal with the
American saloon. The saloon is an in
stitution that is peculiarly American in
every respect. There is no such an in
stitution in other countries. The great
evil of our saloons is not from a tenn
perance standpoint, for if nothing but
soft drinks were sold in them their great
est evils would still exist. The saloon
must be dealt with as the ideas Of those
who thoroughly understand the question
and are in positions where they have
power to suggest.
The temperance question is not a re-
ligious question, but a social problem
The religious beliefs Of people seem to
have little to do with the amount of in
temperance found in the country. The
United States has a great deal of drunk
enness. So does Presbyterian Scotland
and Catholic Ireland. 1t is not the case
with Mohammedan Turkey, for there is
less drunkenness in Turkey than in any
other country. This proves that the tenn
perance question is not to be settled by
the church 1t must be solved by the
people outside of the church, with the
aid of Christians.