Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1904-04-19
III
TEMPERANCE REFORM MOVE.
MENT STARTED BY THE ANTI.
SALOON LEAGUE.
"lowa Division of the Lincoln Legion"
Name of the New Organization -
Call for 100000 Volunteers to a Life
of Total Abstinence.

menC OF the Antl-SalOOn league, has
been instituted and has issued the first
official call for 100000 volunteers to
life OF total abstinence. The pledge to
be used is one written, signed and ad-
vocated by Abraham Lincoln.
1t is urged by the promoters of the
movement that of late years the total
abstinence and moral suasion work
has been sacrificed for the sake of ad-
vancing the legal side of this reform
1t is claimed that no reform movement
has been launched in Iowa during the
past ten years that is of greater i'm
portance to the social, commercial and
political institution of the state than
the Lincoln Legion.
The plan is to organize a depart
ment Of the legion in every county of
the state, each to have it's local Off
GERS and the state president to have
supervision of the movement in the
state. Reunions are to be held by
each society from time. TO time when
temperance programs will be carried
out and efforts made to secure signers
to the total abstinence pledge.
The Official Call.
The first official call sent out by A.
]. McColl president of the Lincoln Lee
gion of Iowa and signed by fifty promi-
nent educators, politicians and temper
ance reformers of the state is in part
as follows;
ITO those to whom these presents
may come and who favor sobriety and
oppose the saloon in Iowa, greeting:
eve the undersigned citizens of
Iowa and representatives of her lead
ing institutions, believing the time to
be ripe for a wide-sweeping, all per-
vading, total abstinence pledge sign
ing revival, do hereby make on behalf
OF her homes, churches, temperance Or
CARNATIONS industrial and political in
situations, the first official call for 100,-
900 volunteers in the Lincoln Legion
and do hereby request the constituents
of the Anti-Saloon League, the pastors,
churches, Sunday schools, young peo-
pies societies, public schools, colleges,
temperance organizations and like in
situations favorable to abstinence in
this commonwealth, to cooperate in Sc
curing the enlistment and enrolment
OF such members in the various COM
munities.
"a prompt response to this call will
help to insure the good influence and
success of the movement
"The Lincoln Legion stands for the
| following principles: First, tolerant
appeal for total abstinence; second, a
helping hand to the victims of drink;
third, opposition to the drink traffic.
Samples of enrolment cards, official
| badge and all other printed matter
necessary will be sent to those who ap.
ply under this call to The Lincoln Lee
gion, 415 Iowa Loan and Trust Build
| ing, Des Moines, Iowa."
History Of the Movement.
| The following interesting account of
the plans of the Legion has been sent
out from headquarters:
"The remarkable life of Mr. Lincoln,
| which has heretofore furnished inspir-
| alton for the reform OF liberating man
| from human bondage, is henceforth to
afford inspiration for freeing him from
the chains of appetite and passion for
strong drink.
| "The opening days of this century
have been characterized with quite a
successful effort to revive the work of
moral suasion by means of the total
| abstinence pledge. In searching the
records for the history of past total
| abstinence movements it was found
that Mr. Lincoln contributed a con.
siderable amount of energy and en-
thusiasm to the cause of this reform
| There are some few men and women
living near Springfield today who
signed the pledge in some of the meet,
/ ings conducted by Mr.. Lincoln. While
| he co-operated with the Washington.
| ian movement, yet the pledge he used
| in his work was written, signed and
advocated by himself, and reads as
/ follows:
Whereas, the use of intoxicating
liquors as beverage is productive OF
pauperism, degradation and Grim %;
and believing it is our duty to dis
courage that which produces more
evil than good, we therefore pledge
ourselves to abstain from the use OF
Intoxicating liquors as beverage"
Plan of Organization.
'The general plan of organization
will be to build up the Lincoln LIE
gion by securing the present organized
societies to unitedly promote total alb
! stinence There win be a simple form
of administration A captain will be
chosen for each hundred signers, who
also becomes a member of the local
| Anti-Saloon League board. A county
| president, who becomes a member OF
the county A. S. l.. board, and state
and national president, who become
members of their respective boards
"The badge for the crusade will be
beautiful button with miniature
picture of Mr.. Lincoln's face set in
4 the folds of old Glory Each pledge
signer will be entitled to the badge
| "Reunions and receptions will fire.
uuently be held by the subdivisions
for the purpose of cementing the feel
ing of fraternity among the workers
and also of lending inspiration to their
work. 1t is proposed that the legion
homo: the birthday of Lincoln each
year, and also that it shall do it's share
4 towards redeeming the Fourth of July
from the un-American manner in
which it is celebrated, and making OF
it a really patriotic occasion.
"The watchwords OF the movement
will be Love, Sacrifice, Service.
Love will inspire it's activities, while
| it's members will be willing to sacri.
4 fee for the other fellows sake. Ev.
cry effort will be put forth to redeem