The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1905-03-10
WANTS HER TO
USE SPRING WATER
Miss SchaIIer PetitiOned Not to
Use Wine i'm Christening
the Minnesota

The young woman of this state,
who has been asked to chriSten the
new boat Minnesota, has, according
to report, been deluged with letters
from the w. G. I. L. asking her not
to use wine in the ceremonies which
will occur in April. Now Miss Schal-
Ter is a very charming young woman
and everyone is delighted to have
Minnesota represented by a girl who
is so popular among her friends, and
such credit in every way, but she
is faced with a question which might
well puzzle wiser and older heads
Before going into this subject let
it be said that this department is
for temperance, first, last and all the
time, temperance in all things, and
numbers among its friends members
of the organization in question, and
while not always agreeing with them
in everything, the purposes and aims
of the society are undeniably right
eous and undoubtedly 1t has done
much good.
But, it it is quite impossible to me
to understand how the cause Of tenn
perance or total abstinence is further
ed by the use Of water in christening
boat. Using a bottle of wine on
those occasions is nothing more than
a time honored custom, and would
hardly be given any consideration
were it not for the usual fuss made
about it by well meaning women.
Now, should not the w. c. T. L. be
glad of anything which does away
with wine, without pouring it down
the throat of man. and should not the
society be in favor, strictly speaking,
of christening anything and every
thing with liquor? What has pouring
a bottle of wine over a ship to do
with drinking? Perhaps this depart
ment is more than ordinarily stupid,
but it cannot see this point.
1t is conceded that the cause of tenn
perance is gaining everywhere, that
there is less drinking among men, al
though unfortunately it has been on
the increase among women, and much
of the good work done in the cause
has been accomplished 'by the w. c.
4. U. society and like bodies of wom-
Ell. But surely it is not we'll to allow
ones reasoning powers to become be-
1ogged because one believes in total
abstinence.
And, by the way, the word temper
ance in connection with this society
is mlsnomer; temperance implies
the use without abuse, but the w. C.
a. U. does not believe in the use of
liquor at all. 1t would have every
man, woman and child in the country
sign the pledge, whether lovers of
liquor or not. There are countless
persons for whom total abstinence is
necessary to keep them from excess;
there are others who would do well
TO take the pledge for the example it
sets to those about them who may be
tempted to drink too much. But the
Hquor itself is not wrong, nor the
taking of a drink a sin in itself. It is
the overindulgence in it which makes
the sin.
To go back to the original PROPOSE
flGn. the hTP9LSinO of q nF
at the christening of a boat, puts one
bottle on the temperance side Of the
question, and settles forever any
chance of its being consumed by a
man, which is what the total absti-
nence women are working for But
the using of spring water for that
purpose puts just so much good
drinking water out of commission and
one would suppose would be highly
ulsapproVed of by the w. c. T. u.
NOW, temperance in. all things i'm
plies moderation in speech, more or
less leniency Of judgment where frail
human beings are concerned, and a
certain tolerance toward those who
disagree with one. In this sort of
temperance, women who work against
the habit of drinking seem to be lack
ing. 1t is quite possible that man
or woman may take a drink without
taxing too much and without giving
scandal to their neighbors. Those who
cannot drink without giving scandal,
should give it up even if they know it
is not source of personal temptation.
For, We cannot any of us live for our
selves alone, but are intricately bound
up with the lives of those about us
and responsible for them in a wav. as
We'll as for ourselves
This is all said without any feeling
against the women who are doing
good work for the cause of total ah7
stlnence, virtue sadly needed by
many men and women. But it is quite
impossible to see how the breaking of
bottle of wine and the wasting of its
contents, can do aught but help the
good work along