The Owosso times. (Owosso, Mich.) 1897-1926, 1905-06-02
Profitable Temperance Meetings.


If all speakers on subjects relating to
temperance and temperance legislation
would use the same conservative argu-
ments which G. w. Morrow did in his
two addresses in this city on Sunday the
cause would be advanced at rapid
strides. Mr.. Morrow, who has recently
accepted the position as superintendent
of the Michigan Anti-Saloon League,
comes to Michigan from Vermont with
record of six years of highly success
full work. Judging by his work in
Owosso on Sunday the Vermont record
will be kept up in Michigan. No at
tempt was made by way of story telling
or abuse of liquor dealer to work upon
the sympathies of his hearers, his ap-
peal was rather along the line of i'm
pressing those present with the import
ance and the great gain to home and
country if the liquor traffic could be en-
tirely stopped. Mr.. Morrow said it was
not his purpose to condemn the saloon
keeper, for he was in the business be.
cause the people were willing he should
be. He called attention to the present
demand for sober young men, and
pointed out the dangers they are COM
PEELED to fight in order to succeed He
said that all employers were drawing
the lines closer by issuing orders forbid
ding their employees from even entering
saloons. He said the assertion was oft
en-. made that it was impossible to sue
cessfully conduct hotel without the
aid of a bar. This, Mr.. Morrow declar-
ed, was false; that the travelling men of
today were as class the best of men,
and as rule they are not drinkers; that
the greatest obstacle in the way of their
success is the saloon; that many man
has been made drunkard because the
saloon was placed in his way.
AT the present time time there is
call alike to the pulpit and pews for or
ganization to fight this greatest foe that
ever existed, and already the effects of
united efforts of the church were begin
ming to be felt by leaders of the liquor
traffic. The Anti saloon league unites
all religious denominations and political
parties, as no other organization had a
monopoly of all the good men and wo-
men. The league has three lines of
work, the educational, law and enforce
ment, and the legislative department.
The first was the work of agitation,
getting people aroused to the true con-
dition of affairs, and filling them with
enthusiasm and desire to do some
thing. The second department had in
charge the enactment of the right sort
of laws and their proper enforcement
The speaker said in his opinion the
average prosecuting officers and >legis-
lators wished to do the right thing, but |
in most cases they were afraid because
they had not the right backing by the
people. He said this was not a law and |
order league, but an organization |
which should support the officers in
their efforts to make and enforce good |
laws. He thought the citizens should |
make the complaints, assist in every |
way possible to obtain evidence which |
would convict offenders, and not be |
afraid of doing right themselves. An
other point emphasized was that the !!
liquor element recognized the import
ance of legal advice, and the saloon or
CARNATIONS employed the best attorneys
they could get to watch the bills intro
duced in the legislatures and see that as
many holes as possible are left in the
laws. He deemed it mistake to send
common men to the legislature to make
the laws, and thought it best to put
conscientious lawyers in the field to
draft good laws.
The addresses of Mr.. Morrow were
by splendidly rendered
songs by the famous Neal Dow quartet.
The three meetings, one in Corunna
and two in Owosso. were successful in