Alma record. (Alma, Mich.) 1878-1928, 1910-02-10
MRS. cALK|NS TALKS
State Secretary Of the State ". c. 7.
U. Lectures al Baptist Church
GENERAL OUTLINE OF WORK
10 Spite of Numerous Other Attractions
Good Audience Assemblies TO Hear Her

Mrs. l.. r. Calkins, Of Battle
Creek, state secretary Of the Wo-
mems Christian Temperance Union,
gave an instructive and interesting
address 10 a eood-sized audience at
the Baptist church last Monday
evening, under the auspices OF the
local organization OF the Union AL
though there were many other meet
ings of interest in the city Monday
night, the Baptist church was com
iortably filled
Mrs. Calkius address was upon the
development and progress of the
temperance movement in the United
States from its earliest inception up
10 the present time. The first tenn
pcrance society OF record was or
ganizcd in 1905 by Dr.. Lyman
Becchcr and DR.. Billy J. Clark, in
Saratoga county, New York state.
1t was only last year, 1908, that
centennial celebration was held in
New York in honor OF these two
men. Mrs. Calkins had the pleasure
of attending this celebration as a
delegate appointed by Governor
Warner. This first temperance or
ganization was the outgrowth of an
association whose object was to
check the consumption of distilled
liquors recommending that ferment-
ed beverages and stimulants should
be used in their place. In 1926 the
first American society for the Pro-
motion of Total abstinence was be-
gun, this being the first on record to
advise and work for total abstinence.
In this year also the first temperance
paper was published in Boston, un-
der the name OF the Philanthropic.
Fourteen years later, a purely moral
movement known as the Washing
ton movement had its start, and two
years later the Sons OF Temperance
were organized to remedy the de
fects which had crept into the
Washington movement In 1854 the
Good Templars came into existence
and then for twenty years little or no
material progress was made on ac-
count of the country's being so
wrought mp over the anti-slavery agi
tation and the Civil war. But in '73
the Women's Crusade sprung up
from which developed the Women's
Christian Temperance Union.
Mrs. Calkins pointed out that in
every true reform there were four
stages. The first was the stage when
dissatisfaction with existing condi-
tons made itself evident. 1t is this
dissatisfaction which starts the re-
form movement always The second
period is that period in which there
is much discussion of the questions
involved, the period of agitation. The
next. and perhaps one OF the most
vital stages, is that OF education,
when the public are instructed as to
the points under discussion. 1t was
at this stage of the temperance ques-
ton that the Women's Crusade ush-
cred in the organization of the w.
c. T. u. And now for thirty-six
years the people have been studying
the temperance question from every
point of view, and the time has ar
rived for the fourth stage, which has
already begun. That last period is
that of action. In this last period the
fate of a reform movement is set
tied. The general trend of the move
ment has been as outlined and re-
form never goes backward. 1t must
go forward, and Mrs. Calkins is con-
fident of sure and permanent vic
tory of the temperance forces. -