The Caldwell tribune. [volume] (Caldwell, Idaho Territory [Idaho]) 1883-1928, 1913-10-31
THE OBSERVATORY.

hands an advance copy of Report
on Temperance, which, was this last
week to have been made to the Ma
tional Council of the Congregational
Churches of the United States at its
tri-ennial session at Kansas City II
is interesting as showing one of the
sources of the stream of reform from
alcoholic drinking which has grown
SO ~nightily during the last century
The Report says: -E
; 1.-THE use of ardent spirits had be-
come>well nigh universal IA hundred
years ago.] 1t was the common bev-
erage OF every day use by all classes
of the people. The appeal of Dr.. Ben
iamin Rush, who published in 1904 the
first scientific warning against its use,
had produced little effect. Intemper-
ance, with all its baneful issues. pow
erty, disease and crime, had been a
rapidly swelling tide. At last the
churches were beginning to realize
the sin and shame involved, and in
1911, the Conn. General Association
of Congregational Ministers had ap-
pointed committee to make inquir-
les and at the next meeting report
measures to remedy the evil. During
the interim, two local ordinations LOT
ministers] weTe held, at which the
drinking was excessive. AS was Gus
tomary, the liquors were provided by
the [church] Society. A broad side
board at the parsonage was covered
with decanters, bottles, sugar, and
drinking glasses. As the delegates
could not all drink at once, they wait
ed their turn. One attendant at one
of those ordinations testihes that the
sideboard with the spillings of water
sugar. and liquor, looked and smelled
like the bar of a very active grog-
shop;' and he further testi6es that the
maximum of hilarity' After both Of
these ordinations some members OIL
each local society complaiped because
of the expense for the liquors was sc
great. One of the clergymen was SC
alarmed and indignant that he regis
tered silent vow before God that he
would never attend another ordina-
ton of that sort. When the Conn
Association met in 1872, notwith-
standing such conditions. the commit
tee appointed to consider the. ques-
ton, reported that incompetence had
been increasing in a most alarming
manner, but that after most faithful
and prayerful inquiry they were oblig-
ed to confess thew did not perceive
that anything could be done. Instant
ly the minister who had made the vow
was on his feet 1t was the Rev. Ly-
man Beecher. Father of Rev. Henry
Ward Beecher.] He earnestly moved
that committee of three be appoint
ed to report at this meeting the ways
and means of arresting the tide of in
temperance 1t was appointed and
DR.. Beecher at it's head, and at once
reported such recommendation that
the wave of reform was started. which
has kept flowing to this day" DR..
Beecher in speech with his flaming
eloquence accompanying the report
on that occasion tremendously stirred
the Connecticut ministers. The Kan
sas City Report continues: GAS Con-
qregationalists, we may cherish justi-
cable satisfaction that this report OF
DR.. Beecher's on that June day in 1872
stands ausong the earliest and most
potential documents of the great Tenn
perance reform. . Let Lyman Beechel
tell of the immediate results:
All my exnectations were more
than verified. The next year we re.
ported to the Association that the eff.
feet had been most salutary. Ardent
spirits were banished from ecclesia sti.
cal meetings.; ministers had preached
on the subject; the churches generally
had approved the design; the use o.
spirits in the families and private cir
cles had diminished; the attention Of
the community had been awakened
the tide of public opinion had turned
fathers and mechanics had begun the
disuse of ardent spirits; the legisla
ture had taken action in favor of the
enterprise: Society for the Reforma
ton of Morals had been established
and ecclesiastical bodies in Other
states had commenced efforts agains
THE common enemy. And from thai
time the movement went on, by cor.
respondence. lectures, preaching, or
eanization and other means, not onl,
in Connecticut, but marching through
| New ENGLAND and marching through
the world. Glory to Cod
Is the world growing better? Well
ANYWAY, church gatherings do not sup
NV e"ests with ardent, spirits; or, no
alcoholic. at least.
NV father was nearly ostracized il
society at that time because on on,
occasion, he forgot to offer lieuor t.
some callers who came to congratulate,
him on his marriage: and not long af
ter he and two other country mer
chants and church members had t.
close out business in that town be
cause they agreed to no longer sci
| alcoholic, or rather distilled. liquors
although the reform movement die
not then require abstinence from wine
beer or fermented cider. Public senti
ment was then sufficiently aeains
them to withdraw patronage and Civ,
it to the stores who continued to sci
wet goods of all kinds One of my ia
theirs cousins was a hot temperance
advocate. and it was his lot to live II
a verv wet neighborhood. where h,
denounced LIQUOR selling, early ant
late: some of his friends demonstrated
with him for his vehemence. and tott
him the drinkers might burn hi.
buildings. His reply was, "Let then
do it: they'll only get a bushel o.
ashes" They didn't burn them, bu
honored the old man.
recall when the maine Law" wa.
passed bv the legislature of that state
| in 1871 ,od tha =, IL g, A.. e..