Webster City freeman. [volume] (Webster City, Hamilton County, Iowa) 1884-1946, 1915-02-23
BAPTIST BROTHER
HOOD MEETING
Interesting Addresses Delivered by
Local Speakers-Large
Crowd Present.

Ine meeting or the Baptist Broth
erhood Sunday night at the Baptist
church in celebration of the passing
of the prohibition law in this state
was largely attended in spite of the
inclement weather.
The choir rendered some special
music and N. ]. Loring presided
The first address was given by coun-
ty attorney J. e. Burnstedt upon
Iowa's Temperance Laws, Past and
Present. He said that the laws OF
any state were reflection of the
public sentiment of that state. In
the early days of the universe there
was no thought of restricting the
sale or use of liquor. The first re-
striction placed upon liquor in any
form was away back in 1852 when
Edward Sixth was disturbed by the
alehouses becoming too boisterous,
and parliament provided for a IL
cense to be issued and granted for
the convenience of the landlord. The
time was in this state, when the old
circuit rider or preacher after long
ride in the cold and disagreeablc
weather, felt that the first thins
he should be offered when he arriv-
ed at a hospitable home, was the
cordially emanating from jug.
These were God-fearing men, too
but public sentiment had not yet de-
veloped. In 1851, restriction upon
the sale and use OF alcoholic bever-
ages was passed. This was however
slight, and only led up to the first
prohibitory act in 1855. In 1857,
those who felt that personal liberty
was effaced by such an act managed
to have the proposition submitted to
the people, at which time the act was
held, to be unconstitutional and was
repealed. In 1860 the sale of beer
was legalized and later wine was
added to this, followed later by CT
der, after which the pendulum be.
gan swinging to the other extreme
and restriction was again attempted
In 1870 this was declared uncOnsti.
tutional, which it was, and in 1880
the; legislature submitted a constitu
tiUnal amendment to be voted upOr
by the people in 1882. This carried
Then began a period in which no re-
gard was shown for the constitution
the vets in one county were balanc'
ed by the drys in another, a chaos
which brought about the mulct law
which was as Mr.. 3urnstedt explain
ed it, a law which allowed a saloon
to flourish provided they paid theil
yearly tax of $500 in quarterly pay
ments and existed on account of fav.
orable public sentiment in the com
munity. Mr.. Burnstedt believes the
act of the legislature last week is
the end of liquor legislation in Iowa
He hopes to see further only an
amendment whereby any Legislature
of the future cannot pass against
this law.
After a song by the audience, Hon
Wesley Martin spoke briefly upon
"Higher Ground" He believes the
temperance cause is seeking higher
ground He spoke of the earliest
temperance agitation in New Yorl
state in 1909 when fine of p
cents was imposed upon anyone fol
drunkenness upon any day in the
year but July 4th and muster days
Woman is the real motive under
God for the suppression Of the liquor
traffic as well as other vice. The
temperance cause will never become
really successful until it becomes Z
part of the daily Christian life the
world over. John B. Cough struck
at the heart of the matter when he