Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1915-03-16
BRYAN DEALS BLOW
TO RUM AT MONSTER
TEMPERANCE RALLY
Great Army of Men and
Women, Estimated at
From 1000 to $4,000,
Sign Pledge to Fight
Booze" to the Death.

Religious and political faiths were for
gotten last night when more than 2O,OoC
persons, swayed by Secretary of State
William Jennings Bryan and occupying
every available inch of space in the
Ia abernaclc. Joined in one of the most i'm
| presslve temperance demonstrations ever
| seen in this city.
! II was the opening meeting of the state
| wide campaign for temperance under the
auspices Of the newly formed National
Total Abstinence Union An enthusiastic
| thrOng Of men and women estimated at
from 1lOOO to 1000, virtually mobbed
Secretary Bryan with pledges Of total
abstinence from intoXlCants. The pledges
had been distributed for signatures.
kneeling on the floor in a state of
mental and physical exhaustion after his
masterful address, Secretary Bryan, who
had promised to "counterslgn' every
pledge turned In, had to be rescued by
the police after afflxing his signature to
more than 1900 signed promises from his
hearers. Mrs. Bryan had attempted to
assist her husband to meet the demands
of the throng, but with the assistance
OF detail of police rescued her dlstln
gulshed husband after his hand, tired,
had dropped helpless at his side.
GREATEST RALLY IN COUNTRY.
- was a ulbllullt tOuElublOu TO what
was, in the opinion Of the leaders VINO
arranged the meeting, the most enthusi-
astic temperance rally ever held in this !
country and probably in the world It !
was also n Justification Of the theory |
that the people will respond more readily |
TO the old-fashioned custom of taking |
the pledge" Last nights demonstration. |
It is predicted, will go far toward ma
terially decreasing the demand for liquor
In the ohtire State, even without legisla-
tive action.
The time scheduled for the opening of
The meeting was Z oclocb. BY 6:l5 o'clock
he tabernacle was crowded to the doors.
Billy" Sunday hymns kept the crowd
Iusy until the choir started and "The
3rewers' Big Horses Can't Run over Me"
vas shouted with vim that shook the
'uilding from the ralters to the founda-
ions Central High School boys sang
| refrain, the burden Of which was the
tdvent of grape juice as the national
rink, and Penn, Swarthmore, Jefferson
ledico Chi and Hahnemann students and
upils from other schools added to the
with their class and col
'ge yells.
BRYAN AT HIS BEST
Secretary Bryan's speech was charac-
'ristic broadsde at the ''duor traffic. !
o astonished the audience Nuh the state
tent that the United States spent al
ost $500 cOO.OO annually for intoxicating
luors The appropriations for running {
le Government, he shouted. is less than /
Ms by one-haf.
"Nhe cost of the Panama Canal, he de-
ared, was approximately $iO0, 100000 as
not appalling" shouted Mr. Bryan, ito Q
ink that we spend for drink every year :
x times the cost of that gigantic work." Il
More than three times the amount ex- II
nded in this country for education in f
cry State goes to the liquor interests, d
pointed out. {
Il believe in the pledge" he shouted,
aspiration streaming from his face and I
most closing his eyes ~ began sign p
g the pledge before | can remember. X
have never failed to sign, if by signing II
could get some one else to sign with
g. And as long as l live | shall stand
ady to sign with any one and every 9
c,
The nation submits to liquor taxation h
lich Is five times as great as 1t would =,
rmit any political party to levy. Shut a
the demand and there will be no sale n
e drunkard comes from the moderate q,
mixer and not the total abstainer. The o,
G of alcohol not only lowers n mans
oductive capacity, but 1t imparts con- ir
tutional weakness to his offspring" pl