Orleans County monitor. [volume] (Barton, Vt.) 1872-1953, 1915-01-27
w. C r. u
ADVANCE In TEMPERANCE
THOUGHT.

recent meeting of the Barton w. C. T.
u. by the author.
The advance in thought in regard to
temperance can be illustrated best
perhaps by this little sketch taken
from the Union Signal. Twenty
four years ago a company of white
ribboners from all parts of the nation
met in Atlanta for national conven
ton and it is said by some of the mum
Der that the hOstelries of the city
where they stopped not only showed
some little unfriendliness but made
them feel that their presence was
unweIcome. On the evening of Nov.
IL, 1914 when the official train from
Chicago, carrying two hundred dele
gates, reached Atlanta, it was well
coined by one of tt e city's finest
bands;7 and the general officers and
| delegates were taken in luxurious
automobiles to their places of enter
tainment in some of the finest hotels
in the city. a drum and bugIe corps
preceding them" | believe one of the
most important factors entering into
this change is the education of the
people in regard to the effects of
alcohol. People have begun to THINK
think and then "goodby' to the liquor
traffic. Much advance has been made
; by bringing before the masses the
evils of lntemperance. There never
was a time when we did not know of
| the hideOuS work of the LIQUOR traffic.
We were not unmindful Of the horrors
caused by drink but it remained for
the w. G. T. u by constant agitation,
organization, and education to get at
the root of the matter, and science
! today lends her voice in declaring that
alcohol is the dread enemy of humanity,
able to destroy brain, tissue, nerve
and muscle. We read that the brewers
have no use for the physiology, which
the law secured by the w. G. T. u.
requires t. be taught in the public
schoo ;. nor do they approve of the
refor geography which is so rapidly
making the map all white.
When the children in the public
SCHOOLS are taught the effects of
tobacco and alcohol on the body, it
does more good than We imagine.
Newspapers have been a great factor
the advance of the temperance thought.
The papers have come to realize that
our organization is a live maker of
live news and they are willing to print
w. G. T. y. news and movements
The public is deeply indebted to this
organization for its educative work
against alcohol, as medicine It took
courage to attack alcohol in it's citadel
of medicine. but that citadel is now
nearly conquered The pu lie have
been greatly benefited in health and in
pocket by this agitation against harm
full patent medicines. Many Of the
better class drug stores now refuse to
sell habit-forming drugs and some Will
not sell alcoholic liquors even on pre-
scription. It was the w. G. T. y.
which began the publicity campaign
against the drug "dopes" in soft
drinks, which was later taken up by
the bureau of chemistry in Washing
ton.
Young men are led to realize that
business men want the young man who
does not drink This shows the boys
that if they wish to succeed in life.
they must let intoXicants alone. We
hear it said that the present war has
given the greatest blow to the drink
habit that the world has ever known.
While empires are lettering, states
men and people are beginning tC
realize the dangers of alcohol and all
nations are urging total abstinence for
their soldiers. William Jennings Bry-
an says, IF the soldier must give up
alcohol because it interferes with his
efficiency, why should not the civilian
promote his efficiency by giving it
up?"
There is an old saying which says
that Nothing succeeds like success
and prohibition has succeeded in all the
states that have the prohibition laws.
Kansas for instance, stands far in
advance of Missouri, which has many
more natural advantages. Prohibition
hac hi TO in
ia. When crime and drunkenness are
reduced to a minimum and jails are
almost empty in states where prohi
bition has been tried, it goes good
= way toward making thoughtful mer
and women see that what we want is
; map all white" (That time will
come when the women have the ballot
This is Gods work and Gods side
spells "Vctory."
If we have boys of our own we can
l not help feeling an interest in this
: great work, and any way there may be
! as the little poem says
, Somebody's boys in temptation
> Away from the shelter of home,
= Far from a mothers protection
And weary and sad and alone
: There are pitfalls at every corner
= Awaiting his soul to Destroy,
o voter, speak out at election
/ And help to save somebody's boy.
f Somebody's boy may be your boy
His eyes just the same shade of blue
g Some day your tears may be falling
The rum shops won t care if they do
It's theirs to ruin and trample;
To crush out all hope and all joy
Won't you go to the polls at election
And vote to save somebody's boy?
Mrs. Jennings.