The Alaska citizen., 1916-06-12
Q 0 . Q Q Q c c . . . .
WHY ABSTAIN? ?

Address d llEcTtL bt tA-StCItlai. ol State Bryan al Philadelphia, March l5, 1915. under the Auspices of the National Abstainers Union.
 Mir Chairman, Ladies and Gen uemen; (This being men's meei- ing there was laughter and applause when the ladies were included ill the opening sentence).
 You need not laugh at the word ladies" for there are a few ladies here on the platform. and am speaking through you to a large number of ladies who, though at home, are as much interested in this meeting as you are. am proud to participate in this great temperance meeting. l have no reason to doubt the statement that has been made in your presence to- night-namely, that this is the laTE- est gathering of men ever assembled in the United States al a temper ance meeting The National Ab- stainers Union is built upon the broadest of foundations It wei, comes to its ranks those of every creed. The two letters read tonight show how comprehensive is the in terest felt
 THE MOVEMENT ENDORSED.
 I need not emphasize the value of the support promised by MT. Sun day. Dr John R. Mott is one ot the most eminent of the Christian laymen of American and I am glad that the movement has his endorse ment. am gratified, too, that Archbishop PendergTast has given to this meeting the splendid sup port of his emphatic approval. Con gress man Logue, member Of th' reception committee tonight who has long been identified with thr temperance movement In this city, informs me that the Catholic total abstinence societies of the city have an enrolment of more than seven teen thousand members. You ma! be interested to know that the two temperance speeches which l haya made in recent years to large audi ences were made, the first one at Chicago under the auspices of the Catholic Total Abstinence Union of the United States, and the second at Atlantic City before the General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church. I hope that this organization may be able to bring into effective CO., operation all the believers in total abstinence, without regard to race, creed or party.
 PURPOSE OF THE MEETING.
 This meeting Is held for a spc- cific purpose, and that purpose Is to deal with one of the greatest evils which afflict society. It is not to be compared in Its breadth and depth of interest, with the series of meetings which have been held here by MT Sunday. He, with the support of the ministers of the city, has been appealing to the men and women of Philadelphia to consider the greatest subject with which man has to deal, namely, religion. Re ligion has been defined as the rela- tion that man fixes between hi!u~ self and his God and nothing is in the same class with it, because nothing else affects, as religion does, the entire life and all it's activities. When mans heart has been brought nto harmony with the will of the Heavenly Father, the whole life is regulated because the heart is tho center and source of the influences that control life. Tonight we deal with but one of the outward mani festations of this inward relation with one habit-namely, the drink habit and cannot hope to present a stronger indictment Of the habit of liquor drinking that MT. Sunday has already presented to this audi ence. No one can surpass him in portraying the evils of intemper ance or the value of total absti hence, but I venture to present the subject as it appears to me, in the hope that I may be able to reach and influence some who have not yet joined the total abstainers. Be fore taking up the arguments in favor of total abstinence, let me call your attention to the importance of the subject
 $2,5oo, 100000 SPENT FOR DRINK
 ANNUALLY.
 It is estimated that the people of the United States spend almost two billion and a half annually for intoxicating liquors. It is difficult for the mind to comprehend so large a sum unless we resort to comparl sons. Let me suggest a few.
 It has recently been stated on high authority that the cost of the wal now raging in Europe reaches the enormous total of three hundred and seventy-five millions a week-ol more that fifty millions day. Il this is true the drink bill of the United States would carry on the war for six weeks-and that means