The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1917-10-06

Doctor Sheldon has collected a
large amount of data which he will
present al a series of great mass meet
ings to be held in England, Scotland
and Ireland. These meetings ara
being planned out by the National
Temperance Federation of Great
Britain. DIR. C. B. Hunter, of New
castle-on Tyne, is president of the fed
GRAFTON. Doctor Hunter, who is
personal friend of Doctor Sheldon, IS
one of England's greatest shipbuild-
ers. In his yards at Newcastle were
constructed the Mauritania, the Lusa-
tania and other famous liners.
The federation of which he is the
head. represents a consolidation of
thirty different British temperance
societies. The present campaign has
nor been designed with a view to
bring pressure to bear on the British
government, but for the purpose of
educating the people, and particularly
the laboring classes of the country to
the evils of drink.
Drunkenness Among Women.
That these evils are an active men
ace in England at the present time
Englishmen are convinced. Accord
Ing to latest information received by
Doctor Sheldon on the situation, the
chief cause for alarm is prevailing
drunkenness among women. 1t is an
undisputed fact that in many parts
of England and Scotland drunken
women far outnumber the men Sol
diers' wives in many localities COM
monty spend the wages their hus-
bands send home, for alcohol.
A single instance will illustrate
this condition" said DIR. Sheldon. "A
soldier whose home was in one of the
beautiful English towns where 1 Wis
tied several years ago sent the f12
which he received from the govern
ment to his wife. The wife and
h
was on Friday. Saturday the wife
gave birth to twin children. Sunday
these children died Monday the
mother died. The next day the hus-
band returned home to find his en-
tire family in the grave"
Letter From Ripley.
Doctor Sheldon will take with him
statistics and official records which
establish formidable case for the
cause of prohibition. He has a letter
from President Ripley of the Santa
Re Vouching for its value to the rail-
roads, documents from the Kansas
state board of health; testimony of
members of the supreme court; the
Kansas Bankers ASSOCIATIONS official
acknowledgment of its value in COM
mercial life; an emphatic statement
from Maj. Gen. Leonard Wood on its
aid to individual efficiency; statistics
from the courts; records of juvenile
delinquents, etc.
The executive committee especially
requested of Doctor Sheldon facts
showing the value of prohibition to
the laboring class. He carries with
him the report of the assistant state
treasurer showing the present per
capita wealth in Kansas to be 1850.
the highest of any state in the union
He has record showing the increa Sc
in bank deposits from $4O,411,42O in
1892, twenty-five years ago. to the
present sum of s347.794,545.
His records show that three wears
ago Kansas was the healthiest spot in
the United States, with a death rate
of but 9.S per thousand, a record So
remarkable that government experts
were sent to substantiate the reDort
of j. w. V. Deacon, state Statistical
The record of disease and death in
Kansas as compared to other states
will be presented to the British pub
lie, and the clear differences as 10
the value of prohibition to che com
munity will be left to hardheaded
British common sense which mas a
passion for official records and statis-
tics He will close his tour late in
December. When he will go or when
he will return are not known, as the
sailings of vessels to European ports
are no longer given out in advance.