Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1938-08-21
BY John Clagat Proctor.

p1Gy CnaC so many OF C1e Olu
temperance organizations. known
i to many of us in days gone by,
have ceased to exist, or lie practically
dormant today when there is SO much
good work which they might do-so
many valuable lives that they might
save from a drunkard's grave. But,
then, of course, this is q public matter
and maybe one of these days, when
the public realizes that something
must be done, then, and probably
not until then, will these old and
useful organizations be revived, or
new ones, with the same detectives,
formed.
Naturally, the present generation of
young people who need. most of all,
the help and teaching of temperance
bodies knows nothing of the good
work done by them in the days Of
their parents and grandparents, or
even at an earlier period. 1t took
more than 125 years 'of organized
temperance work in the United States
before the passage of the eighteenth,
or prohibition, amendment to the Con-
stitution, was secured, although 1t
was repealed in a few years. But
while these societies were active many
a person was redeemed from a life
of worthlessness and finished up his
career in the right direction. -
The first temperance organization
In the United States did not come
into existence until 1908. yet the tenn
perance question itself dates back to
the very beginning of the Republic.
In the District of Columbia it was
agitated from the beginning. par
ticularly because Of the number OF
drinking places then permitted to
exist here, there being at an early
date an estimated number Of 256 in
Washington, Georgetown and the
county. or an average of for every
80 persons. The late Mr.. w. B.
Bryan tells us that by 1912 the
average had become ! licensed place
to every 5l2 inhabitants, indicating
that at the latter date the situation
had greatly improved.
Mr.. Bryan also says that in the
early days of temperance bodies here
q distinction was made between dis
titled and fermented drinks. as in the
constitution of the Franklin Tenn
perance Society of Washington, hav-
ing a membership chiefly of printers,
which barred these forms Of liquors.
Except in cases of bodily hurt or
sickness" and the moderate use of
malt liquor. wine or cider was not
prohibited. Unfortunately, only the
names of the first three officers OF
this society have come down to us,
they being Reuben johnson, presi-
dent; A. Rothwell. vice president, and
S. A. Elliott, secretary.
The city directory for l843 gives
only the name of one of these pioneer
temperance workers. and this source
discloses the fact that by this date
Andrew Rothwell had left the case"
and was serving as the tax collector.
with an Office in the City Hall, and
residing on the east side OF Seventh
street between I street and New York
avenue NV.
An earlier organization than the
Franklin Society was the Temperance
Society of Washington. which held its
preliminary meeting in the City Hall
on July 81, 1923, and later selected
Mr.. William Cranch as president; Rev.
DR.. Robert B. Semple, vice president;
James L. Edwards, treasurer, and John
Coyle, jr., secretary. The directors
chosen we're the Rev. John Davis, the
Rev. Reuben Post. the Rev. Obedian B.
Brown. the Rev. Andrew Coyle and
the Rev. James H. Handy. Judge Will
liam Cranch was for many years the
chief justice of the District of Column
bia Circuit Court and a jurist greatly
esteemed and regarded even to this
day for his many valuable decisions.
From this date temperance bodies
sprang up rapidly, until within four
years a temperance union was formed
of the II organizations then existing.
OF this union of bodies Walter Lowrie,
the secretary of the Senate. was made
the first president; Judge Cranch, vice
president, and John Coyle, secretary.
Naturally of interest are the names
of those Washingtonians who repre-
scented their respective societies at the
forming OF the Temperance Union of
the District of Columbia more than
100 years ago. They were:
Washington City Temperance So
ciety-Dr. Thomas Sewall, Rev DR..
Laurie, Andrew Coyle. Charles H. Wilt
berger and John Coyle (the Rev. Mr..
Sargent, alternate for DR.. SewalD.
Union Temperance Society of Wash
Ward, j. c. Dunn, R.
Middleton. r. Orme and F. Howard.
Young Mems Total Abstinence So
eiety of Washington-R. P. Anderson.
z. W. Denham, Daniel Campbell,
James Brown and Michael Larner.
Navy Yard Total Abstinence Society
w. w. Lowe, William s. Walker, Will
liam Speiden, William Martin and
Thomas o. Summers
James L. Edwards. Samuel Mckinney,
John S. Nevins, Paul Stevens and B.
M. Miller.
Temperance Society of the Methodist
Protestant Church, Georgetown-Paul
Stevens and Joel Brown.
Alexandria Temperance Society,".
Smith, H. Stringfellow. c. F. Lee, J.
Vanzant and John Withers
Temperance Society of the Methodist
Church, Alexandria-Wil-
liam Veitch, Benoni Wheat, John
Wood, Benjamin Waters and DR.. JOS
eph Wheelwright.
Rock Creek Temperance Society,"
The Rev. c. Wiltberger, Washington
Berry, George H. Marshall, Caleb Per-
kins and Enos Ray.
Eastern Temperance Society of
washington-William Doughty, ST.;
James Friend, George H. Grant,
Thomas Blagden and William Doughty,
II.
Tenleytown Temperance Society
Joseph Foreman. George Shoemaker,
Aza Gladman, Daniel Lightfoot and
John Harry.
As early as July 1, 1885, we find this
body meeting in the Methodist
Episcopal Church in Alexandria. then
, part of the District of Columbia, at