Author Description

Purchase of this book includes free trial access to www.million-books.com where you can read more than a million books for free. This is an OCR edition with typos. Excerpt from book: CHAPTER HI PBEVIOr/S TEMPEBANCE MOVEMENTS.?DIFFERENT OPEMOITS CUBBENT.?AT THE BOOTS. Bepore considering the Gospel temperance plan of Mr. Murphy, it may be well?for the information of the reader? at this point, to consider, as succinctly as possible, the history of the various temperance movements in our own country. In the year 1651, by direction of a public meeting, the town of East Hampton, L. I., arranged itself against drunkenness, and a little later limited the amount of liquor to be sold. In 1676 the legislature of the State of Virginia passed a prohibitory act. In 1700 steps were taken at different points against the use of liquor at funerals. In 1777 the Continental Congress urged upon the State governments the prevention of the pernicious practice of distilling grain. In 1789 the first temperance society was formed in Litchfield Co., Conn. In 1795 Dr. Rush advocated total abstinence. In 1797 a religious opposition to the use of liquors inado its appearance among the Methodists, Presbyterians and other sects. Inl805 the Philadelphia paper makers formed a temperance association. In 1808 on account of the alarming increase of drunkenness, a Union Temperance Organization was effected in New York. In 1811 reform began in Philadelphia. In 1813 was organized the Massachusetts Society for the Prevention of Intemperance. In 1825, the advocacy of total abstinence again became somewhat formidable. In 1826 the American Temperance Society of Boston was organized; shortly after which societies sprung up everywhere throughoutUm country. In 1S27 medical societies declared against liqaora; religious assemblies declaimed against them; and prominent advocates of total abstinence appeared. Before the sloc of 1S27 two hundred and twenty-two societies were farmed, having thirty t...