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WASHINGTON,GOK 
ItlOlOItOST.OOSTOV THE 
Washingtonian Home 
AND ITS 
SIXTEEN YEARS' WORK. 
AN ADDRESS 
DELIVERED AT THE 
DEDICATION OF ITS NEW BUILDING, 
(NO. 41 WALTHAM STREET, BOSTON.) 
Sunday, December 21, 1873, 
By OTIS CLAPP. 
SOUTH FRAMINGHAM: 
THE J. C. CLARK PRINTING COMPANY, 
1874. The new building erected for the Washingtonian Home, at 
No. 41 Waltham Street, near Washington Street, was dedicated 
on Sunday, December 21, 1873, at 3 o’clock, P. M. The services 
consisted of reading the scriptures and prayer by Rev. Edward 
Everett Hale. A hymn was sung, written by M. M. Allen, Esq. 
Hon. S. B. Stebbins made a report in behalf of the Building 
Committee, giving an account of the land, building, cost, etc. 
The following address was then read by Otis Clapp. After the 
address, short and interesting speeches were made by Messrs. 
Judge Randolph, of Providence, R. I., Charles T. Congdon, of 
Lynn, H. S. Woodworth, of Providence, David Perkins, of 
Hingham, and Dr. Day, of Wakefield. 
The following account of the building is taken from the 
“Report of the Inspector of Buildings, for the year 1873.” 
“Situated on Waltham Street near Washington Street, Ward io. Main 
building has a frontage of 82 feet on Waltham Street by 40 feet deep, with a 
wing 30 feet wide by 52 feet long, extending to the rear opposite the centre, 
and at right angles with the front. The front has a basement nine feet above 
the sidewalk, faced with Rockport granite, and above this, four stories of face- 
brick, with corner quoins, door and window trimmings of Nova Scotia stone, 
surmounted with a bracketed iron cornice, and the whole covered with a flat, 
non-combustible roof. The wing is three stories high, including the base- 
ment. and has a pitch roof covered with slate. The main entrance is situated 
in the centre of the front, and an ascent of fourteen steps is made from the 
street to the first floor, through a vestibule 10 feet wide by 13 feet long. 
Opposite this is located the main staircase, which is enclosed on three sides by 
brick walls, 12 inches thick. The basement of main building is occupied 
by the laundry, mechanics’ work-room, store-rooms, and superintendent’s 
dining-room and kitchen. The basement of the wing contains the main din- 
ing-room 30 x 27 feet, and in the rear of this the culinary department. 
Each floor of the main building has a corridor six feet wide running through 
the centre, parallel with the front, with apartments front and rear of the same, 
with bath-room, etc., on each floor. The business offices, general parlor, and 
superintendent’s apartments are on the first floor. The second, third and 
fourth floors contain the patients’ rooms, which average 11x15 feet: in size. 
The hospital and servants’ rooms are on the first floor of the wing. The 
chapel 27 X50 feet, is on the second floor of the wing. The building is heated 
by steam, from a boiler located in a fire-proof apartment outside the main 
walls of the basement. The entire building is fitted up in a neat, substantial 
manner, but without any superfluous ornamentation. All possible precautions 
against fire have been taken in the construction of it, and the work has been 
done in strict conformity with the building law. Architect and superintendent, 
W. P. Wentworth. Builders, Hewitt and Webster, masons; E. B. Wither- 
spoon, carpenter.” ADDRESS. 
The erection and opening of a new building for the use of the 
Washingtonian Home, seems to call for a brief review of what it 
has accomplished in the past; and what are its purposes and 
wants, to enable the institution to fulfil its mission in the future. 
The Home was organized and commenced its work in Novem- 
ber, 1857. It has therefore been in operation over sixteen years. 
It was among the first, if not the first, to open its doors to care 
for, and to cure the inebriate. It started with small means, 
and had a hard struggle for existence. 
On the 26th of March, 1859, the Legislature granted an Act 
of Incorporation, and also a grant of $3,000. This enabled the 
corporation to meet its obligations, and to go on with their work 
with more ease and satisfaction. 
As reports of the work have been published each year, it will 
be unnecessary to enter into details. 
In this period of sixteen years, the Institution has been carried 
on at an expense of $157,000. It has in this time had under 
charge 4210 patients. This makes the average cost of each 
patient about $38. 
Out of the whole number of patients, it is believed that at 
least one-third have been permanently cured; and that more 
than one-half of the remainder were greatly improved. 
Of the money raised to support the institution for the sixteen 
years of its existence, $61,000 was contributed by the state ; and 
the remaining $96,000 from private sources. Besides this, the 
corporation have raised funds to the amount of over $100,000 
with which this building has been erected. 4 
The Home has now a building designed expressly for its use. 
It is well located, well arranged, well built, and well supplied 
with modern appliances, to promote the health and comfort of 
patients. It has, fortunately, means to pay its cost. Its wants, 
however, are still large, for means to support free patients, and 
those partially free. 
We have the “Nabby Joy Fund” of $2,000, the interest of 
which is devoted to this object. Funds for this purpose need 
to be largely increased. Also funds for more completely furnish- 
ing this house. Intemperate men, willing to reform, have usually 
exhausted their means of support. We therefore earnestly solicit 
from the benevolent, funds for the purpose of providing free beds, 
for hopeful cases that need them. There is no investment in 
money, or effort, that returns to society better dividends — pecun- 
iary, social, or moral — than those which intelligently aid the 
inebriate to regain his lost power over himself. 
Every dollar that is intelligently and wisely spent to cure 
intemperance, helps to reduce the number of imbeciles, paupers, 
insane, and criminals. 
As an illustration of this, Dr. Crane, an English physician, 
says, “the children of inebriates have twenty-nine times as many 
idiots among them, as the children of the temperate.” 
The Home commenced operations, and remained a few months 
in Fulton Street. It then occupied a house in Franklin Street; 
and subsequently at 36 Charles Street. In 1861 it leased the 
building on Washington, near Dover Street, which it has occu- 
pied until this time. In 1864, at the earnest request of the 
owner, we purchased this Washington Street estate for $27,500. 
There were two stores on the street, which were let at a low 
price. This proved a fortunate purchase. The estate nearly 
doubled in value on our hands; and the rents more than 
doubled. The purchase also saved us from an increase of rent, 
with the increase in valuation. In 1866 a legacy of $25,000 was 
made to the Home by Joshua Bennett, Esq., which was placed 
in the hands of Trustees, and thus formed the nucleus of a 
“building fund.” As the building then occupied was not adapt- 
ed to our wants, a lot was purchased in 1870, on the corner of 
Warren Avenue and Dartmouth Street. Plans were prepared, 
and a building commenced : when the City concluded to purchase 
it, as a site for school houses. The sale of these two estates 
gave a profit of about $50,000. This, with the Bennett legacy of 
$25,000; of subscriptions to the building fund in 1864-5 °f 
$9,000; and then again in 1871-2 of $6,582.; together with sun- dry legacies and interest, have increased the building fund to 
about $100,000. With these funds, the land was purchased, and 
this building erected thereon. 
The contributions made to this Institution, its officers have 
regarded as a sacred trust, to be used for the benefit of those 
only, whom it was intended to help. They therefore feel no small 
degree of satisfaction in giving an account of their stewardship. 
For the $257,000 which has come into its treasury in sixteen 
years, about $100,000 has gone into this building. The balance, 
about $157,000 has been expended in current expenses. This 
has supported 4210 patients, up to December 1st, 1873. Of 
these, about 2000 were free, or non paying patients. 
Who can estimate the moral, social, and material gain, which 
has resulted to society, by restoring to themselves, so large a 
number? Who can measure the happiness which has entered 
the households of hundreds and hundreds of families, through 
the help of this agency ? 
The question of establishing Inebriate Asylums is now receiv- 
ing much attention, in various parts of the country, and new 
ones are being organized. 
A few extracts from the Pennsylvania Board of Charities, will 
show how they view this question. 
They say; “ The most prolifiic source of disease, poverty, and 
crime, is intemperance. If anything could be done to prevent 
social drinking, the great army of drunkards which now invade 
society, breaking the peace of myriad households, and impairing 
the public wealth, this great army would dwindle into insignifi- 
cance. How to compass that end is a problem which may well 
engage the attention of wise statesmen and brave patriots.” 
Again, “ We have spoken of intemperance as a fruitful source 
of pauperism and crime, and it is doubtless the proximate cause 
of nine-tenths of the idleness, brutality, and vice, which afflict 
society.” 
“When society shall eliminate from its feculent places the 
material out of which drunkards are made, and by prevention, cut 
off that perpetual supply of recruits which has heretofore come 
up in long succession, from the hovels of the hoary veterans in 
vice, an efficient step will be taken towards the reduction of our 
vast outlay for the support of the wibecile and the insane, the pauper 
and the criminal.” 
“ The Board of Managers believe,” they continue, “ that such 
asylums are needed, not merely in central situations, but in every 
senatorial district in the state, with an industrial and educational 6 
department attached to them ; that they should not be large nor 
expensive; fifty inmates being enough for a single home.” 
They speak of certain Inebriate Asylums, and add, “ It is a 
well proven fact, that an incomputable amount of good has been 
done in this way: that men have been enabled to regain their 
lost manhood by surrendering themselves to the restorative influ- 
ences of these asylums.” 
In allusion to a large class of inebriates, they say, “ For the 
most part they fulfil a large share of the duties of life, of self and 
family support. Their example is vicious. Their excesses are 
often violent, and many times dangerous to the peace of home 
and the community. But these causes must still be dealt with 
without restraint of freedom, and undoubtedly the larger responsi- 
bility of the correction of this manifold evil lies upon the state.” 
It will be an auspicious era for humanity, when all recognize 
this responsibility, and attempt to apply a remedy. 
There is in man a natural thirst for pleasurable excitement. 
Hence the resort to stimulants, to effect this object. Is there 
not a better way ? 
It is surprising, as well as beautiful, to see how self-knowledge 
will open the resources of change to relieve the mind when 
weighed down by misfortune, or disease. God has not left man 
to perish without natural remedies when he violates the natural 
laws. The numerous faculties of the mind, separately and in 
combination, are capable of an infinite variety of action. In 
this vast variety — let them be closely studied — and it will be 
found that every man, in good health, has inexhaustable sources 
of joy, comfort, consolation and encouragement — within him- 
self— always at command — if he will only look for them. He 
has powers of reflection, of self examination, and can study 
the past in his experience, and the future by the aid of 
practical knowledge. He has the senses, and perceptive facul- 
ties — to look around him — and to see that all. nature is so 
placed as to aid him in whatever is right, in whatever is good. 
The more he studies God's laws, the more he will be disposed to 
obey them — as the only method of securing success and happi- 
ness. Bad habits, when they are understood, will be avoided as 
poison — as the certain causes of misery. 
“ To inherit a vicious organization,” says a medical writer, “ is 
a terrible calamity. To transmit to ones offspring, as the conse- 
quence of voluntary habits is a heinous crime. And yet, how 
often is this done ! And how little is it thought of ! How seldom 
does a parent reflect that his indulgence of appetite may brand the soul of his unborn offspring with indellible curses ! To what 
extent the evil propensities of the present generation are entailed 
from the past, through animal indulgences that might have been 
avoided, it is not in the power of man to fathom. But we know 
the fact; we know the law. Let not the sweetness of sensualism, 
or the seductive influence of custom, pervert the understanding, 
or corrupt the moral sense, or deaden the conscience.” 
The reports on the insane, and idiotic, are full of facts and 
illustrations, which confirm this view; and which show how the 
sins of the fathers are visited upon the children unto the “ third 
and fourth generation.” In other words, how propensities and 
diseases, are entailed from one generation to another. Every 
case, therefore, of reform and cure, is not only a gain to the 
sufferer, to his family, and to the community; but is a check to 
this terrible entailment of disease. Hence the importance of 
cultivating a sound mind, in a sound body. * 
How hard it is to change habits once fixed ; and drinking 
habits are among the hardest to change. It can only be done 
by a strong effort of the will. This effort, but few are willing to 
make. Nevertheless, it can, and should be made. We are told, 
God created man in his own image ; that he breathed into his 
nostrils the breath of life, and man became a living soul. He 
blessed him, and said be fruitful and multiply — replenish the 
earth and subdue it — have dominion over every living thing that 
moveth upon the earth. He created him with faculties, which, 
when rightly used, enables him to fulfil these commands. Intem- 
perance impairs, and destroys them. But the power which 
creates, also repairs, regenerates, and restores; when this is desired, 
and sought for. 
When the Lord planted the garden of Eden ; in which was 
made to grow every tree that is pleasant to the sight, and good 
for food ; with the tree of life in the midst of the garden, and 
also the tree of knowledge of good and evil; he put man and 
woman into it, to dress it, and to keep it. 
The Lord commanded them as to what they might do. Also 
what they should not do, lest “thou shalt surely die.” Now the 
Serpent was more subtile than any beast of the field, and said 
unto them, “ye shall not surely die.” He said also, “your eyes 
shall be opened, and ye shall be as gods, knowing good and 
evil.” They accepted the beguilings of the Serpent, and thus lost 
their place in Paradise. In this way was “Paradise Lost.” But 
a way was opened to “Paradise Regained.” When man follows 
the impulses of his lower, or Serpent nature, he expels himself 8 
from the garden of Eden. But when he resists the Serpent, and 
plants his life in and upon the Lord’s Divine Precepts, which are 
opened to him through his higher nature — then, will Paradise 
be Regained. 
Intoxicants, are among the Serpent’s main forces to work with. 
These forces can be overruled, if not destroyed, when society is 
ready to do its duty. 
We may gain valuable lessons in the prevention of evil, by refer- 
ence to Cyrus the great, the founder of the Persian Empire, 
nearly six hundred years before the Christian era, as recorded in 
Rollins’ Ancient History. 
“ The public good,” says the historian, “ the common benefit 
of the nation, was the only principle and end of all their laws. 
The education of children was looked upon as the most import- 
ant duty. Food was selected with reference to laying the foun- 
dations of health. Boys went to school to learn justice and 
virtue, as they do in other places to learn arts and sciences.” 
“ The design of the Persians in all their wise regulations, was to 
prevent evil, being convinced that it is much better to prevent faults, 
than to punish them : and whereas in other states the legislatures 
are satisfied with enacting punishments for criminals; the Persians 
endeavored so to order it, as to have 710 criminals amongst them.” 
Cyrus was educated in this manner, and surpassed all of his 
age, not only in aptness to learn, but in courage and address in 
executing whatever he undertook.” 
When Cyrus was twelve years old, his mother took him to 
Media to visit his grandfather, Astyages, king of the Medes. 
Pride, luxury, and magnificence reigned here universally. As- 
tyages himself was richly clothed, had his eyes colored, his face 
painted, etc. All this finery did not dazzle Cyrus, who adhered 
to the principles he had imbibed in infancy. At a grand feast, 
Cyrus was appointed cup bearer; and he omitted an essential 
ceremony, that of tasting. They thought he had forgotten it. 
No, replied Cyrus, “ it was because I apprehended there was 
poison in the liquor. Poison, child ! How could you think so ? 
Yes; poison, papa, for not long ago, at an entertainment you 
gave to the lords of your court, after the guests had drunk a 
little of that liquor, I perceived all their heads were turned, they 
sung, made a noise, and talked they did not know what; you 
yourself seemed to have forgotten that you were a king, and that 
they were subjects and when you would have danced, you could 
not stand upon your legs. Why, says Astyages, have you not 
seen the same thing happen to your father? No, never, says 9 
Cyrus. How is it with him when he drinks ? Why, when he has 
drunk his thirst is quenched, that’s all.” 
Such was the theory and practice of government in Persia, 
nearly 2500 years since. 
Which affords evidence of the highest civilization ? A com- 
monwealth that gives its children a common school education, 
that only the intellect — and then leaves them to float, 
either into the straight and narrow path of virtue — or into the 
broad road that leads to almshouses, prisons, etc.—provided at 
vast expense — or a commonwealth, which “ endeavors so to order 
it, as to have no criminals amongst them ? ” 
The material, social, and moral devastations of intemperance, 
are greater than war and fire combined ; besides being aids to 
both. . Its expense to the state, as a corporation, large as it is, 
is but a fraction of that which burdens the community. Exper- 
ience shows that these expenses may be largely reduced, by a 
judicious and economical system of prevention. This, however, 
is ignored by our legislators, committees, and others in charge of 
of our public charities. Their theory is, that this can be better 
done by private philanthropy. Suppose it can. Does this place 
the burden where it belongs ? Public and private philanthropy 
should join in this work, and for these reasons. 
The liquor interest makes one of the largest and most lucrative 
branches of trade in the world. The value of liquors sold in this 
country, in one year, is estimated by the Bureau of Statistics at 
$600,000,000. 
The cost of intoxicating liquors used in England, as given from 
official sources, in four years ending in 1869, averaged $563,000,- 
000 per year. In 1872 it reached the sum of $658,000,000. 
This includes the cost of liquors only, and not the cost of sale. 
If these are included, the cost of liquors used in the United 
States and England, woud be sufficient, in a single year, to pay 
our national debt, and leave $163,000,000, unexpended. 
Have those engaged in this traffic ever shown a desire to meet 
the burdens which their traffic inflicts upon the community ? So 
far from this, is it not well known to be otherwise ? Why then, 
should those who thrive by this traffic escape a moderate tax to 
prevent and repair some of its evils ? Can it be called wise 
statesmanship, enlightened charity, or fair dealing, to thus ignore 
all efforts to curtail this enormous evil; and to throw the burden 
on those who have had the least to do with creating it ? 
The commonwealth which multiplies and fills almshouses, 
prisons, and lunatic asylums, without an effort to prevent tfyc necessity 10 
therefor, neglects the most important half of its duties. Experi- 
ence has shown that it is comparatively easy to raise money in 
sums from one to two hundred thousand dollars, to multiply 
cells, in jails, 7 1-2 feet wide, by 9 1-2 long, and high, at a cost of 
$2,000 each, as places for detaining the drunkard: but when one 
twentieth part of this sum is asked for, to reform, and restore him 
to himself, t« his work, to his family, and to society, it is declined. 
The fact is stated by the Board of Charities, that we have in 
this State certainly 5,000, and probably 7,000, Defectives. “We 
must calculate,” they say, “ upon having one defective for every 
250 sound working members of society.” Would it not be well 
to “ calculate,” first, the possibility of reducing this number ? 
And, second, how to put in operation forces to effect this object? 
The same Report gives the number of Commitments in State, 
and County Prisons, as 20,081. Of these, 11,626 — near 58 per 
cent. — were for drunkenness; and the other 8,455 are largely 
attributable to the same cause. The number of paupers sup- 
ported, and relieved, in the State, is given thus: — Full Support, 
5,311; Partial Support, 23,755 ; Insane, 3,352 ; Vagrants, 25,090. 
Here are some 77,500 souls; a burden upon the community, and 
three-fourths of this burden is traceable to intemperance. What 
a field is here for the work of prevention ; or, in the language of 
the prophet, “ to build the old waste places;” “ to raise up the foun- 
dations of many generations;” “ to be called the repairer of the 
breach, the restorer of paths to dwell in.” How is this duty met? 
Every citizen owes allegiance to the Commonwealth, as the 
mother of us all; and this mother owes a duty to all her chil- 
dren. This duty the State so far recognizes in her laws, as to 
require that every child shall be furnished with a Common School 
education. But the education of the intellect merely, in the com- 
mon branches of knowledge, does little or nothing towards pre- 
venting the prevalent demoralization. This can only be done 
through the regeneration and education of the will. The care 
of the State, however, does not stop with the School. Her laws 
require that all shall have when needed, and according to their 
needs, either an almshouse, an imam asylum, or a prison ! Here 
their duties cease. They decline all aid to stop them on way 
from the school to the prison. Can it be this to which Shake- 
speare has reference, in these lines ? 
Is not this acting towards the inebriate the part of the priest 
and Levije, who, when they saw their brother stripped and 
“ Alas, poor country! It cannot 
Be called our mother, but our grave. 11 
wounded, “ passed by on the other side,” instead of acting the 
part of the good Samaritan, “who bound up his wounds, and 
took care of him” ? “ Which now of these three,” asks the Lord, 
“ thinkest thou, was neighbor unto him that fell among the 
thieves?” The answer was, “He that showed mercy on him” 
Then said Jesus, “Go and do thou likewise.” Here our duty is 
simply and plainly given. It cannot be innocently neglected. 
Nor can we, innocently, let the public go to sleep over the mat- 
ter, and thus avoid a duty second in extent and importance to 
none which affects the health, the prosperity, and the morals of 
the community. The time is fast approaching when we must all 
answer this question, and take the consequences of our answer, 
viz: “ When saw we thee a hungered, or athirst, or a stranger, or 
naked, or sick, or in prison, and did not minister unto thee ?” 
“Then shall he answer them, saying, Verily I say unto you, Inas- 
much as ye did it not to one of the least of these, ye did it not to me.” 
There is no question which confronts Church or State, in a 
moral, social, medical, industrial, or financial point of view, 
which presents more destructive proportions, and is therefore 
more practical, than this. And yet, both stand confessedly pow- 
erless to stem the current; and are making but moderate efforts 
to arrest the evil. Millions are spent upon courts, jails and 
prisons, to punish the evil — but scarcely a dollar to prevent it. 
Statesmanship, so called, meets the evil in willing blindness, and 
allows it to run its course. The Church, also, fails to realize, to 
invoke, and to apply the Divine forces of the Golden Rule, as 
the only complete and effectual remedy for the cure of this dis- 
ease. 
This matter needs to be brought home to the common sense, 
intelligence, judgment, and conscience of the whole community. 
It only needs to be grappled with by the collective community, 
with as much energy and interest as is given to business and 
pleasure, to work a thorough revolution. Is not this effort due 
to the Creator, and to His fallen children ? 
Let no inebriate or friend be discouraged at the formidable 
character of the work which lies before him. Nothing can be 
more simple, or grand, or majestic. It is simply to “cease to do 
evil, and learn to do well”—to resist, and overcome a diseased 
appetite. In short, to obey the Divine Commandments. The 
Word is full of promises of aid to those who ask it with the whole 
heart. The Divine promises, unlike those of man, have within 
themselves a certainty of fulfillment. They always hold good — 
yesterday, to-day, and forever. We are told that Go<J renewed 12 
his promise, through Moses, to the children of Israel, to bring 
them out of the cruel bondage inflicted upon them by the Egyp- 
tians. It is questionable whether the bondage of the Egyptians, 
or even that of Pharaoh, was more cruel than that of King Alco- 
hol, whose dominion and burdens are self-imposed by his willing 
subjects. Does any one desire freedom from this bondage ? 
If so, he has only to transfer his allegiance from this King to 
the King of Kings. The Lord said unto the prophet Jeremiah : 
“Go and proclaim these words towards the North, and say, 
Return, thou backsliding Israel, saith the Lord, and I will not 
cause mine anger to fall upon you; for I am merciful. Only 
acknowledge thine iniquity, that thou hast transgressed against the 
Lord thy God, and hast scattered thy way to the strangers under 
every green tree, and ye have not obeyed my voice, saith the 
Lord. Turn, O backsliding children, saith the Lord, for I am 
married unto you: and I will take you one of a city, and two of 
a family, and I will bring you to Zion : And I will give you pas- 
tors according to mine heart, which shall feed you with knowledge 
and understanding.” Again, says the same prophet, “If thou 
wilt return, O Israel, saith the Lord, return unto me ; and if 
thou wilt put away thine abominations out of my sight, thou 
shalt not remove. And thou shalt swear, the Lord liveth, in 
truth, in judgment, and in righteousness, and the nations shall 
bless themselves in him, and in him shall they glory. For thus 
saith the Lord to the men of Judah and Jerusalem, break up 
your fallow ground and sow not among thorns.” Can infinite love 
and tenderness go further ? The Prodigal Son, who had wasted 
his substance in riotous living, illustrates this breaking up of fal- 
low ground. As soon as he “ came to himself,” “ acknowledged 
his iniquity,” and wished to live a new life, the “ best robe was 
put upon him.” Why? Because, in the language of the father, 
“this my son was dead, and is alive again.” He was then in a 
condition for the Lord to “feed him with knowledge and under- 
standing.” 
In institutions like the Home, the patients are the principal 
working force. In the effort to help others, is found the medi- 
cine which cures themselves. Whatever may be done through 
legal suasion, there should be no relax in moral suasion. To 
rely upon the former, without the latter, is, according to Gov. 
Dutton of Connecticut, to let the cause drift in the wrong direc- 
tion. 
Mr. William Hoyle has published a pamphlet in England, enti- 
tled “Our National Resources, and how they are wasted.” The 13 
work is full of information of great value. He shows how 
wealth has increased in England, and how pauperism increases 
in nearly the same proportion. The imports in England in ten 
years ending in 1772 were $647,916,800; in ten years ending 
in 1872, $14,719,000,000. Imports are considered the index of 
increase in national wealth ; and this increase is twenty-fold in 
one century. The total real and personal property in England 
is thirty thousand million dollars. “ Still,” he says, “ destitution 
and pauperism deluge our land.” He estimates the number of 
paupers in 1871 as 4,480,658; or one in ten of the population. 
Those relieved are generally of the manual labor classes, and it 
is about 20 per cent, of their number. They suffer great hard- 
ships, pawn little by little, until driven to seek relief. The 
cost of poor and police rates in England and Wales, in five years 
ending in 1847, was $173,169,410; in five years ending in 1872, 
(twenty-five years later,) $296,831,120; increase, 70 per cent. 
“ What,” he asks, “ are the causes which lie at the root of our 
pauperism, and of our social evils ? What is the main cause of 
bad trade and national waste ?” He gives figures to show that 
it is owing to the money spent upon intoxicating liquors. The 
drinking classes are spending more each year for drink, and less 
for food and clothing. “ During the four years ending 1869, we 
swallowed,” he says, “658,000,000 gallons more of beer and 
spirits than we did in four years ending in 1861 ; and we pur- 
chased 1,308,000,000 yards less of cloth for clothing.” He says 
each family of five persons averaged an expenditure, during the 
same period, of $7.55 upon cotton goods, and of $91.51 on drink— 
more than 12 to 1. “Here is the secret,” says Mr. Hoyle, “of 
our bad home trade. People cannot pour their money down 
their throats and put it on their backs at the same time.” In 
the four years of 1865 to 1869, the expenditure for intoxicating 
drinks in England averaged, as before stated, $563,000,000 per 
year. In 1872 it reached $658,000,000 ; which is $58,000,000 
more than the estimated amount consumed in this country. 
The heavy taxation caused by poor and police rates in England 
is operating to the injury of manufacturing in the large towns, 
like Manchester, where no new mills are being built, and old 
ones are being stopped, and trade is shifting to more lightly 
taxed regions. 
If our State, our Counties, and Cities, would start a system of 
prevention, and appropriate for the use of Inebriate Homes only 
one half of one per cent, of what it now costs them yearly, and 
place the same in the hands of earnest and intelligent workers, 14 
they could, with this timely aid, establish six Homes, in various 
centres in the Commonwealth; to serve as a protection. They 
might be like the six “ Cities of Refuge” which the Lord directed 
Moses to appoint on each side of Jordan. The object was that 
the “Slayer that killeth any person unawares, and unwittingly, 
may flee thither” for protection. According to Calmet, “ The 
Cities of Refuge were to be easy of access ; and every year the 
magistrates inspected the roads, to see that they were in good 
condition, and that there were no impediments. At every 
division of the road there was a direction-post, on which was 
written Refuge, Refuge, for the guidance of him who was fleeing 
for security. They were to be well supplied with water and pro- 
visions. It was necessary that whoever took refuge there should 
understand a trade, that he might not be chargeable.” When it 
is understood that the “ slayer” against which it is our duty to 
guard kills 60,000 persons annually in this country, both wit- 
tingly and unwittingly,— and as many more in England,— is it 
not an imperative duty to establish these “ Cities of Refuge,” 
and to see that the roads leading thereto are duly inspected and 
made easy of access ? Are not these Cities of Refuge needed in 
Boston ? Are her citizens aware of the yearly tax which they 
pay to support the demoralization that comes mainly through 
intemperance? 1st, in permanent investments; such as Court 
Houses, Jail, Station Houses, House of Correction, House of 
Industry, several Hospitals, Deer and Rainsford Islands, with 
their ‘steamboat, and a dozen or more buildings ; making in all 
some 30 or 40 buildings. These including land, 
have required an investment of between three and four million 
dollars. This is about the same as the cost of the Latin, Eng- 
lish, High, Normal, and all the Grammar school-houses in this 
city. And 2d, in current, or yearly expenses. These are charged 
in the Auditor’s Report as “ actual payments,” for the year end- 
ing April 30, 1873. A small portion of this was not expended, 
and is charged over to this year. These current expenses for 
one year amount to over $2,000,000. This is some $300,000 
more than the cost of all our City Schools, the last year, includ- 
ing $454,230 paid for new schoolhouses, with nearly 40,000 
pupils. The people of our State, also, have invested about 
$6,000,000 in Prisons, Almshouses and Hospitals. But they are 
full; and more are called for. The current expenses of these, 
with the charities, are estimated at about $4,000,000 per year. 
This does not include cost of courts, loss of labor, police, and 
other expenses. The Hon. Mr. Evans, of the Governor’s Coun- 15 
cil in 1867, estimated the annual pecuniary cost of intemperance 
to the State at $4,237,000. This amount is, in my opinion, 
much too small. 
It is well to bear in mind, that when our Lord was upon earth 
he went into the highways and byways, and met humanity on its 
own plane, “ healing all manner of sickness, and all manner of 
disease among the people.” He “poured water into a basin 
and began to wash his disciples’ feet, and to wipe them with the 
towel wherewith he was girded.” He then said, “ If I, then, 
your Lord and Master, have washed your feet, ye also ought to 
wash one another’s feet. For I have given you an example, that 
ye should do as I have done to you.” It is certainly more safe 
to regard than to disregard these teachings. 
We hope to place this Home upon a foundation that will not 
require legislative aid. But the work to be done is so vast that 
it requires all the kinds of aid, under Providence, that Church, 
State and individual effort can give. It needs a revival of the 
days of Pentecost which followed the preaching of the Apostles. 
Also of the old Washingtonian movement, when so many were 
turned from the broad into the straight and narrow way. A new 
movement has already commenced, under the auspices of Mr. J. 
K. Osgood, in organizing Reform Clubs, that promise to be 
fruitful in good results. This movement should be encouraged, 
and helped on. There is a time for all things; and now is a 
good time to begin a work of prevention. The method I pro- 
pose has been tested. It would aid other agencies to limit the 
demoralization which is now so general. They could soon make 
themselves felt for good, in leading persons to give up drinking 
habits. In proportion as this is done, the increase in Alms- 
houses, Prisons and Lunatic Asylums is rendered unnecessary. 
We have assembled to dedicate this building to the object for 
which it was erected. That object is one of restoration. It is 
to invite into the straight and narrow path those who have wan- 
dered away, and to encourage and help them to walk therein. 
This phase of duty is to us no untried or doubtful experiment. 
The experience of this institution for 16 years, with over 4,200 
patients under charge, with their results, enables us to speak with 
confidence of what may be done, as well as what has been, in 
the way of improvement and of cure. These new and enlarged 
accommodations have come into existence through the agency 
of a kind Providence, in its influence upon a generous public. 
If those whose duty it is to manage its affairs, as well as those 
who make it a place of temporary abode, are but true to the 16 
teachings of the Master, it will aid to dispense untold blessings 
to a tried and sorrowing class of the human family. 
In the language of Solomon in his later days, which were his 
days of repentance: “ Let us hear the conclusion of the whole 
matter: Fear God, and keep his commandments; for this is the 
whole duty of man.”