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Show League of Reformed Drinkers, Founded in '90's, Was Unique Among American Organizations COL. A. J. SMITH I- .......ii- .... 4MWy.-.i.-- . PMIP.U.II ... ii . mi .-. - MM f "-I-"' ' ST"! I ' j... ,-.,..,;,.:,v ,:.::', .j,,."',,.,vi:,f! v.. n .-"..i ... .. r. - - - National convention of the Keeley League at Harrisburg, Pa. By ELMO SCOTT WATSON Western Newspaper Union. A MONG the many thousands of clubs, societies, associa-ZA associa-ZA tions, leagues, federations and the like which have been organized in this country there once was one that was absolutely unique. It was composed exclusively of men who had been drunkards and at one time it had a membership of more than 30,000. Moreover it had auxiliaries auxil-iaries in which the wives, mothers and sisters of its mem- bers were enrolled. It held national conventions conven-tions attended by thousands of delegates and its national and state officers were men noted in politics, the professions profes-sions and literature. Instead of being ashamed of the fact that they had been drunkards, drunk-ards, its members honestly admitted it, but they took pride in the fact that they had conquered Demon Rum, alias John Barleycorn. And as a symbol of that fact they wore in the buttonholes of their coats this emblem: and as far as it was in my power." Newspapers throughout the United States began writing up the institute and soon the quiet little town of Dwight was overwhelmed over-whelmed with visitors and patients pa-tients seeking treatment. A boom developed rivaling the scenes of present-day oil discoveries. Soon it had become the most famous village vil-lage of its size in America and the saying "gone to Dwight" became be-came a familiar part of the argot of the day. As the demand for the treatment treat-ment grew, it was found necessary neces-sary to supplement the facilities of the parent, institute. A far-flung far-flung system of branch institutes in principal cities grew up, totaling total-ing at one time more than 60. Dr. Keeley carried his treatment abroad and institutes were established estab-lished in London, Liverpool, and other foreign cities. The League Is Founded. As more and more patients flocked to this little city, an organization or-ganization of "graduates" of Keeley's institute was formed who began to hold reunions to proclaim their victory over Demon Rum. Out of this grew the National Keeley league with its 359 local lodges in every state of the Union and its membership that exceeded 30,000. The members of the league had qualifications for doing the most effective kind of temperance work. Knowing the danger of social so-cial drinking they were able to One of the league's most famous fa-mous presidents was Col. Andrew J. Smith, himself a "graduate" of Dwight, Colonel Smith introduced intro-duced the treatment into the Soldiers' Sol-diers' home at Leavenworth, Kan., when he became governor of the home and it was also administered ad-ministered at soldiers' homes at Milwaukee, Wis., Hampton, Va., Los Angeles, Calif., and other cities. In fact, at a time when the soldiers in our army were noted for being almost as hard-drinking hard-drinking as they were hard-fighting, an institute was established exclusively for the use of enlisted enlist-ed men at Fort Leavenworth. Old-timers still living in Dwight remember Dr. Keeley as a man of wide human sympathies and a confirmed sense of justice. He was a large man physically, over six feet tall, of commanding presence, pres-ence, a natural leader who believed be-lieved in equality and insisted that the men who took the treatment treat-ment should form in "line" without with-out any distinction as to wealth or social position. The story is told of a wealthy English nobleman- who , approached ap-proached Dr. Keeley on the subject sub-ject of getting private treatment after arriving.' He was mildly and politely refused. He applied again with the same result. The third time he said: "Dr. Keeley, I don't want to go into line with the rest of these people. I am a man of wealth and family and will give you a thousand dollars if you will administer ad-minister me this treatment privately." pri-vately." Dr. Keeley replied: "My friend, I cannot do what you ask. But never mind. Get right into 'line' and if you behave yourself for a couple of weeks, you will be just as good as any of the other patients." The aims and purposes of the National Keeley league, according accord-ing to an article which appeared in the American Journal of Politics Poli-tics in December, 1882, were set forth in its constitution as follows: fol-lows: "To further the cause of temperance tem-perance among all people by curing cur-ing the drunkard of the disease of intemperance and preventing the youth of the country, by education edu-cation and example, from contracting con-tracting it. To bind together in one fraternal band, all who have taken the Keeley treatment for liquor or other diseases ; to extend ex-tend the knowledge of the Keeley remedies; to establish state and auxiliary leagues and by medical, medi-cal, moral and Christian methods, meth-ods, by the help of Almighty God to discourage and annihilate the use of liquor as a beverage in any way that may seem opportune, oppor-tune, or the occasion may demand." building in which Dr. Keeley had his office. Oughton became interested in Keeley's researches and soon he was assisting the doctor in trying to compound the medicine which would hold John Barleycorn in check. Finally in 1879 came the announcement that they had been successful and that a cure for alcoholism al-coholism had been found. At first the people of Dwight were incredulous, in-credulous, but when some confirmed con-firmed drunkards around the town, to whom life had little to offer, "took the cure" and found that it worked, skepticism changed to belief in its efficacy. Soon inebriates from the surrounding sur-rounding country were offering themselves for treatment. At the end of two years Keeley was able to establish a small sanitarium, san-itarium, drawing his patients largely from Chicago whose "gin mills" were turning out more and more drunkards every year. 1 Requiring Re-quiring capital to operate his rapidly rap-idly growing institute, Keeley entered en-tered into a partnership with Oughton and Maj. Curtis Judd, who was engaged in the mercantile mercan-tile business in Dwight. Keeley's plan of treatment for alcoholism was an innovation. Whereas the oldtime asylum for inebriates was a place of horror with its straitjackets and othf t forms of restraint, Keeley's institute insti-tute was a place for voluntary patients where they met the doctors doc-tors on a basis of mutual concession con-cession of responsibility for a cure. During the eighties further research and experiments developed devel-oped new methods of treatment and by 1890 the institute began to attract public notice. The next year occurred the incident in-cident which led to Keeley's becoming be-coming a national figure. Joseph Medill, editor of the Chicago Tribune, heard that a country doctor was curing men of drunkenness. drunk-enness. He sent a reporter to Dwight. The newsman came home and wrote up what he had heard. Not convinced, Medill sent another reporter. Dr. Keeley said to him: "Please tell Mr. Medill to send me six of the worst drunkards he can find and in three days I will sober them up and in four weeks I will send them back to Chicago sober men; and, unless of their own volition, they will never seek liquor. At any rate they will never have need or necessity thereafter." Medill's Experiment. The challenge was met. Mr. Medill declared: "I selected a half dozen of the toughest products of alcoholism which the Chicago saloons were able to turn out. The experimental experi-mental cases were sent down to Dwight, one at a time, extending over a period of several weeks. And in due time they were all returned to me, looking as if a veritable miracle had been wrought upon them. They went away sots and returned gentlemen. gentle-men. "But I did not stop with the half dozen specially selected cases, but sent down to Dwight a number of inebriate acquaintances acquaint-ances to take the treatment. When I had then become convinced con-vinced that drunkenness was a disease, the result of imbibing a poison and that a medicine had been discovered which released the victim from the irrepressible thirst, and that it restored the man to normal health of both body and mind, I felt it to be a duty which I owed to humanity to make known the virtues of the Keelev cu . as fast DR. LESLIE E. KEELEY Why the horseshoe? That was because this league was founded in a blacksmith shop -in the little city of Dwight, 111. And thereby hangs the tale of the National Keeley league and the man who was responsible for its organization organiza-tion a "horse and buggy doctor" named Leslie E. Keeley. Born in Potsdam, N. Y., in 1832, the son of an old-fashioned country doctor, young Leslie Keeley came west in the late 1850s and studied medicine for a time under a Doctor Littlefield in Beardstown, 111. In 1860 he entered en-tered Rush Medical college in Chicago and was in his second year when the Civil war began. He volunteered for service as a medical cadet and was assigned to duty at Jefferson Barracks, near St. Louis. He was soon made an assistant surgeon and placed in command of the medical medi-cal staff there. Then he was promoted pro-moted to surgeon and ordered into active service as a brigade medical director on the staff of General Wright's third division of the Army of the Cumberland. When the war ended young Keeley resumed his studies at Rush and was graduated in 1866. He settled in the little corn belt town of Dwight, 111., and became a successful country doctor which i led to his appointment as divi-1 divi-1 sional surgeon of the Chicago & Alton railroad. While in the Union army, Dr. Keeley had become interested in investigating the various effects of alcohol and was soon convinced con-vinced that drunkenness was a disease that could be cured. So he began to experiment. He found that alcohol attacked certain cer-tain nerve forces and being an experienced chemist he established estab-lished a laboratory and began his researches to discover a drug or combination of drugs which would combat the power of alcohol. alco-hol. An 'Impractical Visionary.' People of the community in which he was practicing regard-. regard-. ed him as a dreamer, an "impractical "im-practical visionary." Alcoholism was a moral, not a medical, problem, prob-lem, they declared. But a young Irish chemist recently arrived in America thought differently. John 3.. Oughton was his name and he 1 vas employed as a pharmacist ji a Dwight drug store in ihe Just as do other organizations, so did the National Keeley league have its own publication. It was called the Banner of Gold and it circulated among the thousands of graduates of the Keeley institute. insti-tute. An interesting feature of this magazine was the poetry which appeared in it, written by nationally-known poets. Indicative of the fact that "gone to Dwight" was a by-word in the nineties is this poem by Nixon Waterman which appeared in the Banner of Gold: SINCE PAPA'S BEEN TO DWIGHT My papa's awful happy now, and mamma's happy, too, Because my papa doesn't drink the way he used to do; And everything's so jolly now 'tain't like it use to be, When papa never stayed at home with poor mamma and me. It made me feel so very bad to see my mamma cry, And though she'd smile I'd see the tears a hiding in her eye; But now she laughs just like we girls and never cries a mite, And sings such pretty little songs since papa's been to Dwight You ought to see my Sunday dress, it's every bit all new; It ain't made out of mamma's dress the way she used to do And mamma's got a pretty cloak all trimmed with funny fur, And papa's got some nice new clothes and goes to church with her. My papa says that Christmas time will pretty soon be here, And maybe good old Santa Claus will find our house THIS year. I hope he'll bring some candy and a dolly big and bright; He'll know where our house is I'm sure since papa's been to Dwight. caution the beginner and knowing know-ing the growth of the habit they were well equipped to admonish the moderate drinker to stop while he could still control himself. him-self. When Dr. Keeley died in 1900 at the age of 68, the work which he had pioneered had made him internationally famous. The town of Dwight was known throughout the continent. Dr. Keeley was fortunate in that the value of his discovery brought him public appreciation ap-preciation during his lifetime. While the majority of those who took the "cure" remained cured, there were naturally some backsliders. back-sliders. Dr. Keeley himself said: "I cannot give a man a moral will. His Creator does that. But if he has not sinned away that moral will entirely, I can help him to say no!" All. things considered, he did more for the victims of inebriety than anyone had before or since. Moreover, the change that has developed in the past half century cen-tury in the attitude of society toward the drinking man of regarding re-garding him as a person afflicted by a disease rather than as an unregenerate sinner is largely due to the teachings of Dr. Keeley. Some time perhaps the social historians will "discover" this country doctor whose pioneering pio-neering temperance work entitles him to as much, if not more, credit than some of the politicians whose names adorn the pages of history and the value of his contribution con-tribution to the nation's progress prog-ress will be more widely recognized recog-nized than it has been up to now. |
