1840s Cadets of Temperance Niagara Section Blank Permission / Enrollment Slip.
The Manuscripts Division of the William L. Clements Library at the University of Michigan, which holds Cadets of Temperance (N.Y.) Papers, 1847-1850, explains- "The Cadets of Temperance [was] the youth wing of the Sons of Temperance organization, which did not admit minors. The Cadets of Temperance accepted members between 12 and 18 years of age, in an effort to instill temperance values in children before they could acquire a taste for alcohol. For its members, the organization prohibited the use of tobacco and served as a mutual aid society in the case of illness. The groups had many practices in common, including charging monthly dues of 10-15 cents and requiring parental consent to join. Members met weekly and engaged in many fraternal rituals, such as the wearing of ceremonial clothing and the use of passwords, songs, recitations, and elaborate titles. Offices within the Cadets included the grand worthy archon (G.W.A.), past worthy archon (P.W.A), grand worthy patron (G.W.P.), vice archon (V.A.), usher, and watchman. Similar titles were also used by the Sons of Temperance."
Samuel Clemens was a member for a short time, and recalled- "In Hannibal, when I was about 15, I was for a short time a Cadet of Temperance, an organisation which probably covered the whole United States during as much as a year, possibly even longer. It consisted in a pledge to refrain, during membership, from the use of tobacco; I mean it consisted partly in that pledge and partly in a red merino sash, but the red merino sash was the main part. The boys joined in order to be privileged to wear it – the pledge part of the matter was of no consequence. It was so small in importance that, contrasted with the sash; it was, in fact, non-existent. The organisation was weak and impermanent, because there was not enough holidays to support it. We could turn out and march and show the red sashes on May Day with the Sunday Schools, and on the 4th July with the Sunday Schools, the Independent Fire Company, and the Militia Company. But you can’t keep a Juvenile moral institution alive on two displays of its sash per year. As a private, I could not have held out beyond one procession; but I was illustrious Grand Worthy Secretary and Royal Inside Sentinel, and had the privilege of inventing the passwords and of wearing a rosette on my sash. Under these conditions, I was enabled to remain steadfast until I had gathered the glory of two displays – May Day and the 4th of July. Then I resigned straightway, and straightway left the lodge."
Much the same story shows up in Chapter 22 of Tom Sawyer- "Tom joined the new order of Cadets of Temperance, being attracted by the showy character of their "regalia". He promised to abstain from smoking, chewing, and profanity as long as he remained a member. Now he found out a new thing – namely, that to promise not to do a thing is the surest way in the world to make a body want to go and do that very thing. Tom soon found himself tormented with a desire to drink and swear; the desire grew to be so intense that nothing but the hope of a chance to display himself in his red sash kept him from withdrawing from the order. Fourth of July was coming; but he soon gave that up – gave it up before he had worn his shackles over forty-eight hours – and fixed his hopes upon old Judge Frazer, justice of the peace, who was apparently on his deathbed and would have a big public funeral, since he was so high an official. During three days Tom was deeply concerned about the Judge's condition and hungry for news of it. Sometimes his hopes ran high – so high that he would venture to get out his regalia and practise before the looking-glass. But the Judge had a most discouraging way of fluctuating. At last he was pronounced upon the mend – and then convalescent. Tom was disgusted; and felt a sense of injury, too. He handed in his resignation at once – and that night the Judge suffered a relapse and died. Tom resolved that he would never trust a man like that again. The funeral was a fine thing. The Cadets paraded in a style calculated to kill the late member with envy. Tom was a free boy again, however – there was something in that. He could drink and swear, now – but found to his surprise that he did not want to. The simple fact that he could, took the desire away, and the charm of it."
Single sheet. 7.5”x3”. Light soil, minor wear. Removed from an album, with remnants of album paper on the back. $35
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