The Chautauquan, Vol. 05, March 1885

The March 1885 edition of a once‑weekly cultural magazine offers a snapshot of late‑Victorian America’s earnest quest for moral improvement. Produced by the Chautauqua Literary and Scientific Circle, the issue lists its leading educators and clergy, underscoring the organization’s blend of scholarship and social reform. Readers will hear the formal yet accessible tone that characterized the period’s public discourse.

The centerpiece is a lengthy essay by physician Felix L. Oswald on the “poison problem” of alcohol. He argues that half‑measure legislation cannot curb intemperance, insisting that true progress lies in systematic instruction, from school primers to community outreach, and in reshaping cultural attitudes toward drink. Delivered in measured, persuasive prose, the piece weaves historical examples, scientific observations, and moral appeal, giving a vivid sense of the era’s temperance crusade.