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history of the Finnish-American temperance movement notes that "in Duluth, if anywhere, drunkenness has been the curse of the Finns and the obstacle to their economic progress." Early in the 1880s, some Finns were members of the Norwegian temperance groups, but in 1886 came the attempt to establish a purely Finnish society, the "Star of Hope, No. 1." However, the support the society received was very weak, and the few who attended meetings were the abstainers and not those who drank. The society did not manage to remain alive for more than a year, and perhaps one of the reasons for its failure was that it did not join any temperance league but tried to work independently. In 1887 came a second attempt, and this time the society was named the "Star of Hope, No. 12", and it promptly joined the Good Templar League. One account claims that this organization was active, without interruption, for several decades, but activity certainly did languish in 1897, when, according to the temperance newspaper Raittiuslehti of 20 March, "the dance craze has killed this ten-year old child." This craze produced
Toivontahti Temperance Society members in 1916. In the front row are Saima Salo, Sofia Wickstrom (Hokkanen), Frank Jarvinen (Lake), Saima Gustafson, Betta Rauma, Fiina Kari (Huotari), Ida Kari (Maki). Center row: Aliina Pulkkinen (Harrison), John Heikkinen, Fanny Vehka (Laine), Sofia Filppula (Hill), Fanny Paarni, Hilma Kesanen (Pykäri), Frank Vehka. Back row: Hilja Wuotilainen (Hill), Oscar Johnson, Hilma Rajala, Matti Rajala, Heikki Johnson (Kylmala), Fanny Rankinen, Minnie Kettunen (Salli), Matti Pykari.
a crisis started by the young members' desire to have a good time following their business meetings and the older members' labelling such entertainment "inappropriate.' In actuality the breach here was not so much the conflict between the generations as it was the conflict, even within such a society as the temperance
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