Virginia free press & farmers' repository. [volume] (Charlestown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1827-1832, 1831-10-06

tendency OF the use Of alcohol to pro.
duce greater use Is too often accele.
rated by adventitious circumstances /;
such as grief. excessive labor, per-
piexi'ies In business, pecunisry EN-.
barrassment, and a thousand other
nanieiess causes. Hence the preva-
lence Of drunkenness, the immediate
cause Of bodily suffering 10 the victim,
Of meptal anguish to his relatives, of
poverty, crime and death. Hence il
rs that our fair land 10 strewed, like q
field Of battle. with the corpses Of
those who have been slain by alcohol.
Hence the voice Of the mourner is
heard through the land. Hence il is
that the houselcss widow and helpless
little children are seen waiting over
the body Ut him who was lately their
hope. their stay and their strength.
IL Is surely the duty Of those who
are impressed with these affecting
truths TO make an effort 10 arrest the
progress OF general and fatal dclu-
sion. And this is to be done. not BY
pouring out torrent of invective a.
gaiust drunkards-for they are miser-
able enough without this aggravation
OF their misery--not by pharisaical
assumption Of merit in an abstinence
frequently the result Of constitution
al indifference to stimulus--not BY
denouncing those who make and those
who sell the various preparations of
alcohol, since they only do what their
fathers did before them, what thew
have been accustomed TO consider right,
and what is unquestionably lawful
least Of all by an inquisitorial and i'm
pertinent interference with the plea
sures Of those who still labor under the
delusion that their social joys. which
spring, in fact, from the deep fountain
of the heart, are caused by the red
wine in the cup, which is merely an
incident and an accompaniment
evil is to be arrested and the good cause
promoted by none Of these means.
Let those who believe, as we believe,
that the moral, intellectual, and cor
poreal powers and faculties of man.
are more perfectly developed without
the aid Of alcohol than with it, form
simple and unpretending associations.
by the terms of which the members
shallb merely bound (,ohiie members
to abstain entirely from Intoxicating
drinks. Let Us leave the rest to time
and heaven, and the mighty force Of
truth.
We, then, whose names are sub
scribed to this instrument, DO hereby
form ourselves into an association, the
terms of which are as follows:
/. The subscription Of this paper
shall constitute membership.
9. Any member may erase his name
whenever he pleases, without assigning
any reason nor shall any record be
made of his withdrawal.
8. The only duty incident TO mem
bership Except attendance on the
meeting OF the society is entire sbsti-
hence from ardent spirits, wine, strong
beer and porter, save only when pre-
scribed by a physician as medicine -
The use Of wine in the celebration OF
the rites Of religion is Of course not
interlered with.
!. To preserve the organization Of the
society,s President and Secretary shall
be elected forthwith, and on the last
Saturday in July in each year, who
shall respectively hold their Offices uB.
al new election shall have taken
place.
J. An annual meeting Of the socicty
shall be held ON the last Saturday ia
July for the election Of officers; when
the president shall report the number
and condition Of the society. A spe-
cial meeting may be called az any time
by the President, at the instance ol
TIRES members.
4 6. These articles Of association ma
be altered at any Annual meeting, and
at no other time.
7. The association shall be styled
1.-The Winchester Society lor the pro-
motion Of Temperance"
Given under our hands at WincheS.
ter, in Virgins, this 5Oth day Of July,
1891.
Temperance Societies, against physic
al indulgence, are very numerous ana
certainly useful; but the word is .,
Used, that il seems TO be almost re-
sfricfed an ifS refereura An a,,tr,f,,,,,