Cheraw gazette and Pee Dee farmer. [volume] (Cheraw S.C.) 1838-1839, 1839-08-30

Extract from Circular of the Executive Com.
mi.tee Of tho South Carolina State Temper.
sncs Society.
The follawing are the questions, to which we
earnestly request that answers may be sent, from
every district and neighberhood and village in
! the form of letters or communications, addres.
sed to the Editor of the South Carolina Tenn.
perance Advocate, or to the Chairman of this
Committee.
l. What number of Distilleries, Taverns,
Grog. shops and Stores. where ardent spirits have
been sold, arc there now, or have there been,
within ten years, in your immediate vicinity, or
! within YOUR personal knowledge?
| 9. What have been the effects upon the char
acter, habits and health, Of those persons gen.
orally, who have been employed in the several
branches of business and traffic, specified in the
| first question, and upon the condition snd CIR
cumstancss of thoir families?
3. What, in your opinion, is the proportion; IN
your neighborhood, between the number OF tnose
who have died victims to strong drink, WITHIN
ten years, and the number Of moderate drinkers
who have become confirmed dtuakards' during
the same period?
4. What bas been tho result Of your observa-
tion, in reference to tie habits generaiiy Oh the
! sors of drunkards, Of moderate drinkers ana OF
dealers in intoxicating liquors!
5 How many talented and promising young
mon, Of your personal acquaintance, have been
utterly ruined in fortune, prospects, character
and health, and have gone down TO the drunk
ards grave, within ten years
6. How many families. in the circle OF your
acquaintance, have been wrecked. desolated and
reduced to poverty, within ten years, by intem.
!. How many beautiful and excellent young
ladies have you known, who have had all their
bright prospects, shrouded in despair q have been
subjected to want, neglect and barbarous, abuse
by marrying temperate drinkers, who speeohy
became abandoned drunkards?
8. What is probable estimate Of the number
ef broken hearted wives and mothers, and OF
agonized sisters and daughters. within your
knowledgc, whose crushing calamitles have
been caused by drunken degradation ol husbands
or sons, Of brothers or fathers?
8. How many distressed widows and desti.
tute orphans. has drunkenness made, In your
vicinity. within the last ten years
10. How many professional men, Clergymen,
Lawyers or Physicians, have you known, as the
victims of strong drink having lest character,
standing, business, health or life, by the habit
of inebriation
IL. How many drunken School.masters have
you known within ten years.
l2. How many intemperate Ladies have you
known, and IN how great proportion OF IN
stances was their degradation caused by the ex.
ample and conduct Of their husbands .?
i3 What length of time is usually requisite
according to your opinion and observation, TO
conduct a moderate drinker into the territory Of
confirmed drunkenness, and an habitual drunk
ard 10 his grave
IA. We would respectfully inquire Of Minister'S
and Church Officers, in what proportion the
cases Of apostacy and accommodation. in their
several churches, may justly be traced to this
destructive vice.
Is. We also respectfully solicit from Judges,
Sherifs and prosecuting Attorneys, written
statement in reply to the inquiry-what is tho
proportion in which deeds of violence and blood
ia this State, Eesalt ffoa the madness of intoxi.
cation.
Is. What effects have been produced upon the
blacks, in your vicinity, by the use of ardent
spirits, and by their access to grog-shops, in de.
stroying value, health and ife2
II. How mauy ruined estates, desolate and
abandoned habitations, families reduced to beg.
gary and scattered through tho western wilds
and how many scenes of domestic sorrow and
anguish, Of remorse aid despair, which no
language osn Pesssey,-sss ysa s... :sas ~ nsans
as the fruits of fintemperancc, within your per-
sonai knowledge?
10. Finally, We earnestly request Physicians
and Clergymen, to furnish their candid testimo-
ny in answer to the concluding question viz
In what proportion have the fatal diseases, ofall
the young and middle aged men, whose death
beds and funerals you have officially attended.
been produced, directly or remotely BY intem.
perate habits
Such are the inquiries which the Executive
Committee beg !cave to submit to the friends Of
TsmPssssAp generally throughout tho STATE, and
particularly 10 the Officers and Members of TEN.
perance Societies. And if we are successful in
calling attention to the subject and eciting even
half he testimony which might be brought for;
ward the result will be such on accumuiatiea of
astonishing facts, such narrowing detail of
crushed hopes and blasted joys, and such fright
full picturs Of misery and degredation, as no one
can contemplate without terror. The record soil.
citod will be like the Prophets roll. inscribed
within and without with mourning, iamenta.
ton and wo."