Sunbury American and Shamokin journal. [volume] (Sunbury, Northumberland Co., Pa.) 1840-1848, 1840-12-19
Reply OF the Sunbury Temperance Society
to the Questions of Epicurus.

ETY. to certain queries, and trusts that it "wi give
them its I'm and deliberate consideration at its
next meeting" and lc, him aud his sympa,h,zing h
friends know whether christian charity and bro q
,hery love sanction any interference with the social
relations of life, which may eventually turn the 7
festive circle into scene of domestic strife and
contcntion:' Wherefore, Resolved, That this So 6
ciety checrfolly complies with the above request =
and hlt the following be answers, viz 1t ap>
pears that the questions have three aspects, though
two of them agree in substance. Dcf,re however
replying directly the grave questions proposed
must say that we feel somewhat at loss to know
whether the writer is in earnest, vein of light.
and humor runs through his piece. 1t would
seem that he is not altogether satisfied with the ex>
,remy of the Temperance Reformation, and thinks
that intcmptfancc is not confined TO the intem.
perae of arden! spirits, but is properly applied
to excess in any thing" and deprccates the trilng
spirit of innovation so rife at the present day. which
in the nrdor of undue al, sets down harmless and
innocent chi ,yments in the catalogue OF Ridden |
Sins" H. is evidently moderate MN but it is /
just such moderation he possesses that is inim-
cal to the good cause, because it stops short Of
ring the evil and is a resting point at which
strength il gathered to return to the excessive use
of intoxicating drinks. As il hasbecn proved over
and over again that alcohol in every form, is inju
rious, there can be no true moderaii short of its
entire rclinquiShmcnt Though the Temperance
Reform is an innovation on old and injurious habits
it cannot rank wi h those new thing5 that of
usc and ther { re- is not to be deprecated" His
use of the word pous borders on impiety.
Our mo,,o-Total Ab tinencc from all that in
,oxica,es-woud b. IN cffcc,ual answer to his que
rics But as his insnuations Uhough we hope not
inlendcd) are calculated to be more hut!ul to the
cause than an open attlck, we proceed to canvass
his objections
His first question is in these words" l. il true
tha, the success of the Temperance reformation dc
pcnds upon such n1exible principals and rig d
rules as to interfere with the culinary department,
and entirely oyer;ufn the long established and mos,
approved art of cookery"
In answer we decllre that it is necessary TO the
full ,uccess oflhe cause, to wage exterrnnaiing
war against all those culinary prrpara ions which
contain alcohol, and for the following reasohs:-
First because we consider il poison, and only
a poison 10 any person in health, and we cannot
consent to coun,enance the admin stration of po.
son to any humrn being secondly, cause its tcn
dency in such forms, is to excite an urnltutal ap
petite and lead TO the overchlrge Of the stJm cb
and to ePicursm, which is refined guu my Third
ly, bee ,use we wsh and intend, as far as our ex
nd. IRIS IN uD chI
, to strict temperance, and, therefore, feel il 10 be
wrong 10 tempt them, in the least, from that narrow
patti. fourthly because the use of it, according ic
many receipts in cookery books, is nothing bclte
!, than regular dram drinking, and quite as noSi us
aud calculated to renew tain, increase the ia
, tai habit; ffhly because all eatabCs ae morc heal
, thy whou, it, and unattended with danger; an,
lastly because the very hest culinary preparations
are made without drop If it. We would alyis
, Epcurus to pu.chass the Temperance Cookery
. Book.
4 His second question reads thus " And is ih
, obligation which the Society imposes on its mem
bers superior to The Obligations which Legitimate !
!. arise fiom the social and domcs ic re'a,ions!'
= Our answer here is-that the Temperance =
- ciely assumes obligation Inconsistent with a
e other Obligations. And in reli,i n to the domcsii
e and social tights and interests fe, rcssl
say that stric, temperance is one of their creates
, friends. What Ee deadly to domestic peac
and social order and harmony alcohol VIII
-, is friend to these much as he who would ex
- pei The demon in every, even his invisible shape
= from our houses, towns, neighborh1ods, the coun
= try and the world Epicurus may please hims'
with the IDEA th 1 his house is his castle; bat m.
( not mans house he a bedlam, hospital, |, Il,
1 ing house, and but a step from the Penitenary an
. the gaows, in consequence Of the pre-erce of al
q cohol Though We may not attack him in hi
house, we will attack any domestic arrangemen;
!. or habits which are immoral and injurious. Tn
!, great principle of loving our ncghhor as ourselves
r. renders it oligl gl,ory upon u 10 use every prop
means 10 promote the temporal aud spiritual we.fir
of mankind.
l. His last question relates to the mince-Pe. Her
o he seems To be dene tied by love, and beg, as 10
his very life, that it may be spared-lnd invokas us
in the spii, Of poPcry, to grant dsponsaton a
It least in favor of it.
n Bul we feel compelled to refuse his request. "
!, ca mot spare the old fashioned mincepie. Indeed
Is so fierce are our spilits for upon il, that W
d would more than extermina;e Tive have q
c great a dread Of it as some good people formerl,
had of a vacuum in nature We are willng-if W
must-to sustain seige against il as long as HC
Is and '0ater lst-we cannot die easy un:il is ban
shed and forgotten II seems to be the last enen',