The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1844-09-15
NEW YORK HERALD.
sunday, September ~, 1874.
The Tenperancc siovement and ITS Antsgo-



Tne great moral movement which originated
with the Elk reformed drunNalds 81 Baltimore, is
one OF the most remarkable features of the present
age. There has seldom been afforded a more
striking Illustration the influence and power of as
ISOLATED human effort for the attainment of noble
end. That for which the isolated efforts OF the
moralist, the philosopher, the poet and The divine,
had been In vain expended from generation to
another, has been accomplished by that simple In
strumentalify-,he Temperance Society"-pnb-
lie opinion has been awakened TO the evils OF in
temperance, and dram-drinking is no longer re-
spectacle. From thousands OF happy dwellings,
every sort of intoxicating liquor has been banshed
for ever. Muttudes OF the inebrlate have been
reformed and saved. A secure asy um has been
provided Tor the youth of the land, and all who
would fee the fatal facinaticns Of the wine-cup--
The great and important truth that alcohol is not
at all necessary, but is on the contrary in the great
majority OF Instances highly pernicious, has been
established beyond the possibility OF cavll.
SILL il is lamentable TO reflect that the salutary
results of the temperance reformation have fallen
far short of what its intelligent friends anticipated.
Notwithstanding all the jealous, we-devised, con-
slant, and universal effort which has been put forth
extend its influence and increase its triumphs,
the melancholy admission must be made that this
great moral agency has, as yet, failed to accom-
plish any thing like the OF good which even
the least sanguipe might reasonably have expected.
What IS the cause of this comparative failure p
Why is IL that the successes Of the temperance re-
formation have been SO few and SO evanescent in
comparison with what they might have been sup
posed to be, when the powero Of the fundamentally
employed is taken into account? For, surely, an
effort in which The endeavors of vast majority of
The wise and good Of the land. of all ranks and
classes uni ed, must necessarily be possessed Of
great power and mighty influence. The OBJ
stacles which can check the progress Of cause
ussustained must indeed be solid and have their
foundations broad and deep. Let us see if we can
ascertain where and what some of these are:-
Well, then, il we are asked where is the great
antagonlsm tothe temperance movemer tive answer
]. is in the corrupt, demoralizng, and, alas! all
powerful influence Of political partzanship It is in
debased and unscruL~ '"us party spirit, which
never hestates TO employ L. vilest and most de-
grading means to control the popular mind It is
in the political clubs-in the g Clay Clubs''-and
the Hickory Cubs"-the "Knlckerbockers''-
he Empires "-al those demorazing associa-
lions Of men, into which the most worthless Of the
community most readily find admittance. One
10 demoralize the masses-to spread intemperance
and debauchery, than all the efforts OF the friends
of temperance can do in three years to counteract
Its mischievous agency
Just let us look back to the rightful demoraliza-
lion which accompanied and folio v ed the Harrison
campaign. That political canvass was, from begin
ming TO end, one mad scene Of intemperance and
debauchery. And after the land had just become
al. e
drunken saturnaia, we find the people again in
the midst OF similar orgies. Around every ash and
hickory pole--at every cross road-at every tavern
door-lh all the club houses in the cities and towns,
ireemen are dsgracing themselves and the sacred
institutions Of the country by the grossest intern
perance. Drinking, betting, swearing, shouting,
hshting-openly and mady blddig defiance to all
the laws Of decencyand morafy-the great masses
OF the people are found assembling all over the coun-
try, goaded on in this sad career of degradation by
corrupt and worthless dema sogues, who, like the
foul reptiles that riot on the dead, find their con-
genial home in the grave Of nations peace and
virtue. What patriot is there who is not over
whelmed with grief as he beholds such spectacle
What friend OF freedom is there who does not shed
the burning tears Of shame and sorrow as he looks
such wide spread desoaton of all that is pure,
loScly, anu vi SOOu report amongst the people
Can there be no end to all this Is there no
remedy? Must the land, very fourth year, be
thus given up to ntemperance and debauchery =
Are all the blooming hopesof the friends of virtue
and the welfare Of this free land, to be period
ically blasted by the whitening breath OF faction
We call on all the respectable and vrtuous men in
the ranks Of both parties to come forth and make
resous effort against the progress of this intrm-
prrance and debauchery. Let them come forth
and separate between the living and the dead, 20
that the plague may be stayed. Let the pure
minded, the moral the vrtuous, the respectable por-
ton Of both the great political parties make an uni
ted, vigorous effort TO stem the torrent Of demorali
zaiIon which now threatens to cover the whole
land with ruin So long as they remain passive
spectators, shame and guilt rest on their heads
We shall see whether they will suffer this appeal 10
pass unheeded.
BETTING ON THE ELECTION. -Slngularly enough
the decline in the gambling in stocks, in Wall
street, may be attributed TO the increase Of more
profitable Demonstrating ON the result Of the
elections the Presidential contest. This
- now the great business transacted in Wall
street. Every little groupe OF brokers which you
approach will be found busily engaged in discussing
bets on the election. "Seventy-hve TO fifty on the
result in New Jersey" "Two to one that Clay has
two Thousand majority in Jersey" "A hundred to
seventy live that Wright caresthe Stater' These
and irnumerable similar bets are offered and ac
cepted at every corner inWal street-in the stores
down town, and in the brokers' Offices One grea,
difficulty with this species Of gambling in Wall
street 10, that the brokers have money to stake
it is ras they deposite their checks, but thatl
little Importance.
This betting on the election has also monopozed
all the attention Of the gamblers in Barclay street
and Park Row. The faro tables are almost de-