Spirit of the age. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1849-1865, 1850-09-13
CQttltGlaniratfatts.
THE CIDER QUESTION.

accustomed to its use from youth up. feel t
their old tastes reviying, and some of our /
Order are trying to avoid the rigor Of the I
pledge on this subject. It is the design of
this article to adduce some reasons for pro- /
hibiting the use of Cider, and show the i'm
portance of being sticklers for the faithful
execution Of our laws, in every case of viola
ton.
When the Order of the Sons of Tempe
rance was first instituted, its founders were
well acquainted with the importance Of total
abstinence. Men had reformed and fallen
again by the use of Cider. The ~depraved
appetite they had acquired was hushed for a
short time by the influence of the pledge ;
but the latent fires were ready to burst forth
in dreadful c~onf1agration when the least fuel
was applied to the still glowing embers.-
All the horrors of a drunkard's life were on
ly awaiting the trivial match to be applied
to a slumbering appetite, to be poured out
upon the unfortunate victim. Hence our
founders resolved to prohibit the use of
Cider.
When a follower of Bacchus renounces
the hidden ways of his besetting sin, he sac
rifces the qualification of his desires, unfor-
tunate and improper though they be. Itis
man. nature, when he sacrifices anything to
join in any fraternity, to see others place
themselves on an equality. Hence those
who drink no liquor must deny themselves
the trivial and unwholesome pleasure of
drinking Cider. Let precept be followed
by practice. But when we ask men to re-
, form, and still use thatby which they would
be made to fall, if they should reform, do
! , we act well our part?
J Every one knows how prone men are
: to deceive, for lucre's sake. A gentle
! man of the bar land we would rather be
e Boots') is frequently guilty of selling
? Cider, strengthened by something stron-
V ger. The fermented juice of the apple
= does not make his crowd lively enough,
y and he puts a more poisonous serpent
under its attractive garb. And by the
9 use of Cider, men are often guilty of an
acknowledged violation of the pledge.
Some say that sueet Cider is no viola
ton. inasmuch as the pledge only pro.
hibits Intoxicating drinks. Granting thi;
reason TO be a good one, when does CT
= der cease to be sweet? To a reformed
+. man uinsgar is not diagreeably hard, ant
I yet Cider three days old is almost intox.
/, icating to others. Will you suffer every
d one TO be the Judge Of his own drink
d You might as well erase it from thu
pledge. In all countries laws should b,
burdensome on all alike. 1t has hereto
al fore been SO in our land. And shall W,
suffer the burden of our requisition TO b,
n placed on the members unequally? Ger
IN tainly not. For then there would be re
Pr bellion, and such rebellion as would b
OF justifable.
IT. Some Divisions are of opinicn that the
should let such indiscretions pass, be
To- cause others fail to notice them. Is thi
" reason? Suppose one church believes
certain course of conduct, taking a socii
is drink for instance, consistent with til
oy rectitude required by the Bible, shall til
or churches blindly follow in such an
art pinion? Is it not rather more cons
1r- nent with an upright, manly characte
a. for every n to shape his actions by Il
rs aniverSGt moral law and exercise h
Ca own Judgment in the Interpretation
his obligations? If one State PERM
we slavery to exist in her borders, shou
oer all the others do the sames Or if Of
oPe or more States abolish slavery, are
nee the others bound TO it? Six men ent
ave into an agreement to engage in son
Ply, business and share the profits, Anot
our er six make a like agreement and put
ney construction on their articles of agre
rror ment. which a majority of the srsf &,
i've are opposed to, If one member of t
ults first six desires to construe his agreeme
loiy in the same way with the latter six,
OF though the letter of his indenture v
ul- be violated, would his partners be iu.
Per- fable in yielding to him
'Wn- Each Division has bound itself to ms
per- tain the laws and usages of the Natio
and Grand Divisions. The Constituti
nom they are also bound to maintain. A
M if they fail, do they not forfeit th
aa- Charters Inevitably. For that is
tne of the requirements insisted on in
initiation of every member and the
sl,n- ganization of every Division.
laise One brother ju~stifies the use of Cit
mas because the Dictionary does not say
g us a beverage. Webster says that, in E.
pas land, a mixture of Cider and water
! en- beverage and if it be a beverage W
ngtn diluted by water, how much more iu
that il it a beverage or l;onor for A.;
that inc" as Webster defines II wben +
s has full STRENGTH and hardness
eve cannot see our Order deoenera
sink, from its pristine nur;tv and simnl;c
rope without feelings of deep regret. TX
II 1t the use of Cider caused the deteri
the ton Of the Westinghouse in my ma
anos' village, and amnow unwilling to wit
. un- these little innovations on established
$ dll- and usage ; for they are sure precur