Monongalia mirror. [volume] (Morgantown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1849-1855, 1854-01-28
From he H,hetliag Tire; dad Ga=r''e.
REV, TIP. HUNTS LECTURE.

was one of great interest, because ont
of clear, close and cogent rsesoning'-
There was no effort at oratory or the
flowers of rhetoric, but all was calm
clear and logical; but few points made
but those clearly and forcibly sustained
The Lecturer, after laying out hi'
subject generally, to his large and intel
ligen. audience, began by frankly stat
ine that he did not consider every man
who drank Intoxicating liquors drunk
a,d-far from it. A man might be a
moderate drinker, and enjoy a long life
of good health, never being intoxicated
This was plain fact which was wit.
messed by every one around him, an'
could not bo denied; but he did not be
lieve any one could ever drink any more
either in small OF large quantities, whc
reasoned upon it. They might talk a
bou. it; but they did not reason upon it
Were yon TO say to the moderate drink
er, come, my dear fellow, don't drink
any more of that stuff" he would say
perhaps, "why mott" ! have drank il
all my life, and it never did mo any
harm, / am in good health, and sustain
a good character" "True--but does
your y drinking make your health any
better 7 you are not as strong as Samp
son, and he never drank any liquor
You are not stronger or better able to
endure labor, fatigue, heat or cold thar
your neighbors, who drink nothing. are
Won't" "No, but am as well off as
they are." You are no purer than
John the Baptist in moral character
and he drank no Intoxicating drink, ane
is your character really any better thar
that of your neighbors, who drink no
thing. Therefore you have gained no
thing for your money. Now. are you
not doing wrong to spend your money
and time for that which does you no
gooJ?" He cannot deny it.
But that is not the worst fit, you
man become a drunkard. and you are
thessfore,s sendangerisg soufs boey ant
soul for that which is Of no SERVICE
How many have fallen sacrifice t., to 1t
and YOU are liable to do the same. Thel
sign the pledge. "sign the pledge
ri do no such thing. am a strong
minded man. There is no danger o
me; but those weak-minded men whc
cannot control themselves, should sigr
the pledge" Why should he sign th'
pledge ifhe cannot control himself?-
1t will be of no use for him to resolve
to do it ifhe cannot control his appetite
for drink. No, sir, you are the. ont
who should sign the pledge, and being
able to keep it, you will then never &c
so weak YOU cannot do it. The mint
has nothing to do with it, Byyour dai
y drinking of alcohol, which in its pur
est state is pure poison-you are pro,
ducing disease that requires tho med
icine to euro it, and the more you take
the more you must take to find relic
from the effects of the alcohol upon your
body-to remove the disease your foil.
has created. That man whom you see
reeling along the strcetsi is not drunk
ard because he now drinks. He became
a drunkard when he was moderate
drinker, and now he drinks because ht
is u drunkard.. Tho disease is iastene'
on him. Stop drinking, nowflheroiole
while you can stop, and you will neve
become the drunkard, whom you car
not stop. You are no stronger in bod.
or mind thanthe thousands who go dow,
annually 10 tho drunkard's grave. Iii
no: tho fools and weak.miudcd, only
who live and die drunkards--would t
God it were, bad as that would be--bu
all kinds ofmen fall before the demon-
the uoblest in our land are swept away
The best beloved, tho priced, all ar
the subjects Of tho monster poison, ant
aud more or less are cut off by it.
You would think me fool to pla,
with rattle.snake or mad-deg. becaus
| claim tobe a s,rong-minded man.
am no more foolish than you who pla.
with alcohol, for the bite Of the latter i
equally certain death, and to play Wit
it rs have shown you, is no more use
ful than 10 play with the mad.dog.
Tho lecturer then turned to the gone
raj effects of the use Of alcoholic liquor
npon the individuals aud community
aud illustrated his position by many up
plicablc and well.told anecdotes AM
iorcibIe appeals. He said that tho G!
forts to put down the dreadful effects Q
in,empcrance by moral suasion, had no
been fully successful, because the dis
ease had become too deeply seated /
be cured in that way. The only cours
was to try more powerful remedy,th
remedy ofthe suppression Of the manu-
!acturc, importation and sale of lit
put down the license system, to roo! ou
! The evil from the land. This the ten
porance men were bound to do. The,
could do it--they were right in doing
and they would do it. 1t had bee
begun, irhad been effective, and it woul'
be sustained. There was no cause 70
encouragement, for in those State