Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1856-08-07

clusion. Why do good men organize Bible
societies, Missionary societies, Tract socc-
ties, and hundreds of other benevolent socie-
ties why do individuals form associations
or organizations in every department and
concernment of life? 1t is simply because
of the superior efficiency of organization
The experience of mankind speaks trumpet
tongued on this subject. But to close cavil ::
the Spirit of divine truth has affixed his seal,
that organization is the preferable mode,
and is our reasonable duty. Ifnot, why did
Christ require organization in His Church !?
He never requires vain thing. The con-
clusion then is inevitable, that, to suppress
intemperancc, organization is more efficient
more in accordance with duty than indi-
vidual effort; and it becomes your and our
duty, whether as christians, or as good citi-
zens, to resort to it. To do less is again to
trihe with duty.
But to what organization does our duty
point? Truth and conscience answer: to
that which is most efficient without trans
crossing duty This most efficient organi-
zation we are bold in avowing is the one
among US, known as the SoNs OF TEMPER
ANcE. Reader, name the better and more
efficient organization, ifyou can, other than
that which We have named. Are you men,
ber of that other? Furnish US with it, and
we will discharge our duty in seeking men,
bership with it and you. The evil is upon
us, cutting down its thousands-our sands
of life are fast wearing away, and our ac-
counts fastening to close. Shall you and
We stand here all the day idle, or, almost as
culpable, shall we play the part which was
played at Washington in 1914, when the
enemy was rapidly advancing to pillagc and
destroy the city: instead of throwing out
the hints by the bag-full, shall we proceed
to count them out one by one, and, fearing
some mistake, insist on counting them over
again? The city was lost Of course ; and
our cause will be lost by adhering to like
policy.
Where is the olden State Temperance So
ciety with its simple pledge, freedom from
control, and sometime meetings? And echo
answers, where. Imbucd with no active
principle of cohesion, it passed away as the
morning cloud and the early dew. 1t soon
died; perhaps of atrophy-perhaps of cata-
lepsy-or perhaps, as physician once said
of patient, "of want of breath" We ad-
NIT it was a laudable society, and had like
glorious object with the Sons; but not stri-
king the proper chord in mans nature, it
expired so soon as the first ebullition of ex-
element exhausted itself. The practice and
efficiency of such societies, generally, have
their counterpart in the conduct of those
christians, who once or twice aycar come up
to the remembrance feast of their Lord and
Master, and never again think of duty, until
the return of like occasion. Pretty chris
tians, say you. Almost useless society, say
We.
The records of the Sons of Temperance
exhibit a different history. Dating its in
ccption from "sixtcen noble hearted men" in
the city of New York, on the 10Th Septcrh-
Der 1912, the progress of the organization
has been onward, the steady tramp of the
disciplined phalanx. Planting their feet on
the rock Of eternal truth, trebly armed with
the rcctitudc Of their cause, fixing their eyes
on the glory of a mighty nation redeemed
from drink, and casting at their feet the re-
proaches and sneers of the Tobiahs of the
dram shops and their panders, the Sons Of
Temperance have unwaveringly advanced
from victory to victory. Although gh mere
STRIPPING in years, the Society has already re-
lieved its tens of thousands from the paws
of the lion and the bear. From the annual
report of the National Division for 1851,
made up to the commencement of this year,
we find there were in South Carolina fifty
Subordinate Divisions of the Sons. The
number is not given in the report for 1855.
From the last named report, we learn that
the Subordinate Divisions under the juris-
diction of the National Division, extending
over the whole of the United States, the
British Provinces and England, number three
thousand nine hundred and sixty-four-Eng-
land receiving her charter from the United
States The number of contributing mem-
bers is upwards Of one hundred and fifty
thousand-a noble army truly, pauoplied for
war with the Goliath Of iniquity. Why
should not this army be estimated by millions?
Let your conscience, reader, answer for one
man. The flag of Prohibition already waves
in triumph over nine States of this Union.
Even our old fashioned sister, North Caro-
lima, is far ahead of our State in the good
cause of Temperance. On the lst of Jan
uary 1855, she had 1S5 Divisions of the
Sons of Temperance. With all her bad
whiskey it seems she prefers, that South
Carolina shall drink it, sleep out the sleepo
the swill, and awake years hence the inheri-
tor of the title of Rip Van Winkle of the
South. 1t is the banner of the Sons, which
occupies the van in the temperance battle
field. No battlc-cry but theirs now rings
and rcvcrberatcs through the length and
breadth of the land. The demon of intem-
perance breads no human foe but their serried
ranks. If it be the hearts desire of any
man, who looks not upon this earth as his
continuing city, and who has solemn y resol-
we'd to show himself good soldier in the
cause of Temperance, as the cause of God
If he have determined to gird on his har-
ness, and fight good fight until he shall be
renuired by his Great Cantain to put it off,