True American. [volume] (Steubenville [Ohio]) 1855-1861, 1856-03-26
For the True American.
TEMPERANCE NO. 4.
WHICH is THE WORST I

the drinking at public entertainments
whilst the latter includes the lowqdFinking
house, in which the man who has ruined
himself and beggared his famil by drink
ing, can procure liquor while he 'kns money
to pay for it; The former is considered by
large and influential class of citizens as
genuine temperance men-the moderation
spoken of in the Bible, and they have long
taught that it is the great means by which
drunkenness can be overcome; whilst the
latter is regarded us the greatest curse OF
society, the prolific source of disease, pov-
erty and crime. Wealth, fashion, respec-
liability combine to sustain the former, but
the drunken revelry of the nebriate has no
reputable defender. That the advocates of
moderate drinking labor under ruinous
delusion in regard to it, is self-evident and
the secret OF that delusion lies in the i'm
aginary division of the drinking system.
Moderation and imempcrance are thus rep
resented to be two different. things, one
very good and the other very bad; whilst
in Reality they ure but the beginning and
end Of that terrible scourge, drunkenness.
Aud as regards the influence of each ou the
welfare of community, it will be t; und on
examination that moderation is not that
harmless thing it is reported to be, and that
intcmperance does not exert the perni-
ciouS influence so generally attributed to
it. Whence do the drinking customs de-
rive their power! 1t cannot be FROM the
drunkayd; he is the mere eXcrescence of
the system; the blotch on the surface, which
indicates that fearful and virulent dsor-
der exists within. No one desires to imi-
tate his example; lie is, in fact, far too de-
based to exert any controlling influence on
society. Moderation never results from
ntemperance, but intemperance is always
the result of moderate drinking; and here
in lies the whole strength of the system,
Many very influential persons arc moderate
drinkers and they make the drinking GUS
tom espectublc-they declare that intoXi-
eating liquors are in themselves good-that
their abuse, not their use, does the mis-
chief. Thus their character is esta ablished
and men are unthinkingly deluded, The
neophyte does not wish to become drum
kard he does not wish to ruin himself and
beggar his family, he firmly determines to
keep in noderatilHlike A.wlo Is in his opin-
ion as good as any of the tetutallers. But
J let all the drunkards be removed out nf the
way, would intemperancc cease! 1t woulJ
90 on as before, new ones would soon be
created from the ranks Of the moderate
: drinkers to take their places; but let mod.
crate drinking be entirely stopped, and the
5 evil will be ended Let all those who car
: control themselves with so much ease
Il turn against the practice and give it theil
y hasty condemnation, and drinking will be
universally abhorred. The system mus
then stand on its own merits, the neophytt
must begin without the prestige of respec
> liability. The more influential man is
q more powerful for evil lie becomes when hC
# coQntenances any pcrnicious practice; ant
strange as it may appear, the less a mai
l. drinks if he at all sanctions the custom
II the more powerful he becomes us sup
e porter of the drinking system; it rises il
public estimation by his testimony and ex
ample. .
|. Ali the business of life once went OF
N prosperousy without any alcoholic stmu
l. lus. intoxicating liquors, when first dis
y titled, were used only as dangerous any
expensive medicine. What influence ha
ri wrought the mighty change, that an qrti
Gle which few years ago was measured b
it drops from the npothecary's vial, shoul
ID now occupy conspicuous place at socig
lie entertainments-should ramuy allthe arle
Il ries of society--should flow in, rivers tfoI
us enormous distilleries! 1t would be q lib,
s. on community to say that drunkards hay
wrought this change. In their hands dril
~ king could not become respectable-t
v trade in liquor could not exist if they alor
.,s supported tiff all others would ceas
,e drinking, the distilleries would soon stoI
b. Temperate men have produced this chang
tn they have supported the manufacturers al
ot seller, and Unidentified them for selling
" the drunkurd. and by their false opinlol
~ and evil practiSes, they have been the chi
" agents in promoting and perpetnating drn
:, kenness. Who give responsibility to q
the courttsies aud pcrmuncnce to all u
customs that constitute the school Of drul
kenness! The temperate. What is Il
~ chief apology for drunkenness! The mo
=. ~ crate drinking Of the temperate. The
-. are grave charges and their position wa
. ~ - rants us in making them. The immen
~ responsibility resting Oh them doman
~ ~ that they should speedily give the matt
1 their serious consideration.
The The Intelligent reader will readily di
to cover that the respectable part of the drin
to ing system is the worst part of it, and Ih
It's the most efiectual method of erpdicat
the intemperunco is to entirely cease drinkir