The Kansas herald of freedom., 1857-02-21

81 at tne regular weekly meeting Vi
the Lawrence Temperance Society and
unanimously adopted
REPORT of Committee to whom was
referred the subject of obtaining q
Hall for. q Temperance Reading
Room.
The undersigned. being q Commit
tee appointed to take into considers
ton the propriety of establishing a
Temperance Reading Room" beg
leave to submit the following Report
We are convinced that such step
would greatly aid the temperance
cause, for the following among other
Ireasons:-
1st. Temperance, like all other true
reforms, depends upon the supremacy
of the moral and intellectual faculties
over the physical and animal ones.
Whatever, therefore, tends to develop
the intellect and the moral nature,
must of necessity prevent intemper-
ance. Sots are creatures of impulse
and of animal desire; they do not
reason, and therefore they drink to
excess. No Philosopher ever was or
ever will be drunkard; for Phiioso-
ply teaches the subsection of appetite
to reason. Now, to develop reason,
it is necessary to draw men away from
the haunts of vice; for reason and
vice can no more co-exist than God
and the devil. For instance the vi
tality necessary to produce powerful
action in the coronal region where
causality and comparison are located,
must not be applied to the region of
alimentiveness exclusively, as is the
case in the dram shop. Even if the
individual does not drink, still his
lower desires are awakened In the
dram shop.
I'd. Temperance also depends upon
the subdued action of the organs OF
destruetiveness, mirthfulness, friend
ship, DC. Not that these organs are
any less noble than causality, but they
must not rule the man they must be
the servants, and not the masters, Of
eausality. In other words, animal
excitement must be allayed in order
to produce temperance. 1t is, in the
large majority of cases in our town,
undue excitement that leads to dram
drinking. Previous to the war, our
eastern people were seldom found in the
dram shop; now, they frequent it as
much as the western. Nothing is SO
well calculated to subdue this kind Of
excitement as literary cultivation. The
scholar reaps a far more noble enjoy
ment than the dram dfinker.
| Sd. Soeiability, or love of COM
pany, is one of the causes of intem.
peranee. AS society depends upon a
proper cultivation of this faculty, it is
useless to attempt to suppress it, bui
only to guide it Alright. Temperance
parties and temperance songs and
temperance ladies, are as pleasant, as
interesting, and as agreeable, as con-
vivial Clubs, bachannalian songs, and
women of bad repute yea, and far
more so. We then recommend the
establishment of FREE TEMPERANCE
READING Room, to be open day and
evening to all signers of the Temper
anee Pledge, free of cost; and to those
who have not signed the Pledge, pro-
vided they are invited thither by some
temperance friend.
lst, Because to promote temper
anee, the intellect mast be cuttivated.
I'd, Because to promote temper
ance, literary taste must be cultiva-
ted, to allay physical and animal ex-
citement.
I'd, Because to promote temper
ance, the love of society must be pro-
vided for, SO as to be free from vicious
surroundings.
4th. We have ascertained that a
liberal property holder of this city-a
lady-is willing to give. for term of
years, the use of city lot, situated in
a convenient part of the city, for the
erectisn of a small building, 20 feet
wide and 25 feet long, and two stories
in height. the upper part of which
shall be finished off for a reading
room and for social parties, and the
lower part for hall for lectures of
all kinds. The total cost of this
building, it is estimated, viii be not
far from $500. The hall would let to
religious society for 800 per an
mum, and for other purposes, FIVE
evenings in the week, for 500 more.
We propose erecting this building
en- shares. by the creation of a joint
stock company, who shall own the
building and receive the profits arising
from the rent. Said company to di-
vide its stock into fifty equal shares,
valued at 80 each, and no one indi-
yidual to own more than Eve shares.
Each stockholder shall be entitled
to as many votes as he holds shares.
Your committee therefore recon-
mend the appointment of Business
Committee, who shall canvass the
town and ascertain how many shares
can be sold, and report at the next
meeting of this Society.
All of which is respectfully SUBJ
alitted. CHARLES STEAsRs,
LYDIA s. HALL,
L. B. BIaELow,
G.. A. BAILEY.
Since the circulation of the subscripsi
ton paper. for the above project. it
has been decided TO erect : stone
building, to cost about 4g.00s.==I
Nearly $500 of the stock has already
been subscribed.-lER.
H L is said that a petition is In
circplation for signatures. in the IF
cinity Of Bloomington, to the bogus
Legislature. praying that body to al
low each alternate quarter ssction Of
land to be ipproved for agricultural