The independent press. (Abbeville C.H., S.C.) 1853-1860, 1857-01-23
Defining a Position on the Temperance
Question.

Some three or four wears since, was
guilty Of the inli>rrr'ion, to rnll it bv no
.har>hrr name, of running for the Icyizla-
lluosicr. The party 10y which was nomi.
natc'l and supported, had clear minority o.
three hundred in the country, and of course
my election was u fixed fact. At l,a.,
thought So, until about three weeks b !o,c
the election. About that time, the first
wave of the Maine Law cxcirmant reached
the State, and ugly questions began to b.
put TO me by voters OF both parties. TO
take a position on either side WAS dangerous,
and dod ying seemed tho. only safe policy.
Fortunately, | had never belonged to any
temperance society. That satisfied most of
the antics. On the other hand, never
drank any thing stronger than coffee, and
the temperance men took it for granted |
was one Of them. Things went Off pretty
smoth!y in the convass, and and my op-
p"ncnt were t" make our last speeches in
Of the back townships, on the Saturday
preceding the election. !, was II hard place
for Il temperance man. ANA WAS most
thoroughly cro>s-cXalninrl during nv
speech. as to my antcrc,!cE,s in connection
with temperance societies. and especially, if
| hal ever belonged t" ihc Sons Of Temper.
ancc this order being the peculiar ahn,n-
'nai"n in tho nciuI.Lorlood. Nv answer
sc"ln" t" satisfy the Sovtr,i-ns. anil was
congratulating myself that the last ordeal
WAS passed. | WAS slightly mistaken.
Some malicious political adversary had Wills.
rcr,.,l it about in the crowd that could no,
not bear the tastc."r smell Of wli>krv.
Il
anal the friends. without consulting me. de-
trrm;nrd that a convincing proof of its false
hood should hr given before lcf, the Ground.
Tom W.. about rs hard Il case rs the
nrGlhorlr"'! allnr.c.l, WIS selected as a
committee Of one TO carry ont their rcsolu-
tion. jus: rs | lad mounted nv horse to
leave. Tom approached me will, brinninu
tnmhcr OF new wLi~k,.v in his hand, and
asked me I" |:nc the boys in horn |
aan''cd at ill" crowd! and saw that at least
fifty Y ties wcic hnn"imr in the scale II
was II" time to Deliberate and couple
of swallows of rs vilaiu";is whi>krv as ever
came from the still found their wav down
my ,!troat \ grunt Of approval from the
crowd told their satisfaction hut I was
determined 10 have nv revenge for the ma
trvd"n had snti"lrA. Leaning over to-
wards Tom in confidential sort of way.
said Tom carry better liquor than
that 1.-The devil - said Tom. ...lo Won
carry a hottie ?'--"C",'ailly do but YOU
ntS' keep d;uk, and not let the fellows in
town know OF it.'--This WAS Il degree of
soundncss on the temperance question nv
friends had not dared to hope for in me. 1t
was like marrying woman for beauty and
finding she had fortune besides. Bv the
time the crowd '.a'l gathered around us, T
had extracted from my sal,ll,-hags Il hottie
OF extract Of Ginr'r, and handed ii to Tom,
with an invitation TO ''trv it." Tom, did
"try it." "Lorl gemcnliv, gra~prd he, as
the burning compound took possession Of
his mouth and throat. "What IS that
-watrr-watcr told him it was
tenth-proof brandy and the crowd un-
animously sworn that any man who carried
liquor that would make Tom W-cry for
water, was sound enough for them on the
temperance question. 'li>,anccd my com
petitor at that precinct the succeeding Mon
Iav