Shepherdstown register. [volume] (Shepherdstown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1849-1955, 1858-01-09
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v For the Shepherdsto,cn Register
New Temperance Organization in Shep-
heTdStUWn.

Though the principal speaker advertised
for the meeting on Tuesday night, dis
appointed US, il is believed by our "old'
est Inhabitants" to have been the bes
meeting Of the sort, as to It's practical re.
suits, ever held in this town. The elo.
quent address Of Rev. Mr.. Leech deal
not in exciting appeals bu, III sound ar
guments and iudi>purabIe facts. Another
reason for the success Of the meeting was
found in The general alarm of our citizens
at TIE late increase of drunkenness here
particularly among the young, before
whom las many Of Them have been going
on Of late) there could be nothing but in.
pending ruin for body, soul and estate.
This no doubt accounts in part for the as.
sembly which crowded the building TO its
utmost capacity.
twas truth in this meeting which did
the business. The father who sets the
example of drinking must know tina, il
he sows The wind in his family he must
reap the w,hirlwind. The unlicensed dea-
Ter must know that he incurs not only the
odium Of destroyer but the penalties Of
the law and that they cannot expect long
TO escape them. The licensed dealers
even those who do not shamefully abuse
their licences 10 purposes never contem-
plated by the law must know that lhei7
business is deplored by our best citizens
without an eXceplon-that il is dishon-
ored business and in ninety-nne cases in
a hundred most unfortunate business TO
those who engage in it
At the close Of the meeting on Tuesday
evening the following Preamble and
Pledge were presented to the meeting:
PLEDGE
ofMe Shepherdstora Temperance So
cicy.
We the undersigned are friendly TO tie
Sons of Temperance and would act as
their brethren ald coadjutors in the same
work. |, is however deemed by us that
an additional organic alton occupying
more extensive gound would be useful in
this community at the present time. We
therefore unite in the following Pledge,
viz:
|. That we will abstain from the use Of
Intoxicating liquors as beverage.
III. Tha, we will no, furnish them to
our families, or to our guests, or 10 per-
sons in our employment for thai purpose.
Ill. That we will use our influence
and all suitable means in our power to
suppress the unlicensed sale of Insoxica-
ting liquors--to reduce licences to the
lowest number contemplated by the law
10 have licences taken away from those
who have abused them and to sustain the
Magistrates and officers Of the law in the
execution Of their dnlies in the premises.
This pledge WAS signed by lS2 per-
sons. which both for Numbers and variety
of characters embraced, surpasses any
thing heretofore witnessed in this Coun-
y. OF these two subscribed for one
ear, one for six years, four for six
months, two for four months, one for 10
years, 7 months and II days. all the
Others subscribed for 100 years.
We know perfectly we'll what some
who have never lent a helping hand IN
temperance will say about the mpIoba-
olllty of some holding out for the terms
for which they have subscribed. We do
not pretend to asser, that all will hold out.
il would perhaps be something too good
TO be true. Blu, they have NOT consigned
themselves willingly TO destruction.
They are making an effort for dear lille,
nor would we Tor ten thousand worlds be
one to discourage them by the sneers OF a
heartless skepucism. On the contrary we
would encourage them by every means in
our poverty example,by precepi,by kind
ly words OF sympathy, and by promoting
vigorous temperance sentiment and &C.
ton in the town. If one only holds out
land but for the drinking shops all would
hold oui) the new society will be repaid a
thousand fold for all its labors; such is our
estimate Of the calamity of a drunken
husband, a drunken father or drunken
son. OfIenses, said the Son Of God must
needs come,but wo unto that man through
whom the oflense cometh. 1t were bet
ter for him that mill stone were hanged
about his neck and he we're drowned in
the depths of the sea than tina, he should
offend one of these little ones. The
meaning of the Greek word here transla-
ted Offend is "lo lay a stumbling block in
the way of'--and he is guilty of II in the
most aggravated sense, who by precept,
example or sale tempts signer 10 break
his pledge. 1t will be more tolerable for
Sodom and Gomorrah in the day oil
/ judgement than for that man who seduces
struggling reformer from his purpose,
which at besli is hard euougi 10 keep.