Spirit of the age. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1849-1865, 1859-04-06
For the Spirit of the Age.
Ten Years Ago, and Now.

1t is a source of TO little pleasure to the
philantropist, to contrast The past with the
present, and be able to note the steady
progress of reform. We are often told
that the Temperance reformation has ac-
complished no permanent good; but the
facts in the case give the lie to this broad
assertion, in language too plain ~ be mis-
ttrr6 67Jresef1r rem fears ago our ~aLe was
infested throughout with whiskeSstills-
our corn converted into whiskey, and our
apples into brandy, and drank at honse...
Now there is scarcely still in operation
in all this section of country. Ten years
ago almost every log-rolling, house-raising
and constructing was accompanied by
Jug of brandy. Now there is scarce one
man in forty lin this section of country
I shall speak from personal observatory
who would run the rsk of insulting his
hands by offering to 1eat" them on such
an occasion. Ten or 8Seen years ago,
respectable man was not ashamed to be
seen carrying jug along the public road.
:: Now the most degraded sot would feel
"cheap" to be caught carrying one along
> a cow path, and would be sure to stammer
out some excuse to you about his wife be-
, ing out of vinegart What is this, now,
| would like to know, but reformation
l great reformation? IF this is not proof
positive of permanent good having been
: accomplished, would like to know what
prima facia evidence is. I will not say
that this change is s0hoILy attributable to
+ the influence of the Order of the Sons of
q Temperance, but acilJ say that this Or
e ganization has done more towards its ac-
., cemplishment than any other-the Church
not even excepted.
g There is, perhaps, more liquor drank in
le villages and one-horse towns now than ten
a years ago, but the great mass Of the people
le the country people-the farmers, who
g constitute the bone and sinew of the land
lie drink infinitely less. People may say
IN what they please about the non-advance
as ment of the Temperance Reformation
they may tell me that the Order of th
le Sons of Temperance will go down--tha
" it won't do--that the last stage Of the mo
raj condition of our county will be wors
~ than the first, and that all the fuss whie
W. we are making about temperance will en-
= to believe any such stuf-for a0e k,sel
: that 1t IS not so. We know that the caus
- of Temperance as adyancing-what croas
ers say to tho contrary Notwithstanding
+ For evidence OF this fact we do not have
,ro search volnminous records, or take th
- word of Temperance Lecturer, or of
IA newspaper editor-ase see 1T aOith oar on
eyes.
The great car of REFORM is steadily re
od,j ling on, and on, without having ever mat
- one single retrogade movement. 1t is tn
~ that at times we were scarcely able to s.
,ba it move, so obstructed was the way. Ne
- er, since the inauguration of the gre
~ Washingtonian movement, has it been
one moment stationary. Temperance G
=, ganizatons, like all others, have their eb
and fows-their days of prosperity a
.stv their days of adv ersity but the pri'acii
pa does not die out, neither is the effect,
ow- influence lost on society every time
lass vision ''falls through" Wherever t
tir- standard of Temperance has been rails
he and fortress built, there we may find sc
me- planted, which in due time will bring for
IS ''sone sixty, and some an hundred fold
med The society in an organized form may b;
gone down, but the trophies of yict'
ner- still remain. Henceforward, then, let
tcon watchword be:
his Coward! onward! to conquer or di
sped Ad. y
lark r. r. Springs, n. G..