Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1859-01-13

men, whether I am acting With the church,
or associated with others or asa private indi-
vidual, in the use Of appropriate means, my
reliance for success is on the presence and
power Of religion. And it is in this way I
look for success in the cause of Temperance.
But there are many outside of the church
who are willing to engage in this cause
They see the evil Of intemperance-that il
is ruiuous to domestic peaee-distraction TO
social order-a heavy tax on the community
-coruptipg the morals, and if unchecked
must in the end be subversive of our liber-
ties. Stirred by sympathy for their fellow
men and actuated by patriotic motives, they
are willing to labor. By organizing societies,
their services are secured.
The church, as such, can only use spirit
ual weapons. But in this warfare against an
evil which has fortified itself in the customs
of society-in the sel6shness of men and uu-
der the shadow of legislation, a portion of the
serpents wisdom will be necessary, and we
must engage with such weapons as reason,
past experience or the word of God may fur
nish. 1t must be met on its own chosen
felds-at the polls, on the rostrum and in
the halls of legislation and overcome. To
such places the church cannot 60. But there
her members can 60 associated with other
citizens. But to be successful, organization
is necessary. And 50 long as they confne
themselves to their proper work of removing
intemperance from the land, I do not see
how they can in any way interfere with the
prosperity of the church but must by re.
moving an acknowledged evil greatly facili-
tate its progress. r. .-.
Another argument in favor Of Temperance
Societies is the existence of dram-shops and
distilleries. These should be put down, and
can only be done by union of effort. They
are the hot beds of intemperance. Tippling
shops have in this District been ostensibly
suppressed, but distilleries are on the in
crease They now supply the place of tip
pling shops and yet feel none of these re.
straining influences imposed on the others
and consequently are the greater nuisance
AS long as these are in the community many
will drink and thus perpetuate all the evils
which accompany intemperauce. They re-
quire our special attention at this time
And all good and sober men-all who love
the chureh--the State, or, the family of man
should unite for their suppression.
There are two classes Of men engaged in
making and vending strong drink; one hav-
ing character and standing in society; who
consider themselves and are looked upon by
others as respectable. Fhe other class have
no such claims, for they are bankrupts in
principle, character and property. But the
indueement to each is the same. They en-
gage in this nefarious business for the sake
Of "gain." For che most part it is useless
to reason with such men. He who has liv-
ed in this region to the present day with his
eyes open and has not been convinced Of the
evil of such thingsis impervious to all argu-
ment. They must be reached in some other
way. These cases are not hopeless. Let
the friends of temperance be true to their
principles and faithful to their cause, and
even these fountains so prolific of evil will
soon be dried up. You can reach them
through public opinion. Let the public once
decide and speak out their decision-that
the man who disregards the welfare of socie-
ty, who pursues a course tending to corrupt
the morals and disturb the peace Of families
has forfeited his standing and is no longer
to be con6ded in. The effect will be that
every vender and distiller who values his
character above few paltry dollars and cents,
will speedily wash his hands of this unright-
eous business. Many have already pursued
this course. For such sacrifices they have
felt repaid by the appreciation of conscience,
the esteem of their friends and the favor Of
their God.
Of public sentiment the other class is in
dependent. Legislation alone can reach
them. The embodiment of correct public
sentiment is seen in its laws. Whenever ma
king and vending Intoxicating drinks is
viewed Alright by the majority of men, then
laws will be made and executed against this
business and an end at once will be put to
this nefarious traffic. For the suppression
of this evil all the friends of sobriety, morali-
ty and religion should be united together in
purpose and action. They should let the
light of their principles shine forth, and by
no consideration of favor or gain, approve,
encourage or patronize the man "who put
teth the bottle to his neighbor's mouth" or
whose work it is to spread abroad intoxica-
ting drinks. They should use means to en-
tighten the community at large on these sub
jects, by their consistent example-by pub
lie speeches-but, especially, by spread.
ing truth through the medium of the Press;
that all may have correct views of the evil of
intemperance and all the causes leading
thereto. This may appear to some to be slow
process, but it must be successful; great is
the truth and it will prevail. You will have
the aid of mems conscience in your favor,
the prayers of all the good and the sanction
of Gods word. Success under these oircum-
stances is inevitable.
The band of union in every society is the
Pledge, but to maintain and perpetuate or
ganisation, "rules and regulations" are ne
oaaeorv TT nossihla pothino shnuld he in.