Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1860-04-19


perance because such step will add few
dollars to his funds by securing the business
custom, of temperance men ; another does
the same because the cause is a popular one,
or because, when he feels too lazy to work,
he can draw his five dollars week by lying
in bed and pretending to b.. i'll fla man
wishes to edit paper with success and prof.
lit, be must needs till his paper with long,
dull, prosy articles on the temperance move
ment; if an ofice.seeker wishes the votes Of
the community all he has to do is to appear
before the public and deliver temperance
address. All Nellie! very few Of these SO.
called temperance men are faithful to their
pledges ......
Those are mere assertions, Joe,' said
Nellie.
sNot at all, my dear. Take case in
point: There is old Mason, the cabinet
maker. He, some ten years ago, was poor
miserable, drunken vagabond, as you can
very we'll remember. By the persuasion Of
several temperance men, he Joined the Sors /;
by the influence of the same party his cred
it was re-established and he set up in tusi-
ness again. Every man in the Division to
which be belonged gave him work and used
all their influence in his behalf. What was
the consequence? Mason became veal
thy man in less than eight years; became
a prominent member of an aristocratic
church; was sent to Congress by an over
whelming majority of votes, and now is be-
fore the public as suitable candidate for
mayor of our city -
what better argument can be produced
in favor of Temperament asked Nellie,
triumphantly.
Stop, Nellie ? said Mr.. Benson. you
are not aware that old Mason is an unprin-
cipled hypocrite that he drinks more liquor,
perhaps, than any man among u.s.
you certainly are speaking at random,
Joe,' said Nellie.
'If,' replied Mr. Benson, you do not
know it now, you will learn after some years,
that 1 never make such statements regard.
ing any man without knowing them to be
correct
But how do you know that Mr.. Mason
drinks?'
why, my darling, when I became part
ner in the establishment with which am
now connected, it became part of my du.
ty to assist Mr.. johnson in settling up the
business of the former firm
We'll
'1n the discharge of this duty I found it
necessary, according to my partners books,
to make out an account of the Hon. Justin
R. Mason's indebtedness; and, among 9th.
er charges, found him debtor to johnson
& Wells for five baskets of champagne,
several dozen bottles of Wine, Brandy and
Gin, not to mention several demijohns Of
Rum -...-..
lis it possible said Nellie.
Since have been in the store,' continu.
ed Mr.. Benson, ii have more than once
seen bottles sent of by the porter to Mason.
Nellie looked down upon the kitten in
her lap T.; wound piece of cord around her
finger; toyed with the bracelet around her
wrist, and finally looked up into the face Of
her husband. Nellie was thinking of some
thing to say.
did you ever hear or read about a Ger.
tain man by the name of Benedict Arnold p
she asked very slowly and deliberately.
Certainly
He was traitor, said Nellie.
Il am we'll aware of that
so is Mr.. Mason
That's sc! said Mr.. Benson, emphat-
ically.
The struggle Of our forefathers for Amer
ican Independence was humbug-a mean,
selfish, dishonorable affair. All policy-an
effort at self agrandisement.'
why, Nellie ?
W, yes IL was, SalQ Nelile.
what put such an idea in your head, my
DEAR" asked Mr.. Benson.
sT'm sure the idea, as you call it, is quite
reasonable one,' said Nellie. 'You object
to these temperance organizations because
such men as Mr. Mason may be found a.
mong the members, and I object to the
American Revolution because an Arnold
was found
why, you sarcastic little rogue! ! said
Mr.. Benson, playfully putting his hand O.
yer Nellie's mouth: you meet me upon my
own ground, and conquer me with my own
weapons, do you?' Then, drawing Nellie
to his side, he said /: do not imagine, my
dear, that wish to leave an impression up
on your mind that 1 am opposed to the tenn
perance reform ; or that I would speak of
the subject to others as I have done to you.
1 invariably make it my duty to recommend
total abstinence to all with whom I associ-
ate; but, so far as I am Individually con-
cerned, really do not see either the neces-
sity or propriety Of wearing the regalia at
present.
'Joe,' said Nellie, Il once knew a young
man'-Nellie paused and sighed.
sWhat about him, dear?'
He drank deeply
Well
If there ever lived one who ardently de-
sired to free himself from the habit and
vice of imtomperance, it was he. But he
was proud of his birth, parentage and So
cial position, and could not bear the idea of
connecting himself with the infant Division
in the town where he lived, because most,
if not all of its members were generally re-
formed drunkards of the very lowest class.