Spirit of the age. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1849-1865, 1860-04-11
For the Spirit of the Age.
Let not your Good, be Evil Spoken Of

! Bro. GoRMAN: There is always great dan
ger that cause, however good, may be Sc
riously injured by those who profess to be
its best and warmest advocates. Even the
cause of Christ has suffered greatly by the
| ignorance and indiscretion Of some whose
zeal is not according to knoaoledge" When
men, in order to gain a point, or to effect
4 some object, make hobby of something that
either is of little moment in itself considered
or push their arguments too far, and especi-
ally when they aim at connecting or linking
! something to cause not necessarily connec
ted with it, they often bring reproach upon
cause which is worthy of, and justly enti-
tied to, the support and confidence of every
intelligent and rejecting man.
You are aware, | presume, that the great
and noble cause of Temperance has been as
sailed by men who were fond Of strong drink
on the ground, as they allege, that the Order
of the Sons was an offshoot or modifca-
ton of Free Masonry, thereby endeavoring
to create prejudice not only against the Or
der of the Sons of Temperance, but also
against Masonry. They found their main OBJ
lection, as they allege, to Masonry, on the
fact or ground, that Masons are bound by a
solemn oath to support defend and vote for
each other in all cases, fright or urong -
and thus they endeayor to prejudice those
against the Order who are unfriendly to Free
Masonry. With Masonry, as an institution,
Il have nothing to do. do not profess to
know any thing about it. and have always
adopted, as safe and invariable rule, neither
to condemn or approve of that which | do
mot profess to understand But although l
possess no certain knowledge of Masonry,
do profess to know something about the Or
der of the Sons of Temperance, and there
fore claim the right to speak of the Order-of
its principles, its objects, and its true posi-
tion; and to endeavor to disabuse the public
mind in reference TO some allegations and
charges which are made against it.
| In the first place, l would state without
the fear of successful contradiction" that
no Son of Temperance is brought under OBJ
legation, either when he joins the Order, nor
at any subsequent period, to vote for or sup
port any man, merely because be is Son Of
Temperance. He may do so or not, at his
own option As however, he pledges himself
not only not to drink intoxicating liquors as
a beverage, but also to discountenance the
abuse of it in others, he is bound by his
pledge, as well as morally bound, to not vote
for any man however well he may be quail
fed in other respects, who will stoop so low
as to 60 about treating the people with intox-
icating liquors If we did so, we would not
dscountenance the use of strong drink as
beverage in others, as we are bound to do.
But is there not danger that we furnish
ground for our good to be evil spoken of if,
other things being equal, we cast our suffra-
ges for candidate Just because he is a Son
of Temperance He may be very worthy
man, very competent to discharge the duties
of the Office to which he aspires-and may
be the best man who is running for the Office,
and on that ground, it may be our duty to
support him-but let US not make hobby
eff Temperance and thei eby create preju.
dice against good cause There are great
tmany good men, and men too who are wor.
thy of our confidence and support, who have
not seen fit to connect themselves with the
lOrder and who may never do so yet they
may be more trustworthy than some who
have Joined the Order. hold it to be oul
duty, not only as Sons of Temperance but
as good citizens, to select and support thu
very best men we have to transact our publ,
business for us, and if they are among th,
best men we have, they will not treat the peo
ole for their suffrages.
Mankind are prone to judge Religion a
well as the Order of the Sons, not by Reli
gion itself, or what the Bible teaches concern
my it, but by the conduct Of those pho pro
, fess 1t, and thus they will judge the Order c
1.-THE Sons. Let US therefore furnish no occa
sion or Just ground TO charge US with havin
! some other object in view besides promotin
: the cause of Temperance. Where man
a candidate for Office, and possesses all th
qualifications necessary to make good an
faithful public servant, let us not Withhold
? our suffrrges from him just because he is NJ
f Son of Temperance, lest we by so doin
cause our good, or the good cause of Ten
e perance " to be evil spoken Of"
e Bigots every apt to injure the cause the
r, have espoused, either in Religion, Tempe
g ance or Poltics-not because the cause is
bad one, but because of their ignorance
e selfishness, or both. If two men were ca
v didates for Office, and one was Son of Ter
perance and the other was not, althoug
a. equally as uorthy a man, and as compete
,r to discharge the duties of the office--tht
of some other consideration apart from the ia
re that one was Son of Temperasee, mig
-e induce me to cast my vote for the Son
;" Temperance. Were | to act otherwise,
as might furnish occasion for the enemies
ri Temperance to say the Sons were making
,g hobby of Temperance and thereby create
k prejudice against great and noble caus
er and our good would, consequently, be e
de spoken Of"
of Let it however be distinctly anderstoc
he that as Sons we are pledged not to coun
nance any man who makes, vends, or trait