Delaware Republican. (Wilmington, Del.) 1843-1874, 1866-03-29

TEMPERANCE IN ODESSA,


Aa. Eprroa .---our Lodge which organized
Thursday evening, February LIST, with only d
score OF charter members, has been gradual.
ly increasi ng, and has now about 80 enrolled
In the great temperance army, which is strug
Cling to overthrow the great King Alcohol
and disenthrsll his innumersble subjects In
our land. The citizens OF Odessa have long
been known as q peacable, law aud order low
ing people, and a large portion OF them have
been among the pioneers OF the temperance
cause In former days It was expected by us
that they would be fret and foremost in this
new movement of the order Of Good Templars
But the cause OF this Ia evident. Old and
tried remedies having failed to remove tho
disease, they have lost faith, and considering
it ineurab!e, have fallen into state OF apa-
thy or Indifference. Meanwhile the malady
has been spreading, aud has fesriully iuocula.
ted society, and almost every family has suf-
fered from Its ravages.
These old veterans in the cause should re-
member that the enemy Is not idle, hut has
been gaining ground, and taking advantage
OF their inactivity, has become master Of the
situation. When asked to join our lodge, CO.
operate with Us, and throw their influence in
the sea lie Of reform, they generally reply. II
am temperate. use NO liquor. II wouldn't
do me any good. pliwait 10 see how you make
out" What would you think my friend Of
u man going Into battle without his srmor2--
Who would expect anything but deisat What
then can you d. in this waItaIe with nothing
but an exsmplsa What 10 the soldiers body
without his equipments, while in deadly con-
fact with the enemy Your influence must
go with your example II you would be fully
armed, and the hattie 10 only half fought while
you remain neutral or passive Ia SO glorious
\ causs
suppose II didn't do you ANY good Il not
a man happy BY making others happyt If We
love our own souls and bodies, keeping them
pure and temperate, are We not commanded
to love our neighbors as ourselves2
lfyou saw house on fire and its inmates
asleep, could you wait to see how they got
along before giving the alarm? Ii you bebeld
an army approaching from the enemys coun'
Try, could you AFFORD to wait until it stood de-
hantly upon Jour own soil, and you Gnpre-
pared for the contest?
The principal reasons then why nors OF the
temperance people Of Odessa do not identity
themselves with this order, aud uats heir Ell.
forts Ia Tue cause, are that they are resting
on the oars OF good example, while tue bark
is drifting rapidly down the stream And they
are waiting to see whether our rrmedy will
prove etectual, whsa they know uf no better
one, and End that something must he done
Immediately, Or the case will be beyond re-
e6vsTy
The rsasous why tbe Other GLASSES arc not
gathered into the told, 10 because the frst
named dc not add preeept TO example practice
TO theory, and fruits to faith
Thus 1t will be seen that . town having Sooa
materials for such au organization will be
more tardy than many others 10 Vsing them,
and one having 9 reputation fol sobriety and
order may relapse into deplorabis s'ats oil
lsthar2y
We can only take one step at a time, aad Ii
this order is step however impoffec. il may
be- in tue wsT of isiarm, let ia give il our
undivided and hearty support nDaspiss not
the day Of small things."
Why object to its secrecy There ace q
more secrets than are necessary to hold Us to
gst CT and keep US In working order. There
ars secrets IN all parties, whether social, civil
OF political National, Democratic OF Rspubi.
can The sessions of our chu reb, the board
OF banks and all benevolent SO cietes and in
situations have their private Blu siuess, which
facilitates the object ia view | wonder more
people have no, curiosity enough to come In
and get our secrets
Some think that children should be -4elu-
dej. Why ara they are not excluded from
cur 'hufrhes2 Are they old enough to sin
and too young to be saved2 When you kssp
Jour children from the drinking saloons and
ruiu stores where Profsne and VII lgar language
Is ihdalged ia, which poisons their minds,
and defle their bodies it will be time snough
10 speak. Others say the ladies have no right
10 participate in these meetings They have
nave 90 right to drunken husbands, or groggery
ioyer5, or bloated fathers, but ii sometimes
happens that they have them Have they 40
right to an influence? TheS have, aud po " ertal
oue II Ia for good or evil We mead not argue
farther. Shut out women and children aud
J on might as we'll blot flowers and fruit from
creation and the earth would be desolats
The Methodists have kindly volunteered the
use Of the session room OF their church Ia
whieh our Lodge now meets. W.. hogs Nj
RobeT,s will lecture here 5000. o BG