Ashtabula weekly telegraph. [volume] (Ashtabula, Ohio) 1853-1873, 1866-08-04
MoDERArEDRtNKnns, ,IsrLUHson
BY REV. II. IcHNsnN

fnr by REV III. JOHNSON. cd |
Tell me, ye users of wines and advocates
Of their use, where does the temptation com.
from that leads so many thousands of our
youth TO feel the poisonous sting of the ad
der1 Whence the allirement that guides
them iuio and down the path Of ruinl sure
ly not from the brutal end beastly dunk
ard who consorts with swine 10 the gutter
He can excite only pity and loatbiDg. II
there we're no drinkers but the druDksrds,
who would be beguiled into the ps, of the
cEp by their disgusting and revolving exhi-
| bitionsI ALL the temptation comes from
other quarters. 1t comes from places OF
resp pectoblity and social refinement, where
the presence OF one Of those low bssotted
iDebriates would NOS be tolerated. 1t
comes from the circles Of fashion ard from
| the men and women of unquestionable
standing; yea, from members OF the church
OF God, who give thus 10 the custom the
sanction OF Christian profession. 1t is
by these careful occasional, repu able, fash
ionable, Christian wine.drinkers, that 9th
ers are tempted to indulgence, and the un
wary encouraged 10 occasional eXcesses =
II is from these, who throw around the
custom an air of iespectability, that on in
auence goes forth, which, secretly and silent.
ly, unsupported aud uurebuked, is doing its
work OF death. The Rev. DR.. Scudder in
a charge to his son, Mr.. Henry NJ. ,Scnd-
der, at the ordination Of that son as o mis-
sionary, in the Carmiue street church, New.
York, some years ago, u ed the following
language; charge You in the most solemn
m n ,Cr, aud with all the weight Of parent
al authority, that you set an example Of
the strictes, temperance tefore the heather
| would not allow hesthen 10 see me take
a glass Of wine for kingdom
DR.. Mott says al experience Of forty
years furnished him with materials for o
volume Of most remaskable and heart.rend-
ing incidents, where the examples of mod
era.e-driuking Christian men were the ru-
in OF youth, struggling against habit
which The social drinking ussges Of society
had fastened upop them. Such materials
abouni eyerywhr', ,Hud are fu nished in
every community where wine drinking pre-
walls Only this very day heard of g
sad and shameful incident ss having re-
Gently occurred 10 our sister city.
OF six sons OF gentleman of high stand.
ing in the church, in New York city, FIVE
died drupkards, aud the sixth gave as one
Of the causes Of this desolation the parents.
custom, Of inviting each OF the children,
after certain age, to drin.; a little wine
every sabbath 10 the health of father and
| mother Nr....t i.l aeu -gs ~ Fl
A clergyman was once in public meet
ing, plausibly arguing against totsl absli
nence es fanatical and unscrip:ural. TAX
Jug his seat, an old man arose aud said 10
substance. l know young man; he is
fast becoming an inebriatc; / feor no is
ruined When he is urged to give up the
wine-cup, be always pleads the example Of
certain popular clergyman. He says,
while that minister takes his glass and de-
lends it, he means to do the same. Gen
slemen, that poor Incorporate youth is NY
sonl and the clergyman whose evil exam
pie he Is following is the very same one
who has jnst addressed this convention.
Let me cite you one other Incident, and
lest you doubt its gsnuiueness let me say
that the facts are furnished by one who
witnessed it. AT certain town, 10 a
meeting called 10 consider the license ques.
tlon. the clergyman, q deacon, and the
physician were present, and all united in
the belief that 10 the use Of alcohol as
beverage, excess alone was to be avoided
The feeling appeared to be oil one way,
when single teeto,aler arose and sought
byifacts and arguments 10 show the desc
at!on caused by moderate drinking. But
all would not do. No one came to his
support; aud the president of the meeting
was about to put the question, when o
miserable female. whose appearai CO was
Que OF utmost wre.chodness, arose in dis
taut part of the house, and called upon
al to look upon her. Yes she said, look
upon me and then hear me. All the last
speaker has said abou, mod .rate drinking
o. the father Of all drunkenness is true
All drinking of alcoholic poison. as a bev.
erage, in health, is excess. Look upon
me. You all know me or once did You
all know | was once the mistress OF the
best farm in the town. You all know, TOO,
| once had one OF the best, the most devo.
ted Of husbands. You all know had five
noble hearted, industrious boys. Where
are they nowY Doctor, where ore they?
You all kuow-ihey lie ina row, side by
side in yonder churchyard; all, every one
of hem, filling the drunkard's gravel And
with her tall form raised 10 its utmost, and
her OftOnuated alm outstretched. she
exclaimed. They we're all taught to believe
that moderate drinking was ssfe-excess
acne ought to be avoided; and they never
acknowledge excess! They quoted you,
and you, and you, pointing with shred Of
fnger to the priest, deacon and doctor,
as authority. They thought themselves
safe under such teachers. The womnn had
dragged herself from the poorhouse to
sound this wsrHing. lrepeat it here to
night And now ask If the considerations
urged are not enough? ask if a temporary
qualification Is 10 be Insisted on BY reason
able men and, women, in view not only OF
the possible, but of the inevitable evils and
perils Of wins drinking Ja s3n' n''t'
The Two Great American Interests