Belmont chronicle. [volume] (St. Clairsville, Ohio) 1855-1973, 1867-01-10
To the Friends of Temperance
in Belmont County. .T..

To the Editor Of the Belmont Chronicle.
SIR Permit colaborer in the good
cause to call your attention to this moment
Gus subject. Intemperance is among the
oldest of the great and prevailing evils
WHICH have SO long cursed our world. 1t is
one Of those evils that never will, in the
persons Of its victims, reform ITSELF Rather,
like the devils in our Savior's time, it must
be ''cast out" Indeed, like all its kindred
evils, it cannot be eradicated but by the con-
centrated effort of the friends of Temperance,
order and right, and by the persevering ap-
plicatiop of the remedies suggested by ex-
perience, reason and revelation. ... -.-
Paganism has never reformed itself into
an enlightened. civilized and Christian So
ciety. The dark places of the earth have
never been converted into bright spots upon
the dark mass of the kingdom Of darkness,
but by the aggression and concentrated ef.
forts of the friends Of Christianity and en-
lightened civilization. Only by tie well
directed and persevering efforts Of the
friends of human amelioration and elevation
has ever the moral wilderness been made to
blossom as the rose, or to become fruitful
feld.j .-.. -
During the late war ',clti2e me-, slept"
and the cause of Temperance was neglected
by its friends, the enemy was sowing tares.
Temperance and the liquor traffic received
new impulse, and have become alarming
threatening every interest which concerns
1he welfare Of society. ..... p.
Recently--we rejoice to be able to say
a revived interest has been taken in the
cause OF temperance It's friendsar waking
up to renewed and combined effort through.
out our entire country. A National Tenn
perance society has been organzed, State or
carnations have been formed auxiliary to the
National National organs. papers OF merit
and interest, are now distributing their
issues broadcast over the States. A. State
Organ, a weekly, is located in Cincinnati,
aud extensively circulated and read through
the State. A County Society, auxiliary to
the State, was recently formed in St Clairs-
willie, and arrangements made to secure
auxiliary organisations in every Township,
anag ifpossible. in every School District
Now, will friends in every part of the
County lend their influence and co-operaa
tion in this good cause2 We need not argue
the question of the' evils Of intemperance,
and of the death dealing traffic in intoxica-
ting liquors. Suffice it to say, drupkenpess
and its coucomitant crimes are alarmingly
increasing. Our youth are threatened as
With a ,desolating epidemic, Our prisons,
and the grave densely populating by the
victims Of this. hydra. The ratio Of the
annual deaths by war, during the late terri
BILE rebellion, did not exceed the continuous
stream Of mortality from intox xicatine liqnors.
Little less thsn fifty millions arc expended
annually in the liquor trade 10 the City Of
New York. In our entire country the ex;
pendture in. the. liquor ,trafic-a traffic
which in no form brings remunerative re-
turn, exceptip fraudulent gain. that hears
the appropriate label, The price Of bloof'
would in q. few, years liaui9ate. our Ma
tiosa| debt The liquor deslersin the City
of New York have now under their, control
thirty thousand votes Of the most vicious
and deprayed Of the population Of that EN-
porium, sity, ready to DO the will OF un-
pripcipled partisan politicians. And are We
of thousands Of votes cap be so controlled
by the liquor power? And in addition to
its legion of physical evils its moral ruin is
Threatening and alarming. ,. i-.....-; .-,;.
Friends. will you co operate with the
County Executive Committee in calling
Township meetings? Or, in your District
School Houses, and in all your villages in
the Coupty? Will you co operate in secur-
na lecturers, or addresses in those meetings?
Will you cooperate in waking into activity
the minds and efforts of the people in this
cause? VIII yon. at once. and promptly,
correspond with the Executive Committee
Of tie County Society. as il is desirable to
secure meetings, aud speakers to address
them. and to secure co-operatlng orRapisa.
tions all over The County, ,as soon as sposSible?
bHa .15Wos trg ou las't tNT''tt AsNSfAA,ia'