The state rights democrat. [volume] (Albany, Linn County, Oregon) 1865-1900, 1868-01-11
The Good TennpIars.

Editor State Rights Democrat.
In my last were answered some Of the
general charges against the people Of Leba-
non, and it now deyolyes upon me to rebut
the charges which, by innuendo if not by di-
rect and positive assertion, have been laid
against the Good Templars here and else
where; and as they are the same objections
which are urged by many others besides
F'Pro Bono Publico," alios "Dashaway,n I
shall, for the edifcation Of everybodYin gen.
eral as well as Of himselfin particular, pro.
ceed to review the various objections urged
against the Order by those who honestly,
perhaps, mistakenly, we believe, oppose il;
and in so doing oppose the progress of Tenn
perance and Humanity. There are two class
ca Of dissenters whom we wish to convince:
First, those who are at heart friends Of tenn
perance and reform, but who are conscien-
tiously opposed to US, and who, iftheir obiec-
tions could be removed, would unite with US
in rolling on the temperance car. Next are
those who cling to their occasional dram, -
though they don't drink TO hurt them
selves ~ but, ashamed of the direction their
influence 10 taking and the company they are
in, and feeling, perhaps, some stings Of re-
morse for their kind Of item perance,0 wish
70 find some excuse that can satisfy, or at
least quiet their consciences and maintain
their reputation before the world, without
sacrificing what they are pleased to designate
their lace Of liberty, but what is really moth
ing more than their lore Of liquor. These,
we would by an exposition Of the simple
truth, disarm Of every weapon Of warfare
against us, and strip them Of every fimsy ex-
cuse for opposing Us, (saye the one ''Dasba-
way" gives for drinking. e., because ''he
wants it, y and so compel them to cease their
opposition, though we may not persuade
them TO change their enmity to friendship
and their opposition TO cooperation. The
first we would convince because we want
their countenance and assistance in our great
aud good work. 1t is further important TO
answer these objections, because as the Order
Of Good Templars is the only one laboring
zealously or effectively in the temperance
| field, friends Of the cause who are not acting
with that Order are doing nothing whatever
/ in that direction, and the cause is losing much
valuable effort and influence which might be
productive Of incalculable benefit could they
| be united with the labor and influence of the
Order.
The first objection propose to consider is
that the Order is a sparkling institution, or,
| as "Dashaway" more than insinuates, their
| associations are more intimate than their fra
ternal relations will warrant. The characters
Of the members are all bclied by this charge,
as no better members of society can be found
than many of those who are Good Templars.
Persons most unexceptionable in daily life,
against whose reputation for purity of thought
ion havs rs he nFe
cion never dared to point, nor the tongue of
slander to utter a syllable. are by this accu-
sation vaguely stigmatized as guilty of con-
duet suited only to the low and vile.
|. Good Templars, when they meet in Lodge
meeting or elsewhere, enjoy each others So
ciety as neighbors and friends do at any 9TH
er social gathering no more. Parents are
there with their children; brothers with
their sisters. 1t is impossible for their as
sociations to be less innocent than around
their own family firesides and none but the
blindest prejudice or the most degraded SEN
timent can engender belief in any outlines
of social nature attaching TO them as Good
Templars. The most of those who use this
objection use it merely as a slur that they do
, not believe themselves, for want Of better
excuse for opposition. Should any man dare
to assert that they do meet for evil as Good
1
back into his teeth. True, they are like 9TH
er people, subject to all the passions and
fraiIties incident TO fallen humanity They
] are liable to fall from their high estate as
honorable men and women. They do not
pretend that their membership in the Order
carries perfection with it; that it places
them beyond the reach of the temptations
and incidents that beset mortality. They
] are human even as their accusers are human
no more, no less If they fall, they fall
I as Individuals, not as Good Templars. There
: is nothing in the Order, in its obligations, its
rules, its teachings or associations that does
not tend to high state of morality, if not
of religion. No person can be q wrong doer
and be in letter or in spirit Good Templar.
G Any member who wrongs another in word
q or deed, or does anything calculated to dis
J. grace himself or the Order, is liable to ex-
i pulsion. All their teachings and rules re-
: quire strict obedience to the laws Of justice
and right and if a member falls into dis
grace by his own act, he does so, not In con-
: sequence of, but in spite of those rules and
y teachings. A Good Templar who becomes
e degraded would have become so quite as GER
a tainly, and quite as soon, in all probability,
if he had not been Good Templar.
But it is useless to waste ink and paper
on this subject. "Dashawayn himself has
more good sense than to believe what he has
. written against them in this directien. There
n are some persons, unfortunately, whose
r minds naturally run in low and groveling
d channel conscious of the depravity oftheiI
own hearts, they affect to believe all others
n as depraved as themselves, and call honesty
! the result merely of the absence of tempta
: tion, and virtue but want of opportunity
; For such | have no word of reply. Their
T convictions are grounded upon a positive
d knowledge of their own vileness, and would
a perhaps, be difficult to remove while theil
e good opinion, if gained, is not worth the
q breath it requires to win it. JUSTICE.
\ LEBANON, 0G'E, Dec. 29, 1857.
y ANDREW JACKSON was indeed
: 4 II. !