The Emporia news. [volume] (Emporia, Kan.) 1859-1881, 1870-04-08
THE TEMPERANCE QUESTION.

We were present few evenings since
at a meeting held in the interests of the
Temperance cause. Several well-writ-
essays, argumentative in tone, were
read, and short speech containing a
few stirring passages was delivered.
AS whole the meeting was interesting.
We hope it will have its results. The
question, however, kept occurring to our
mind during the exercises, Is this all
that can be done for Temperance Must
this great work, so vast, SO momentous,
so peremptory, be confided exclusively,
as it seems to be, to that comparatively
small but noble band of workers, the
Sons and Daughters of Temperance {?
The members of that body are doing all
perhaps that they can do. Still Intern
perance is OH the increase. 1t continues
to enlarge its borders. Men look on
with stoical Indifference which seems
to say, "This is all right" Aye, good
men whose bosoms we should suppose,
judging from their lives in other re-
spects, would be animated, set on fire
with a work so lofty, so humanitarian
as that of diminishing and subjugating
this enormous evil, are apparently as in
sensible to the appeals of the Temper
ance proclaimers ''as the sluggish clod
which the rude swain turns with his
share and treads upon" There does
not seem to be nearly so much enthusi-
asm in the cause of Temperance to-day
as stirred the hearts of the people few
years since. Despite the noble efforts
of the noble men and women who COM
pose the the membership of Temper
ance Lodges, these are the stubborn
facts.
This is wrong. How right it? What
is to be done first2 Shall Temperance
bodies cease their warfare? No; let
them rather war more valiantly than
ever. But the first step must be to en-
list all good men, all who love the right
better than the wrong, in behalf of
Temperance. Were all who call them
selves Christians as earnestly engaged
in fighting the vice of Intemperance as
those few who compose the various
IA Whit q
mighty, irresistible army they would
make! If the Christian Church should
join with the Temperance societies and
make Intemperance the special foe
against which to open all her batteries,
hurting against it both shot and shell,
both grape and canister, we think there
would be this result: All aglow with
enthusiasm hersdlf, earnest, persistent,
unyielding, the whole world would be
brought into the conflict, forced to take
sides either for or against the intoxica-
ting cup. Who would be victorious in
such a warfare as this? Aided and
supported by the Press there would be
but one result-a glorious one-in such
contest. Indeed, the Church and
Press should commence at one and the
same time. Every minister and every
paper in the land should enter the lists
Immediately, giving forth no uncertain
sound.
The moment is opprtune. Outside
the field of finance there is scarcely q
question agitating the public mind of
sufficient importance to cause a single
ripple in the current of the peoples
Thoughts and feelings. Slavery, one gil
gantic sin, no longer exists; Intemper-
aBce, another of no less magnitude, ex-
lists everywhere and numbers its victims
by millions, Let the work be begun.
Let it begin at once.