The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1856-1888, 1873-10-25

AA~ AAAA~NeAAlAA OA4EL Oh hUl4 LENlIA1lE -
comparatively little known and but imperfectlY
understood by the people Of New South Wales,
stIl AZ u the largest Temperance organization IN
the world, and, is possessed Of recommendations
not found in other Temperance Societies. In this
paper y shall first give an outline Of the history
and present position Of the Order, and then state
IT. principals, its aims, and its working
The Good Templars are a united Order whose
general principles may be expressed in the words
Total abstinence, and absolute prohibition
The movement was instituted in the State Of New
York in 1851, and since that period has spread IL
seli over the greater part Of the North American
Continent, where it has now a membership Of
nearly 100000 In four years from Its commence
nent, IL had enrolled 81 900 persons as members
from every rank and grade. The Order steadily
increased until the Civil War broke out. which
greatly retarded Its progress in several Of the
states, but since the clOse of that war, IL has
gained ground rapidly. During the year 1867,
200 Lodges were added, and 215, 900 new mem
bers- In the State Of Pennsylvania there are no
less than 800 Ministers Of the GOSPEL who are
members OF the Order, and Its Chief Officers 10
Prince Edwards Island, and in the States of Yer
mont, Massachusetts, New York. Delaware, Mary
land, Michigan, Ohio, and Nebraska, are all rev.
crend gentlemen. In California the Good Temp
lars have erected an . Orphan Asylum - at a cost
~ Il 400, which was opened in May, 1870, free
% debt, and the Templars Of the States have also
IN . Inebriates' Home for the reclamation Of
trunkards. 10 the year 1868 the first Lodge Of
1AN4 LeA1HAGAE " = yELut4 III EQRL1lu. UuT.
tIe Order has so itself TO the iudg-
ment Of enlightened men that it had in the early
part Of the year 1872, $50 Lodges, and about 40
900 members. The year following its establish
mens In England, it was introduced into Scotland,
and there the Order has succeeded in a most re-
markable manner. Scotland has $50 Lodges and
$1,000 members, among whom are found the Revs.
Professor Kirk, DIR. Gale, DIR. +. X. Lees and
ether distinguished men. Professor Charteries,
p Z the Church Of Scotland, said in the General
Ia--LN 81 A ~
Gospel, the Good TemBlar movement has done
more for the reclamation Of the Iapsed masses
han any other agency" The Rev. Sir III. Mon
CYeih, too, Of the Free Church, has borne the most
decided testimony TO the triumphs of the move
ment, and in four parishes he states not a single
public house remains. Thus the Order In Scot
land has challenged the attention of earnest, godly,
and philanthropie men, who have closely observed
ITS working and Voluntarily testified to the sue
cess Of its operations. In Ireland a considerable
number Of Lodges have been organized, and in
the Principally Of Wales, TempIarism is making
rapid progress. in the Colonies of Queensland
and Victoria 1t has begun to flourish, and in New
south Wales five Lodges have been opened during
the past few months. From this brief statement
u must be supposed that Good Templarism has an
AMOUNT of vitality in it possessed by few organi-
zatiOns for the reformation of our social life. Its
successes, as we believe, are attributable to the
character OF its principles and the energy and de-
votion of its members.
IL VIII now state as DrIeny and clearly as i
can what the principles are upon which the Order
Of Good Templars is based. The Order is strictly
unsectarian, yet a high standard of morality is
maintained, and the religious character of its ex-
ercises, give it a place and standing in the Chris
tian world. 1t is not n Life Assurance Society.
. Benefit Society, or n Sick Club, and it holds out
no pecuniary advantages. The basis of the Order
- thus different from that Of the Sons and
Daughters Of Temperance, and that Of the Re-
chabites. The beneficiary system, while it has
attracted many who desired - to have something
lid up against a rainy day has also proved a
source Of weakness to those temperance organiza-
tons which adopted it-for many who had no Tore
for the cause Of Temperance were led to Join those
societies from purely selfish motives. The testi-
uony Of experience is that CORPORATE bodies. held
together by selfish considerations canno. be eff
fcctive in great moral enterprises. The Templars,
therefore, endeavOr to place no motive before a
person for joining them, except n moral one,-we
try TO lay hold of the moral sense without placing
q money inducement before men; and all who are
anxious TO Join the crusade against intemperance.
and save others, or those who have fallen but de-
ire 70 be reclaimed may join our ranks. Every
candidate for membership must, however, ac-
knowledge the existence and power Of Almighty
God, and be willing to take q pledge of total alb
-tinence for life, and any member found guilty of
violating that pledge, or Of profane swearing, or
u immortality, is liable TO be expelled. The fol-
lowing declaration Of the supreme body is known
a. the Good Templar's Platform.
J. 4Ot dii5tAutucE Ium All intoxicating liQuOr
Is a 5eUerggc.
D No leense in any form OF under any circum-
stsnces for the sale OF liquors to be used as bever-
ages.
g.. The absolute prohibition Of the manufacture,
Importation, and sale of intoxisatiOn liquors for
sH6h purposes, prohibition by the viii OF the peo-
pie expressed IN due form of law, with the penal
ties deserved for a crime Of such enormity.
=. The creation Of q healthy public opinion
upcn the subject, by the active dissemination Of
- = M ~ -
philanthropy.
s. The election Of good. honest men, toadmin-
ster the laws.
8 Persistence in efforts to save individuals and
communities from 50 direlul a scourge, against all
sorms OF opposition and difficulty, until SUGGEST is
complete and universal.
Good Templars not only regard drunkenness as
q heinous sin, but, while admitting that in some
special cases alcohol may be used with advant-
age as a medicine, = they believe that the general
use of any alcoholic drinks is unnecessary, inexpe-
dent and wrong They assert that the practice
Of drinking Is wrong on physical, moral, social
and political grounds, and therefore that total
zbstinence from intoxicating liquors as a Lever
age, Is not only a wise expedient, a bene6cent
rule, but an incumbent duty. They consider
that it is wrong physically, because, as is shown
by DIR. Carpenter, : the action of alcohol upon
he animal body in health is essentially POISONOUS,
producing such a disturbance In the regular cur
rent of vital action, as, when a sufficient dose or
succession of doses is administered, it becomes
atal.''s They maintain that it is wrong morally,
because, being a violation Of che laws of life and
health, il impairs and shortens the term of moral
probation, and frequently leads the drinker to
the violation Of other and higher laws of God, by
which he is eternalIy ruined. They hold that it
is wrong socially, . inasmuch as it sets q tempt
ing example to friends, companions, and asso-
~ciates," and because it Il is proved from statistics
that twO-thirds of the vice, pauperism, and insan-
~ are caused by this demoralizing social custom.
That which produces so much poverty, domestic
misery, destruction of property, and almost every
form Of SIN punishable by law, must be wrong
socially. The Good TempIars assert that the