The Kenosha telegraph. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1860-1888, 1873-06-12
W. T. G.
or LxcTURE By REV. H. M. SIMMONS, BE
TORE TEE WASHINGTON rFnPERAScn cLun.

TORE TIE WASHINGTON TFMPERANcR cLun N
There was large and very promising meeting of
Temperance people at Kimbal Hall last Monday
night. Rev. III M.simmons, delivered q lecture Of
which the following is an abstract. go
The manufacturer does not kindie the fre under
his boiler. until the factory il bnilt and the ma
chinery ready to start. It Is the faults OF uany
temperance movements that they steam an nrst.
A temperance lecturer acts as.nreman, raises the
zeal to a glowing heat, and makes noise and yapor
enough h. But no machinery is set up, no work
laid out, the fire goes down. and all becomes
Quiet again, before wheel is stirred in the real
workshop of life. 1t is blessed to have our zeal
reused in good cause, but very unpre ftable not
| 70 know what to do with 1t when reused
| Temperance talk moreover begins to lose it's ef
feet on some OF, us. Arthur Helps suggests IL at
collections in church would be larger II taken be-
fore instead of after the sermon, and with the nm
Outstanding that if the contributions were liberal
the sermon should be omitted altogether All
clergym onght Of con,ee to rspndiate SO profane
an idea. Bat there is question whether the tenn
perance cause is helped by talking The subject
has been worn threadbare The horrors Of ipten-
psran ce have been ted us until we're sick of the
talk, nor do we need It. The ugly facts which
stare at US cut of The newspaper columns and dai
" 1.fe, are eloquent enough without any oratory
behind them. 1t 10 time should stop talking
and he at work. We all agree that intemperance
san evil. The question: left is one Of method:
how beat to meet the evil. 1t is to be solved by
cool gneRt with the less zeal the better when
1t is solved end the method of work decided on,
then get the oratorical bellows and fire up. I 4 IS
| Can we to-nieht trace any general principles of
this method The first question comes to tn.
private individual shall drink Intoxicating 10
uor? A prudent man quickly answers it with re-
gard to the distilled liquors. But how about the
wines and beers9 Much can be said n defence OF
them The German takes his beer with q clesr
conscience, sure that II does him good. The wine.
In moderation checr and cnliven, and concentrate
lax nervous forces; they have been widely used in
lands OF the grape from remote an EQUITY; the
psalmist enumerates wine that maketh glad the
heart OF man" among the gifts OF Providence ;,
Christ himself used wine, even made it. the gospel
says {unless we accept Father Taylor's interpreta
ton, who slyly suggests that probably Christ did
not IN n the wafer into wine only tina. governor OF
the feast who 40 praised the drink wa. an old topper
who did not know before that water was so good.
L
was there any very wide attempt to prohibit the
use of vine. Still all through antiquity runs the
consciousness that wine is dangerous Plato for
bids IT to children rider Is; the New Testament
cautions against excess in it, the Hebrew proverb
calls IL a mocker, and No al get. drunk on it. In
our country and circumstances we can see its dan
ger still palmer We are more prone to excess
than those who breat the soft air OF the Maditer
| rauaan afill fha 70 Al ArA.
within reach to-day a cheaper liquor far worse
than wine. Wine IL not without it's dangers in
Italy and France. But 1t is ten field more danger
Gus where whiskey lies beyond it SO cheap that
man forsake@ wine for whiskev. II wine and beer
were the final liquors 1 for one should ay moth
ing against them. But when they are only the
commencement OF . SERIES which grows cheaper
and more poisonous as you advance in it, the case
Is changed. Cool Judgment tells us that with all
that can be said ia defence OF the lighter lquc RS
still in our present circumstances prudent man
will shun them all. #H## ~
/ But the question involves more than prudence
i It has moral side. Suppose liquor never harms
you, suppose it even does you good still your use
Of 1t leads others who have not your self-control,
and whom it will harm This lie the worst feature
OF ''moderate drinkiug';--net perhaps that these
drinkers are harmed at all in one case in ten; but
th'ir example lie dangerous. Of all temperance
men, nor those mos, who without any fears
for themselves, perhaps with belief that some
form Of liquor might benefit them, still carefully
abstain from 1t for the sake of public example
And believe there is class of men, large IA carted
aud noble, who would be gained to the temperance
cause If we would not rant 50 much about the SIN
of drinking, but would appeal to them as men in
the name of the public good.
The second question comes to us as citizens
ought we to interfere in any way with the public
sale or use of liquor We ate told we must NOT
take away the liberty OF men. True, hut when q
man with taste for liquor walk through a street
where whiskey is sold cheap at every corner is it
fair condition of liberty? The sight Of liouo- on
many O man mas a grip like o siaveholder's IA
that liberty We are told that We must not touch
the private rights Of n en-. Ofcourse not But rub
lie wrongs we may touch. he public hae no bust.
ness TO interfere with the rights of the individual
hut the individual has no right tn wrong the pu hi ic
and the pablie has right TO protect itself from
wrong. We have right to interfere with crimi.
nails and with the sale or liquor any other bust.
ness that makes criminals have no right to tell
a what he shall drink, bnt hsve q right Ia
keep him from breaking my head We have no
right to tell man what ne shall do; but we have a
d right to keep him from making rioters and mur-
n derers The rights of The public in this matter
seem beyond question.
Buthow ought the public to interfere? Bv nro.
hlhition? 1t cannot, certainly not In Wilson's ain
Such law cannot be carried, still less carried ont
perhaps ought not TO be.
How them Is it not best to regulate thts "a wa
o regulate many other tEings,-lndii ectly hv fay
alton? We all admit this to be just we tax the mn
merons manC facturies and trade In different de-
grees. And there is no more efectual way of in
fuencing men than through their pockets lot
those who wish the profit OF selling The pleasure
of drinking liquor, paw for the privilege ~ns y
{ roundly too ne all admit that taxation shonId
fail heaviest the lnxuries; it Dug hit TO fl II heavi
est of al on the dangerous luxures
But there ought to be discrimination Is it wise
for temperance men TO rank all LIQUORS together
and The warfare ALP d. !