The Lambertville record. [volume] (Lambertville, N.J.) 1872-1968, 1874-04-22

a MAVu&M " t8V &#Vf Au<N<A1 4nvv = ehAH<<-z
more arualy established chan svst II orr lsnf.
| Appeals. and wpsuineg md stssl1tin. fsskz
| those who bae tsstimoAy sG1zznt II set6nsd|
| to fall on leadsn earn. This osnsas s1oHed
| chat FAR greater tlsn or in6te41o "A Weol<h,
was our incrsass ID drinking. And Il wa&un1
deniabie, that not only did our pscple waste
annually for drinks an amount squat to one
third of our vast national debt but that a
large majority of our young men, taking town
and country together, were growing up In hab-
| its Of occasional or habitual tippling. Despite
all this, the public mind and public conscience
seem alike slumberous or stupeied.
| Suddenly, unexpectedly, startlingly, the tel
egraph flashed all over the land the report Of
new and strange movement against Intern
perancc, in Southern Ohio "a
It was originated by no political party, by
no religious sect. No national convention had
arranged its platform Or its policy. In man
ner and method 1t was novel; and to all mere
| ly human calculation, as powerless as David
with his sling would have been, If unaided by
Higher Power, when no stood before Coli.
atl. But, In single month. 1t had achieved
more than years of effort before. The papers
The whole civilized world Is looking on with
mingled amusement and interest. Public ut
tention is concentrated as never before, upon
the manifold evils and miseries of Intemper-
ance. In every group, from the Capitol to
the Frontier, the question Ii discussed. And
/ f~o nall as friard
that this new movement, SO Unexpectedly in
augurated, is revelation not likely to go
backward. shall not assume to prophesy
what its future will be. But if 1t Is Gods
work in his own way as Ibeiicte, 1t will 60
on to victory, sure.
Let me allude briefly to several marked and
striking characteristics Of this new move
ment. Sc
First, let me say emphatically, that in its
4 origin, this is moral suasion movement
When heretofore, efforts have been made to
enact or to cnfore prohibitury laws or to Or
ganize political temperance parties, many who
concede the evils of incompetence have asked,
"Why not try moral suasion more thorough
iya" And certainly. praying and singing, by
women, in saloons, and appealing to liquor
sellers to abandon their Unhappy traffic, L
nothing else but moral suasion, pure and sim
pie.
Secondly Whenever reforms arc inaugu
rated, there are always numbers who insis
: that +" they believe in the ends sought to b
accomplished, 6Ut--. So In this nsrafice.-
/. Wherever this was commenced, many clamor
ed against it as "the wrong way" They In
sist that they would rejoice as much as any
others to see the traffic broken up. But, sa,
they, "Why not enforce the law Why
kneel il dirty and unswept saloons, or or
stone pavements, exposed to jeer And ribaldry
and insult ?"
Thirdly: Thus almost uhconsciously, the
great majority of every community become
committed for the first timej to either moral
suasion or legal suasion against incompetence.
For the woman's work, as commenced, was
exclusively moral suasion. Enforcing the law
is legal suasion.
Fourthly Criticised as the saloon praying
has been, by some professed temperance men,
1t is undeniable that it was that novel and Pc
culiar method of action which has attracted
so much the attention of the civilized world
Undoubtedly there has been moro discussion
of the evils Of intempciance, more Thought
as to the best means to rid the land of them,
during the past month, than for years before.
Evidently it needed just such extraordinary
scenes to arouse our millions from their lethar-
gy on this subject, and to compel them to con-
front this gigantic evil:
Filthy: Not even tho strongest opponent
can assert that any spirit ofbittefness or hate,
of malice or ill-wilI, prompted tlifs movement.
| Nothing but the sublimest spirit of self-sacri-
flee could have induced wives, and mothers,
and sisters, to enter upon such a Work in such
a way--to keep 1t up SO faithfully and untir-
ingly--and to bear In such q Christ-like spirit,
the raving and contumely by which it was
sought to deter them from their purpose.
Sixthly The singing and praying method
proves to be only the first development of this
great movement. Refusing to vote or hold
Office under pro-s'avery constitutions kind
Of moral-suasion resista,ice-was one Of the
early methods of anti-slavery men. But while
many adhere to that to the end, numbers de-
termined on more direct and aggressive ac-
ton and as the phrase is, "Carried the war
into Africa" And thus this movement seems
to be progressing, even now, to another plane
the vigorous enforcement of law by legal
suasion. Ere long, those who were just now
insisting that "they opposed inteinperance,
but" will be arguing that the legal suasion
of the law is worse, after all, than the moral
suasion of the woman. But sincerely BE-
lieye that the latter has kindled fire that an
the whisky and beer in the country viii moi
be Able to put 1t oht.
Striving to condense, must leave much un-
written that should be added here: Let every
one who believes that he should love his
neighbor as himself who does not dare te
deny his individual responsibility or to ask
dsfiantly " am my brothers keeper "--whc
would rejoice to see poverty and wretched
meas, misery and crime diminished--give to
the woman's movement hearty God-spsed
aud good speed;
~-s~cc--ses-->-~-