The Richmond palladium. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1855-1875, 1874-11-11
Temperance--rotal Abstinence.


Societies or voluntary associa
tons organized to war against the
excessive use of stimulating bever-
ages, are probably much older than
any surviving records of their ex-
istence; but such are known to
have existed in Europe more than
four hundred years ago, while Ma
hommed's resolute effort to pro-
hibit entirely the use of wine by his
followers, antedates these by eight
centuries. But earlier than this,
the fact that swine is q mocker'
has been recognized among the
Hebrews, and the brief scriptural
variations concerning Noah, Sam
son, Daniel and others, attest that
the evils, scarcely seperable from
the use of the most inviting and
perhaps least noxious of all intoxi-
eating drinks, and the good secured
by entire abstinence therefrom,
were not unknown to remote an
tiquity. It was reserved, however,
for America to furnish conspicu-
ously examples both of very general
excess in the use of stimulants and
against their fearful abuse. The
people of the New World were not
aroused to the enormity of the evil
until drinking was barely less than
universal drunkenness, the fruitful
cause of moral and pecuniary ruin.
When the population of the United
States had reached less than half
its present number, it was estima-
ted that $4,000 deaths per annum
were caused therein by intemper-
ance, while nearly or quite one
fourth of the families in the United
States were sufferers from palpably
immoderate drinking, usually Of
their respective heads.
The war against immoderate
drinking goes on with a steady
increase of public sentiment in
favor of total abstinence. Efforts
have been made in several of the
States to restrain or abolish the
liquor traffic with more or less sue
cess. Probably majority Of the
States have at one time or another
passed prohibitory laws, and many
of these remain unrepealed; those
that have been, were repealed in
consequence of political mutation.
The war goes on, and it is not con-
fined to particular churches; and
though one political party resolves
for a ''judicious license law" which
has always been precursor of the
repeal of all restrictions of the
traffic. individuals of the party are
uncompromisingly opposed to it.
The Catholic church now yields a
powerful influence, and Catholics
everywhere are forming Total Alb
stinence Societies. They are ex
clusively organizations within the
pale of the church, but their infu-
ence upon public sentiment for
good is marked. Some of the most
able of the Catholic priests are
jealous temperance reformers, and
the Pope sends his blessing from
Rome to the Total Abstinence
Societies.
Two of the Democratic Senators
in the Indiana General Assembly;
elected two years ago, and having
two years yet to serve, are in favor
of the Baxter law. One, Mr.. Ringo
of Clay and Owen counties, at g
district temperance convention
held in Terre Haute, on Thursday
said he would not only vote against
repeating the Baxter law, but hi
would endeavor to have more strin
gent provisions added to it. It i
understood that Andrew Humph
ries, of Green and Daviess counties
a new Senator, is in favor of re
tanning the law. The independents
were elected mainly, if not exclu
sively, by the Changers: they arr
reformers, and every Grange in
culcates temperance. It is no
likely, then, that they will act will
the rpealers of the present law fol
. restraining the evil of intemperance
We do not write this in an,
partisan spirit. It is merely tc
show that the war against intern
! perance in stimulating drinks il
not of modern origin; that it date
back to Moses, and has been wagct
, almost continuously since, will
: varied successes and reverses, ant
that it is destined to continue
Madison Courier.