The Rutland daily globe. [volume] (Rutland, Vt.) 1873-1877, 1874-04-13
Ohr autlaad Daily Glaht.
MONDAY, APRIL 10, 1874.
tCommunlcated9
The Woman's Temperance MOvc-
sntent.


Viewed liz another aspect, us II great,
perance Movement is a grand and glo-
rious success. Like what it is in point OF
fact is, All electric storm, 1t will clear the
atmosphere and leave 1t fresh and pure
for the promotion OF intcligen. thought
The crusade might shut up ninety per cent.
of all the dram shops in this country and
the effect would be only temporary in its
! good, but these successes Of the campaign
are only 80 much fire added to the sacred
flame which burns in the army's heart so
much encouragement by the wayside as it
| presses on. The real triumph the great
triumph and the only triumph of the move
ment is this 1t is going to set thousands
upon thousands Of intelligent, calm and
unparalleled minds, out of the reach of
this emotional contagon and working with
their reason alone, to thinking about this
question and reasoning out this problem to
its solution by the best lights at their com
mand. AS men are only ruled with any
success ar continuity when ruled through
the calm reason and judgment placed with
in them As an arbitrator between the DIFF
ferent plans and suggestions for their guild
nncc, so only when their reason can de.
eide calmly will they consent to be re-
formed, or be able to reform others.
What plan or principles will be evolved
/
to be seen. 1t is not the spirituous liquor
in stock or the retailers of it who are to be
dealt WITH for they will take care of them
selves. 1t is the people who make up the
! population Of our proud country and who
must not be idealizcd and theorized over
but taken just as they are, with all the tastes
and failing and weaknesses and require.
ments which they have inherited and ac-
quired, and which assert their existence
and their demands every day.
AS regards the question now at issue,
what shall be done with them? The only
tangible answer to this question comes to
us frcm the older countries across the
ocean: "IIere is the best we have been
able to do" You say it is not well; the
these nations. Granted, but are We in po-
sition to look down upon them? How do
our statistics of drunkenness compare with
those of Germany, where to drink lager or
native wine is the same Us to drink
coffee? We have II long leap to make
,fue va irgGip5 diuubt9Ge q4elsof German" !"
| am confronted with the scientific fact
that all alcoholic stimulants are injurious
to the physical man, and weakening to the
nations strength. That is without doubt
strictly true, and the prevalence of their use
is deplored by no one of your readers more
than by me. But ii is also fact, and DIR.
Lewis will be the first man to tell you so,
that sixty per cent. of tho food you daily
consume is so utterly unfit foryour use that
science can't clearly explain how it is that
YOU manage to live to the age of man and
womanhood, and that intemperance in eat
/ ing is only second in its disastrous conse'
quence to incompetence in drinking. I'm
derstanding this clearly, would ! GU, as n
reasonable being, endeavor to reform a man
who had been committing for years daily
outrage on his system in the consumption
of inor Innate quantities Of rich food, by
putting him 1T once on an exclusive diet of
oatmeal, and expect him to continue it in
sweet contentment of spirit up to the day
of his death? fancy that instead of fore
ing his convictions in that way you would
first induce him To use such pleasant and
palatable food as the general experience OF
men shows can be used without manifest
injury, and trust to his manhood and good
sense, this fl t step taken, 10 teach him
steadily with the wisdom of advancing
years the wisdom and pleasure of growing
ab.,emiousness and temperance.
do not say that America may not be
made totally abstineni, but do say tha,
there is nothing on the face of the earth IL
Justify such an expectation, and | say thai
you have to deal with race IT men whC
are not made Of straw, but are real ard
tangible, with inherited and acquired inirm
tiles (f you choose to assume the judlciar,
and call them such) which yuu can't teal
up ont of their natures in Il day or ii cen
fury and where you fail to treat them a.
such men, there you make an irreparahl,
mistake. / state without hesitation tina
the pledge of total abstinence is Il butt u
sarcasm and laughter to two.thiyds of TIN
population of this community and smpl,
because il is out of key with the harmonic
of nature. To ask man to sign it is II
express your doubt of his manhood, and
the suspicion is unju't, ms in the large ma
jority OF cases it must be, his whole natur
rises up in silent if not expressed resent
: ment. When he signs it, he signs away t.
S certain MT hi sper,onal and bodily in
dependence and promises not to judge 10
himself what is good or bad for hi, use
When he breaks il he breaks his promise
dishonors his note and breaks his self-re
spect thereby letting in upon him all tn
evils which that was given to guard hin
from. A man said TO me yesterday "
was persuaded to sign the pledge twent
years ago, and if ! sign another | hope
will be the last time | shall write my name
My mind was in a state of rebellion
against even such benefcent bondage a
that and kept bounding me until broke tn
promise. haven't tasted liquor for years
but have to carry the pleasant though
with me all the time that am n liar"
do not say that this very pledge hasn't bee
. a blessed help to many n man who had gon
adrft in the sea of temptation. 1t has bee
/. and has done sacred work. Reserve
for such as these, and it isa solemn coven
ant which they make before God to struggl
until they have reganed their feet. Fill
with the names of men who, as you perfect
ly well know, won't keep it sacred, OF ofie
ii as an insult to men whose reason a
sef-respect rule over their lives as royal
nc II Ia their nrovinra IN rulc. and Won dra