Fayetteville observer. [volume] (Fayetteville, Tenn.) 1850-1966, 1874-04-09

1HS oucH pIOpOFIIOnS IN some
parts of the United States. We
cannot say that the thing is po-
litic or certain in that which il
has undertaken to accomplish,
but when we take into consider
alton the miserable homes, the
destruction Of domestic peace
and the great damage to the
morals of our country, as the
necessary result Of dram drink
ing, no measure seems too Sc
we're that will assist in putting
down this monster and bringing
peace and quiet to the home of
the drunkard. Let the car of
temperance move onward amid
the jeers and taunts of surround
ing opposers. Let the vile per-
secutors spit their venom and
hurl their bitterest anathemas,
but all will avail nothing while
the friends of temperance are
true to the pledge. And ye
young women upon whose
cheek the blush of beauty rests,
dare not present the sparkling
wine cup to the lips of your
convlvial partner, for in it lies
concealed the deadliest poison,
sending forth in silent yet sol
emn tones the knelI of happi-
nessand the stifiedmoan Of weep.
ing widoWhood and wailing or
Iphanage. Ah, listen to the rap
id pulsations of the heart of
her who sits at her cottage win
EdoW with moistened cheek a.
waiting the return Of her hus-
band; the clock upon the man
tie proclaims the hour of twelve,
and yet no signs Of his coming.
All nature seems sad and the
very heavens appear IN SYM
Ipathy with the occasion, when
upon the stiffness Of the night
breaks fearful scream echoing
far and near, and sending a
thrill OF horror to the heart Of
the weeping object, which warns
her that a heavy storm is In res
esery alton forher. Another mo-
ment and the staggering hus-
band enters and pours his Bit
terest curses upon the woman
he was once proud to call by en-
dearing names and lavish his
kisses upon. This is but the
'cOmmontate Of drunkard's wives
and will be till thefcnd of time.
Then who would question the
motives or qualifications of
th Ose Whohave thus suffered and
ar,2:endeavoring. to check the in
roads of this hellish invader Of
the, If sacred homes and frcsides?
One thing is certain and can
not he denied, IF it be of men
it viii come to nau9ht, but if it
be of God it cannot be over
thrown" What we need is con-
cert Of action, not of plans but
principle. If we We're united
upon the great principle Of tenn
perance reform, ii pan would
very soon develop into an organ
lied form for systematic action.
Tempe" ."ance societies are not alb
solute but simplyheIping institu-
tions of reform, claiming no le-
gal right to control the actions
Of men. They are beacon lights
along the shore Of time to show
the unwary traveller the danger
by the way, and have been the
means of rescling many a poor
mortal and have added many
hours of peace to the family Of
the inebriate. There are, to-
day, living examples of the ben
eft of temperance organizations
in our midst. But the time to
begin this great work is in child
hood. Christmas eggnogs are
the fruitful source of much evil
and have led many children on
to drunkenness. There was a
certain youth,a nice young man,
remarked to the writer not long
since that there was no harm in
taking a dram if you do not get
drunk, to which we replied, that
a man with one drink was one
! dram drank, that drunkenness
was comparative, and that notwo
men were affected alike by the
same amount of whisky, and
that the same person could drink
more at one time than another
with less effect. Consequently
there can be no rule by which
the drinking of Intoxicating
spirits could be regulated. We
insist then that the only safe rule
isto abide the scriptural injunc-
ton, ''tonch not, taste not, han
die not" Respectfully,
OVER THIRTY.
Z Temperance Heights, March q