The Andrew County Republican. [volume] (Savannah, Mo.) 1871-1876, 1874-04-03
That Citizens Pledge.
shvAyS4n, March 81

-'A"' biioh-ih i.sSt NrcA . i>rtt oi
cellest paper you published short article OF tbe
temperance crusade from the pen of some friend
of the movement rs naugurated and managed in
savannah, accompanied BY what Is termed .hc
''cItizrns' PLEDGE Your correspondent. the
signers Of the citizens pledge and myself are
agreed about the evils of iuteInperance. l wish
just as heartily Us they, that drunkenness We're
banlshcd from the earth. Our agreement ceases
there. IL Is because the best intended effort may
Waste itself in ephcIneral and transitory methoa.
dissipating shortly good results, that take tht,
privilege of imposing upon yOur known good
nature by asking You TO give space liz !ovS sos-
umns FOR the views OF a temperance man who dnl
not sign the "cIfizeBs' pledge
The signers Ot that pledge seem TO think ii is
the liquor traffic that j. the great wrong, and gD
so far with their spasnodic efforts IN behalf Of
temperance as to st,n pledge not TO deal with
any person who sells liquor "A beverage. Ac-
cprtiing To the cbcirfre enulcated by these gen.
tlcmen, the liIuoY-seller is monster hon, they
are anxious to send oG into the Wilderness, mt
Of the pale Of society, and beyond the reach OF
law or the Christian religion-is u scapegoat,
upon whose head they propose to visit the sins Of
tine world. Now, think IT is the erccssire use
of liqunr-drunkennesS-tba is the great wrong;
that u Is just rs proper to sell liquor it To
drink II, and that liquor selling is no more crim-
inal than liquor drinking While these kind
hear;ed, well,meanug people have no harsh
father, around whose wretchtd hovel and staTy-
ing wife AMI children hOwls the requiem of de-
parted Joys, they denonnce the liquor-seller.
surrounded by liquor, and annoy and harrass
him by attempting 10 invalidaie his right TO his
property and destroy his business. Society can
gain nothing by attempting to degrade the liquor
seller or anybody else. 70 den0unce the man
who sell, liquor has point TO il unless you de-
nounce the mn who drinks it, Denunciation,
persecution and prescription, however, will not
reform either. In fact, the world does not get
better by the degradation or abuse Of anybody
The signers Of the citizens pledge are very wor-
thy gentlemen, but they can not fail to khOw
hpr m etfr nf nah rlap
gagged in selling liquor, who, as business men,
and in heir social, personal and public inilu-
ence and standing, hayea consideration quite as
Respectable rs those who are laboring so assidE-
Ou,ly To injure them. This abuse aHd denuncia-
tivn OF the liquor seller, while the drunken hus-
band and son pcitrd and ronc.oi-.i with Us the
victims of these monsters, Is mere petuiance and
III ,ral hOrt-sishtelness.
Would it not be better to attempt the rcforma-
tiOn Of the drunkard himself! Teach his throat
not To thirst for iiquor and convince him that il
hr VIII abstain from the of il, the dark
shadow which has been east over his life by the
bishtin- curse of inreInperance will give WAY 10
the summer sunshine of renewed manhood.
Don't try 10 set up one setssSrd Of justice for th.
man who drinks liquor and u different standard
tor the one who sells IT. Treat both alike. and
while you are denOuncinr the liquor seller, Ito
not mike him the scapcgoat Of the liquor tlinker
who patronizcS and supports him. Threatening
the grocer who sells liquor, aud pledging your
selves not 10 plironzr OF have any dealings with
HIM, will not rcgencrate HIM, even if he is th..
monster you represent him to be, nor du's II re-
form single drunken hu band or son. In fact.
this part OF the citizens pledge is an exhibition
of womansh pc'uiancc and childish weakness.
Is species of prescription which Reflects No
credit upon the author, ami Of which the kiild-
hearted. well-meaning gentlemen who signed il
ought To be heartily a-hame':. repeat. with ell
the emphasis can give it: 10 one Is made better
By degradation, abuse or prescription. Society
the world-can gain nothing by thr degradation,
persecution or abuse ot ANY one, but you may
abuse, prescribe and outlaw thu best citizen in
III. yDn rtsnl IsH Dltl-
itish spirit Ito him and make his heart harti
enough To resist the pleading en.rc.ities AMI
prny.rful eNpostuaiions OF the fair hadies Woo
circulate the cilizen,' pledge
III Is the object Of these Kind ladies TO sup
press inteInperance, instead Of To elect u few
hungry Office seekers to Office, would suggest
In trying 10 reform the drunkarsis Gf We have
any in our midst; that they show TO the world
that they are infused with purer and noblcr
spirit than that OF persecution ami prescription,
anu animstsd by higher purpose than that OF
degrading anil bankrupting the liquor seller nnI
elevating and enrsching the denigogur. Instead
Of trailing their skirts in the ilIhy pool ot poli-
ties by importuning men 10 sign pledge 10 vote
for none but their friends to office; instead OF in-
terferins with the business of our merchants ami
traders. BY asking IN IN To pledge Themselves not
10 deal with them ;ei them " den the tird of their
usefulness and iniluence, n.ld gD with all their
m itchless persuasiveness and praycrful clu-
quencc, TO the 'lrinkard, and to the mo leratc
dram who Is already on the road to
ruin, and secure Is solemn pledge from them e.
wholly abstain from the use ot intoxicating
liquors Ms u beverage. But does not this citi-
zens' pledge resemble an attempt on The part Of
Its author and signers to assist their business
friends who io NOT sell liquor In the disposal of
their goods. quite ~ much it does an effort in
behalf OF the cause of Temperament Does It cot
propose to build up the business Of portion Of
our merchants, ut the expense OF their neighbors
who perhaps are rs honorable, upright men ~
those who do not deal in liquor? Now, " We
nave any ousiness men in our midst who have
not sufficient capacity to succeed in their rcspec
i've caIlings without procuring pledge from
the citizens OF this place to deal with none but
them, let them fail, II those gentlemen whO
desire good fAt offices have not thcvotes and inu-
ence 10 procure them without prostituting the
cause oil temperance, and using their neighbours
wives and ds,,ghtsrs iur eleotf6pecripX purposes.
they are unworthy Of the support AZ those noble-
hearted, pure minded, bene vOlent ladtes, who,
with the best and purest Of motives. are circu-
iating and procuring signrrs 70 the citi1ens'
pledge. under the hattering delusion that theY
are aiding and assisting worthy causr: