The Elk County advocate. [volume] (Ridgway, Pa.) 1868-1883, 1874-03-12
THURSDAY, MARCH 12, 1874.
from Forney's Press.
The TEMPERANCE Crusade,

An attempt to organize temperance
crusade in Pittsburgh is meeting with
unexpected difficulties. The initial
steps were taken last week. Some OF
the more aggressive temperance people
assembled and resolved that the Ohio
plan Of singing aud praying at the rum
sellers and their patrons should be
adopted. Miss Ella Beeson, secretary
OF the preliminary organization, on Sat
urday last addressed postal cards to all
the Protestant clergymen of the city,
asking them to announce from their pull
pits meeting to be held at the
Temperance Alliance Rooms. The no.
tice was not sent to the Roman Catholic
clergy, because they were understood to
be opposed to the utilization of lovely
woman for the purpose Of besiegipg vile
resorts.
Ihe Protestant ministers. though
they were notified, proved to be not
much more favorable to the movement,
Several of them neither read the no.
tlce, nor made any allusion to it. All
the Episcopalian clergymen ignored it
entirety. The Presbyterians read the
notice, but cautioned their congregs-
tlons not to take any rash measures
Several OF them declined to make any
recommendation at all concerning it.
The Baptists and most of the others
were equally undecided, many frankly
stating that they preferred to give no
opinion on the subject. Only one pas
tor, United Presbyterian, gave the
movement an unqualified endorsement.
Some Of the Methodists read the notice
without comment, but Rev. j. i.
Simpson, of the First Methodist Church,
Alleg ghany, gave the movement back
hand blow in sermon preached from
the following text: "And besides this
giving all diligence to your faith, add
virtue; and to virtue Knowledge;
and to knowledge temperance;
and to temperance patience;
and to patience godliness." He claimed
not to be opposed to the movement, but
reminded his hearers that the Bible en-
joins temperance in all things. "There
is decidedly too much intemperance
these daysin the cry OF temperance, ac-
cordiDg to the teachings Of the Bible.
The only temperance as to drink which
the Bible teaches, is for man to -ouck,
taste, and handle not" He added, ac-
cor6ing to the report which we find iu a
Pittsburgh paper: "There is such
thing as being too iutemperate in word
aud action, and when that is carried to
too great an extent, it is liable to result
of.times in more injury than good. In
che present age there seems to bee too
much of habit among temperance
politicians to vilhfy and scandallze those
Who oppose them. This is no way 10
accomplish the desired end--no way to
conciliate those against them. Temp per-
ance in the true acceptation of the word,
must be regarded in everything
Now that this intemperate temperance
furore is sweeping over the country and
disturbing the mental balance OF SO
many good people, we need more Of
such dispassionate and genuine temper
ance talk as that addressed by the Rev.
Mr.. Simpson to his congregation. Man
kind are ever prone to eXcesses. 1t is
weakness which manitests itself in
many different ways-at one time in
hanging witches, at an other in running
alter popular preacher or prima donna;
now in gluttonous ieasting, or drunken
orgies, or fashionable dissipation, or ex-
travagant movements directed against
such evils. 1t is the part OF true
wisdom, and strength, and soberness to
use all the good gifts of the Creator in
moderation, and especially to proceed
with moderation and discrtssion in our
efforts to restrain our neighbors who are
addicted to any form OF intemperance
There is no place in such a field OF effort
for fury or ianaticism,