The Andrew County Republican. [volume] (Savannah, Mo.) 1871-1876, 1874-04-24
Gorrrsponorner.
That Citizens Pledge again.
SAVANNAH, NO, April II, ls1

That Citizens Pledge kgain.
SAVANNAH, No, April Is, 1874.
Nix. Epiron-ln last weeks issue of your pa
per. fnd article from the pen Of one ga. T.
NJ" whirh, after careful reading, must con-
fess leaves me in doubt to what object its au-
thor ha't Il, view when he wrote it. In the first
line he SAY = ne writes ''to answer .Fred's, OBJ
jeciions 10 the citizens pledge" fDryeis to sav
anything more about that pledge in this splendid
ltterar, production. but ''wustrs his sweetness
on the desert air. by sscriiD that Erred WIS
not the temperance man he proiessel to be, in
abusing the lHtOr 'snlUonists, - in talk about a
''hearcn-born MONITOR Of which he saws he Is
In happy possession, and sonic other 'shalow
and siliy'' stun about FAT () Offices in Savan-
nah''
Now, If "a. 7. NJ" intended this article
simply a. a Nindication Of the citizens pledge
ana ITS author, instead Ofan answer TO ''Fred's'
article, II l. about the thinnest piece of yiniici-
tory literature that remember TO have seen for
some time, especially that portion oft which
speaks of conscience debating tO persons that il
Is their duf! To secure pledges from their neigh
bors not Ia deal with some other ncighbor who
does not come up to their standard Of morality
and relie,n:i Ihis, ! presume, Is the same con-
science which a,.,n0nishcd "A. 7. N - to speak
of that pledge rs relating only to 'fat () Offices
In Savannah, while every person who has read
il knows il refers to all Offices, state county and
municipal; l. the same Conscience which induced
him and has confreres to sign away their man-
hood by pledging themselves to vote for none
but Temperance men for Office let those temper
auce men he ever SO dishonest or incump,rnt
IT am correct in regard TO this ''hcayrn-born
MONITOR must say do not envy "a. I. nj. -
the peace Of mind il affords him to be the pos-
SCISSOR OF such heaven-barn @ prize. will
further say that "a. T. Ms. - conscience Is no
fetch to which he has right to ask any other
man OF set of men 10 bow down and worship, he
II ever so pure and heaven-born; that every man
should be governed by the dictates of his own
conscience as To where he shall buy his grocer
les and whom he votes for Office and not by the
''heaven-bOrn monitor'' of"A. +. NJ. 3" or any
body else. When I said that: wished just as
heartily as the si2ners of the citizens pledge that
drunkenness werr banised from the earth,
did mol think any of those fair-mnded temper
ance men would seriously SO far mi,construe my
motives rs 10 insinuate that am any the less
sOlicitous that all men shall put thenisclye- upon
their best manhood; shall be brought TO mans
best and nObest state; shull be- tempe rate honest
upright and manly, doing divine and not b-stia
work, than they. Surely saloon-keepIng and
drunkenness arcnot man 5 best and noblcst estate
nor do they cDnduce tD honesty and upr2hine,s
thought my friend, the author OF that pledge,
and myself were agreed about the evils oi intcm-
temperance, and that Ii was because I thought
his mcihot inadequate TO accomplish certain re-
suits that We differed. lie seems To think. and
seems very anxious 10 induce the belief, that
was the champion ofthe 'saloOnist, - and trre-
upon goe, Tor that unfortunate in real IRE and
birthstone style, after which he pays his RESPECTS
to me-, not by direct attack upon my premises or
rrasoning, but by illustrations. side issues,
clapirap about the drunkard not being able To get
past hi, irieD.fs saloon, and personal and ad
cnpfaafum pHigus arguments. Now will VEN
turr the assertion that that ''saloonist. Of
whom "A. L. VI. - says so many unkind things,
does not flatr.r himself that am advocating his
side or fighting his battles. That man, misera-
lie as he Is represented to be, has manhood
enough about him TO have contempt for Inc il I
claimed he did any other than shameful thing
when hc dishon,rs his mahhoad by being guilty
of the wrongs charged against him by "a T.
N - has manhood enough ubout him 10 have a
contempt for the man who places another In u
false position that h- may have chance Ia li-
Vert attention from the row-mindcd, shame
full course he Is lursuing against the business
men of this place. II does not help the cause oi
TEMPERANCE Tor such men "A. r. NJ" to get
up IN public and make an exhibition of tbrm-
selves by beating their breasts and CRYING ont
'saloonists' at every man who differs with Them
as to the remedy Tor this evil; for them to arr0-
.gate 10 themselves the whole virtue of the COM
muni!y and claim that those who are not gov
crn.1i by the dictates Of their narrow and big
ottd conscience are not friends OF temperance,
and have no right 10 lay any claim thereto. II
there are no temperance men in th. community
except those who sign that citizens pledge, aud
no Christians except "a. 7. Nj" and his fol-
lowers, the money We have expended in churches
is yielding very sorry return the investment.
and quite u number OF our citizens are mistaken
us 10 the position they occupy on the temperance
question.
When reflect how difficult il /. for the poor
fanatic, who's. soul IL all on fire in aug cause
to he tolerant towards the man who rejects his
ideas and Refuses 10 unite with him either ia
Thinking or acting, AMI that ianaticism often
hsIS :hr intenperacr ten perm c ofI T. M % nnns M a.
ward Inc and ilint poor saloOhist. and, M con-
sdcrs'i"n OF his Zeal in good and worth, clrisc.
am constrained Ia, and Il" hereby furaiv, him.
The only real difference. between us L. ns 10
nirth,d. lie thinks. or seems to think. that he
il going to dry up whisky drinking in Savannah
by procuring pledge from few men, who do
not lire liquor, not 10 deal with Brckmtn and
Wells, wniie think that opinion of his il too
foolish Ia be believed by the nun who uttcrs it,
and that his time could be more prOfiab EN-
Plo!ed In securing pledges iron! the drunknri
noi 10 drink Intoxicating liquors. lie assrin-s
that cutting oil the supply-fhe tlrunkard re-
miining-the temperance question l, solved;
while think the only solution is to cut OF the
demand. liz makes the mistake of assuming
that The demand Is not criminal, but that the sup
ply Is; while hold that il one Is criminal the
other must be- hold That the only -ticcrsslul
method must BE- that which deals with and Iii
minishcs The demand, while he with lancet in
hand is hunting i,r the tap root''-.'Ihe 81, ,J1a-
UW, uO which Il worse than wasted ia the vile
trailic'-ntiery ignoring the .,G0D, 900 0persons
who make tins Traffic profitable anu supports
our hall million liquor dealers BY Using ihs mis-
erahle stun This tap roo-rhis 81 ,515, ,O00, ,O00
nualy paid for iguors-shows that in this traffic Is
more money than the Nanderhlts and Jay
Cookies, the Tom SCOTS AMI joys struggle over;
than Wall Street goes into dciirium over; than
business men barter their good nnmc and leg
islaiors taint their integrity for; than Credit
AObilier, ever dreamed OF making; than all the
dry goods merchants, boot and slioe dealers aud
grucers In the country together can hope to
make; and yet the great and good "A. 4. NJ"
Is decidedly amusing enough to try TO make Us
believe he can dry up this liquor business and
divert all this capital into otnrr channels, with
this ''lancet'' OF his-by simply procuring u
pledge from some ianatical Temperance men Of
this town not 10 deal with any grocer who sells
liquor rs u beverage. This Is his method; while
think his ''lancet'' could be put to better use
and his time more pr0iifubly employed OH his
hU, 100 drunkarts who are wasting their lives,
diishOnUring their manhood and turning the dig
nifty and worth OF lite into shame to themselves,
u shame to their fellows, and u SIN against God.
FRED.