The Opelousas journal. [volume] (Opelousas, La.) 1868-1878, 1874-07-17
4mte1MperamCe.
From the New Orleans Tines.1

Intemperance, as well in Europe as in
this country, has assumed peculiar and
technical meaning, which implies the
excessive use OF Intoxicating liquors.
There are many other excesses which
are equally intemperate, but none so
generally detrimental in their character
istics, and so forced upon public atten-
tlon through hcOnsequential aleccentricities
and damage. In the entire catalogue of
human offences there is scarcely a crime
which may not claim intemperance as
its bravest ally. Passions easily kept
within bounds while sober reason rules,
become ri0tously reckless as soon as the
thief is taken into the mouth to steal
away the, brains. Tt first precipitates
| misfortune and then suggests relief
through iniquitous devices. From view
ing the rOseate beverage in the wine cup
gradual advance in color blindness, at
once physical and moral. The evil is
dreadful. As said, relative to it, in one
of Shakespe creations: eff we have
no other name by which to call thee, let
us call thee-devil!"
There have been efforts made to arrest
the spread OF intemperance in drinks on
both sides of the Atlantic, but to large
extent they have proved failures. At
the late yearly meeting of the Society of
Friends in Great Britain an innovation
on Quaker formalities was permitted in
the shape of speech by Mr.. Bright.
The gist of Mr.. Bright's argument was,
that in this matter public opinion must
precede legislation, or at all events that
legislation until public opinion is thor
oughly formed would be not only inef,
fectual, but disastrous. This is exactly
what the teachings of our experience in
this country would suggest. Of the
enormity of the evil Mr.. Bright had
no kind OF doubt. He had the proofs
forced upon his attention everywhere,
among rich and poor, in all classes of
society; and though total abstinence
had been preached with greatferyor and
eloquenee for nearly forty years, the
realized results are anything but encour-
aging.
1t is evident that if public opinion
must precede legislation, there must be
a more rigid scrutiny into the results
and statistics of intempe tha1l has
ever yet been instituted. Conviction
must he brought home to every yulner-
able intelligence. This, of late, has in
deed been attempted. The womerl's
movement in the West is merely BOP
ular uprising. It points to the cost and
consequence OF intemperance, and, with |
intemperate violence, demands that the
demon, Drink, shall be driven hence.
SO far as the gentler sex is concerned,
public opinion is already firmly fixed
against lntemperance. The weakness
and the sin find their easiest triumphs !
among masculine natures it is therefore |
important q that masculine public opinion |
shall be approached and convinced, ,#t
There is probably no city on this CON
tinent where, in proportion to tile popu-
lation, so much strong drink is swallow |
ed as In New Orleans. When we look |
into our vital statistics, we find that |
most OF those who make shipwreeE of |
themselves in fortune and i'm health are |
men who drink to excess while our old. 4
hale and venerable citizens are, almost |
without an exception, temperate. To |
use ardent spirits to excess in this clim- |
ate is to insure an early, and, not infre- |
quently, q lamentable death. But the |
cost is to be considered as well as the |
and truth to say, there is
no indulgence which proves SO serious a
drain to the purses, health and morals |
OF our people as the one weakness Of |
to meet the demands of custom
or to quench the burnings of an artificial |
thirst. -, -
LH0 yotLuS ncH OL InlS clGy should
Look into this matter. We complain of
excessive taxes, but State and municipal I
exaetions are mere bagatelle compared
with the voluntary tax paid for intoxi- I
eating liquors. Our cOffeehOuses, So
called, are altogether too numerous.
Let our young men learn to economist
"a health and purse by abstinence from
Intoxicating drinks, and they will soon
achieve results which under other cir
would be impossible.