, 1874-11-16

held last week ut Quincy, IN this State, md 4
| special session Was had to couBider tho question
Of temperance. or courso tLero was a ..p]at-
form" adopted, which Of itaelf exhibits tho
irrational character Of prohibitory laws A.cr pa
rious other 'whoreaaes. these clorgymen declared
| that Wo befiero tho tlmo has fully como whon
tho Christian and moral sentiment Of the corr.-
try should express itself in some more forciblo
way than ~ords;" and they therefore resolved
that they would express their senso OF tho
lawful iniQuity Of ttle beer aud whisky traffic
which ia oursug cur country, dobauchtng It's
conscience, aud bringing it with rapid steps to
ruin;" that tho judgment OF tho Conference was
"eycry way and etornally opposed to tho mon
stsouH iniquity Of the loenso~syatcm for tbo sale
Of beer and whisky;" that "civl1 government
has no right to lcooso wrong;" TINT tho lato
election was an alliance between thn bcer~
selling power ot tho Stato the anti
free-school power, tho anti-sahhuth ele~
mont, and certain political leaders, to bronx
dowa tho achoola and the Sabbath; and that
they would sound the alarm In tho pulpits
against any such sale Of the schools or tho Bab-
bath to tho whisky power. Tho platform bus
much more in 1t to tho sa1no effect. The speeches
that followed Woro all on par with the rceolu-
tlons. Thoy contained nothing addressed to tho
Intelligence or reason Of any one; they breothod
nothing but malodlcsion aud au appeal to CO.
erciya mcaauros. Horeiu ID tho graud fault Of
nearly oil temperance advocates, and especially
clorgymen. 1ntemparanco is an OWL II ia tho
result Of an oyer-indulgonco in stimulating boy
eragos. These clorgymen Jump at tie conclu-
aion That rs tho oyer-uso OF such stio,ulants 70.
aulta in drunkonness, therefore its manufacture
and sale IL criminal, and lay down tho propoei-
ton TINT tho State "has no right to license q
Wong" This is begging the whole question.
Tho use Of atimulauts is universal It exiats
among all nations and at oil times. It seems to
bo tho result Of q natural appetite, which Ii, like
all othor human appeti!es, may be abused.
Human ingenuity has noYer bcon ablo to devise
any law, regulation, or ayatom Of government.
by which it eau ba prohibited. II there be Ruy
difference, the use Of Intoxicating liquors IL
moro goaoral in Christian countries than olso-
whore. The failure Of Ill attempts to prohibit
Its uHe has led to tile more practicable measure
OF limiting it, abuses by rigid regulations for it's
SALE The State Of Massachusetts, dieguHtod at
tho twenty yeara' future to prohibit the aalo of
liquor, has recently declared in the most unmis-
taLablo mannor in favor Of permitting its sale
under regulation. In Illinois and other States,
We hare surrounded the dealers with tho pon-
altioB Of actions for all damages to wives autl fa-
lies resulting from tho sale OF liquor, but tho
aalo. las In no wise diminished. So that
the impotepcy Of prohbitory law stands cou-
fessed. The reasou for all thus is not tue power
Of the Baloon-keepers. but tho numerical power
of tho consumers. Tho saloon-koopors, ~ a
body, have no such numerical strength AZ giyea
thon control OF public opinion. or the &c, 600
enrolled votors of Chicago, the Ealoon~keepera do
not exceed $500. It is tho customers OF those
5000 saloons who havo to bo reached in order to
promote tue cause Of temperance.
These olorgymen have q mission to preach
morality aud religious life they mako war
upon ali kinds OF siu, and for that purpose they
prcach and pray for Dirluo aid in converting tho
sinner from hia errors to righteousness. All
men and women arc siuuera. a much smaller
number arc drinkors, aud comparatively few arc
d1unlardH. Those ministers do not pro-
tond to appeal to tho State to conl-
pol nlon to live Christian liyea; thoy
do not appeal to tho State to compel nun
to join the Methodist or any other Church, or to
compel them to beeyo III Christ, or to worship
God In any form.-and yet thesa clorgy-
mon profeR4 to believe that all thosa
who do not do Aeao things aro living
robels against God, aud on tho certain road 10
eternal aaunatton. I'ho clergy, like sensible
men, doYoto their llyes to tho persuasion OF
osacr Hon to load bottor lycs, to abandon siu,
to havo faith III Christ, and to jolu the Church,
Tho auccosa Of tho Chuatian ministry is due to |
tho fact that tta appoals are to tho roason and
intelligence of tue poap!o, aad ase not made |
through tue statuto-book, the State Uouatabu- |
larry. or tho Gral'd Jury. How ,nauy converts
would thoro bo lnado under Il law prohibiting siu,
inddety, rationalium, or indilreronsisu2 How
many zoal pouitents would tAo4o he II attoad- !