The Wheeling daily register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1864-1878, 1874-04-20
From the Panhandle News.
PROP. PENDLETON's ADDRESS.
The Temperance Movement ii
Bethany.

The Temperance Movement In
Bethany.
The report of the temperance adj
dress of Prof Pendleton in the Chris
tian Church at Bethany, on Tuesday
evening, the 7th inst, presents only an
incidental part o. his argument, and 30
produces quite an inadequate idea Of
his position. He commenced by say
ing, in substance. that the subject is a
difficult one, because it is so one sided.
There is so little-so absolutely moth.
ing that can be said in apology for in
temperance, that the cause Of temper-
ance would seem to need no defence,
but by unchallenged and iHalienable
right to occupy the ground of duty, OF
conscience, of reason, of authority, Of
law, and of religion. Everything is
against drunkenness The happiness
of the household, the peace of the
reighborhood. the interest Of the Slate,
the sanctty and denunciaton OF relig-
ion-all-the appealing cry of wife,
child, brother, sister, father, mother,
! friend; the remonstrance Of our mel gh.
bors, the restrictions of our laws, and
the admonitions OF our religion-the
Judgment OF man and the judgment OF
God-all speak with one voice crying
woe woel temporal and eternal, to
the drunkard.
He inquired, why is this-surely no
ordinary habit, or innocent indulgence
could go draw down upon itself the
tears aud frowps OF these highest and
purest sources OF power and influence.
There must be something IN this indul-
gence which takes snch fatal hold OF
the foundations of our manhood as to
make it akin to physical and moral
suicide-or else, the appealing cry OF
soclety-of the teuderest, purest most
loving half of socisty-the women,
would not rise up in such bursts OF
prayerIul remonstrauce IS we now hear
| in the streets of hamlet and city all
over this land.
The President went on 10 say, drunk
enness is not a new form Of self.desra-
dation. 1t has been the gloomy refuge
of troubled consciences, Of disturbed
and unbalanced natures, OF souls thirsty
for respite from the sorrows OF burth-
ened life-in every age since the fall
The antediluvians fell under it-Noah,
Lot-great representative heads OF our
race were overcome by it, and trans.
mitted its curse 10 generations born OF
them; through all ages too, the judg-
ment OF God has been, mo drunkard
shall inherit the Kingdom of Heaven"
1t was at this point OF the Presidents
address that he introduced the re-
marks which were reported in the Pan
Handle NepS OF last wesk. They were
substantially as given. He said as the
evil was veteran and obdurate. 80 q va
riety of remedies had been tried against
it. These he considered under the sew.
eral heads OF Societies, Pledges, Bands,
leagues and legislstion-lookiug at
them in their moral bearing upon the
problem and in the light Of experience,
showing that they had in a large meas
ure failed and why. Dwelling especl-
ally upon legislation, he said we could
not enforce laws, that were not an ex-
preston OF the practical moral senti-
ment of the people, and proceeded to
argue that as the evil is moral, it must
be met with moral and spiritual wea-
pons.
The trouble is, drunkenness is not
treated by the people as a great moral
evil, is not, apparently felt to be an evil
at all. 1t is so common, it has come so
near to everybody, all OF US have so
many personal considerations to make
us apologize for it, to try to cover up its
true adherence, to make it look re-
spectsble, it is so seated in high places,
apdsthe means of il so licensed by law.
and the traffic OF itso interviewer with
the financial supports OF our pubic pro-
digality, that we have given ourselves
up to blindness about it, and refuse TO
zee that it 10 undermining our peace
and poisoning the fountains OF our do
mestic. social and political life. So it
has gone on growing unchecked, almost,
| NAV say, fostered by public sentiment,
till it is in the White House, IN the
Cabinet, wrapped in the folds OF the
Sacred ermiue, wrangling and bIunder-
ing in the halls OF legislation, marrng
the Joy of social gatherings, and ours
ing and stamping out the sweet lie oil
the nursery OF all our purity aud hap
piress, the love OF wife and the inno-
ceuce of children, at the very hearth
stone. Like the gathering of a storm
in mid ocean, it has been accommodating
force from oil the winds OF all The zones
and sweeping up, wave upon wave TIL
il il upon us as q flood, and we confess
our helplessuess before its devourlnG
wrath.
What is to be done? Let US not tor
Get the evil is moral, and must be me
BY moral and spiritual means. You d(
not save the drunksrd when you cas-
him of. The speaker said, ! am no
here to abuse the drunkard. This ma,
harden, it will not save him. 1t may
ALLEVIATE his friends and drive off allie'
whose corporation we need, lam no
here to ridicule. 1t only makes the &c
: Der laugh, and they have been laug hlni
too long already. The great moral ant
religious power which we need is no
laug hed into people, nor throned in be-
nign supremacy over evil by the iIgh
= 4. tests of the satirist. Neither will
], abuse the saloon keeper. The law ha