Perrysburg journal. (Perrysburg, Wood Co., O. [Ohio]) 186?-1965, 1874-04-10
TEMPERANCE NO I.

No one but the most depraved
and Vicious, or deplorably ignorant, will
pretend to advocate their as an ordir- |,
ary drink. Il ven drunkard- max ers feel
the fore, of this truth, and resort to
every species of subterfugc with which
70 exhonerate themselves in their ne
farious traffic. But how any rational be-
ing can admit tlist drunken, SIS is an tvil,
and at the same tune advocate the sale of
intoxicating drinks Is an enigma boy ond
my con pre- hensit II. Th.t such is the
case, however, tvtnsthc most casual OBJ
server cam OF have iailt d TO notice, and
upon this point tie public mind NEEDS
more til ghtentd education. The proper
II mcdy then for the pcrnicious vice of
Is the instruction, c0rrtc-
ton, and elevation Of public sentiment
upon this trafe, to the true standard Of
eohics, and when its heniousness shall
have been exposed TO the public view in
all its native dtfDrmty, and the ru lie
sense shall have been made to feel AID
realizi the mlguitu le of this stupendous
evil. it will "e an easy task to sweep the
liquor tn I'll from on Land, ana the
frui ful source Ct almost every vic will
be radicattd. All reforms, citl or moral
or political, have ever been accompli, he'd
ny c)nst1nt aud long cJntlnuid id aglta-
tlol. As the Cl aginous particles in milk
b. agita ion are SEPARATE and conelom-
Grated in the form OF butter, go are the
clements of purity, truth, justic5 and
equity elected and united In the firm OF
civil and politicl, virtue by he agitation
OF the public mind upon amy m raj or
political subjtct. Such was the result of
the agitation OF the voX,d and compli-
Gated slavery question for moro than
half century in our Republic. Such
was the policy aud statesm inship Of the
great IRISH agitator in The political re-
forms he sought, and such is tie tiue
policy OF al rtiClE,ls.
Almost hall a century has the temper
ancc r, form been agitated, and we are
told by its opponents that no good has
been accomplished, that we are further
frem its attaiIm1 MT than when we COM
meLc>d, and that drunkenness has great
ly increase q inst ad oi diminished. But
shall we cease the agitation and ''let
alone" the druEkard- makers in their in-
glorious work OF uin, bt cause they cast
the blame OF increased drunkenness upon
the efforts of temperance peolle? by no
means-rather let our efforts b. increased
with tenfold energy. The same charge
was made by the prc-,lavery party, that
the agitation of the subject had only
served to rivet more firmly the shsekl,s
of the downtrodden BLACKS, and in fact
their miselies were increased by the
shareholders and charged up to the agita-
ton Of the abolitionis S. Still that agita
ton was continued until it ultimately
eliminated in John Browns fanatical
raid at HaIper's Ferry, and terminated
in the bloody flatric dial war Of the rebel
lion, and the utter annihilation of slavery
the termination Of the temperance ques-
tiol; only that we hope it will be a
b!oodless victory, with ballots instcad of
balls, and legislative acts instead of
bay onet thrusts. All the STAKEHOLDER
asked was to be 'let alone" with his pet
institution, and al the rum.selling
unkardm maker asks is to be ''let alone"
in his diabolical ard soul damning bust.
uess.
When Moses demanded the liberation
of Gods people from Egyption bondage
their burdens were increased and cruel
stripes added to their unreasonable tasks,
so that Mo-es' inter ference seemed to
harm rather than benefit them, and in
their agony they requested cessation of
his agitation. But God, in his own time,
took the work into His own hands, and
in answer to prayer overthrow and
drowned Pharaoh and the Egyptian host
in the Red Sea, and abo i-hed the HebIe ew
slavery as effcctually as he has African
slavery in tlis land of freedom (conse-
Grated to Liberty by the blood of the
Revolutionary patriots) and just as He
will the liq lor seller and his Internal
traffic in tits land Of Chr stianity and
Bibles.
Fifty years ego the social glass wi h its
in oXicating BEVERAGE was na',a'a---~a
rIuispensaDle article in every social gath
erlnS and all freely INDUCED in its use,
nor was it considered disreputable even
in clergymCn or ladies. Then came the
first wave of reform In the old pledge to
abstain from distilled spirits, except upon
special occasions. Mkt came another
wave of total abstinence from all intoxi-
caring drinks, including fermented as
well as distilled liquors. Then came the
Washingtonian wave of reformed drunk
ards with their soul-stirring experiences.
Then another wave of secret societies.
and forthwith were mal shalled a host of
Sons of Temperance and Good +, mplars
with their measured tread that shook the
land, while their unfurlcd banners in
scribed with Love, Purity d Fidelity.
have been thrown TO the brrtz,s o
Heaven, and to-day they form a solid
phalanx Of vetrans in this holy warfare.
Thus wave af, er wave of temperance re
form came surging on with quick success
sion and concentrated force to stay the
fiery tide OF destruction. All had their
LAY and each accomplished their God
given mission, beating back aud holding
in check the legions of intemperarce
and saving thousands and tens of thous-
ands of victims from the fAngs of the
hidra-headed domon.
Bat Lllls Is not all that has Teen accom-
p!ished in this half century Of agitation.
The social glass bas been banihed fl, m
every respectable social circle I'd ON
every grade Of genteel society, and its
use is not tolerated in members of any
Evangelical. Church in the land, or by any
reputable clergyman. l. q or-sellers,
saloon-ktepers, and bar-tenders have
evidently become ash mcd OF ,heir
abominable trade, and hence tho frost,