The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1874-03-31
GhnQatEeetliqeurer.

natl, on the Present Temperance
Excitement.
Published by RCquOst)
The Friends Of Inquiry, Of Cincinnati
4,,Cmbled 10 large numbers on the nigt
| d the 9Th lust., in the basement Of th
| Pantheon, to hear tho essay en- the TEN
perGnce question, as now agltated b
American women, by the Rev. DR.. Wis.,
who said
10 It morally wrong TO take q glass 0
beer, wine, or champagne, at dinner, or q
sny other timer or Is It hypocrisy 10
.yp0crisy's sake that persons using sucl
leverage do II secretely as long as the
van hide tho tact9 Let US see first wha
acht be called morally wrong.
Morally wrong Is that which the intel
scnco by common consent calls; or, q
Nit religious friends maintain, which thl
Bible clarScterizes as such:
All nations Of antiquity used wine o.
strong drink, as they called Il In Hebrew
As beverage, and as Ingredients Of TIL
sacrifices Among the modern nations
the MOhSmmedans only make an excep.
ton They drink no wine and eat NJ
pork, We have no statistics to prove thai
tbs has made them any better, purer, o.
wiser than Christians or Jews. They usI
l.hcr stimulRnts and IN another form
sOalG Of which arc Of an iiachaste and de
,tFlcIive nature, such as opium and DO
ygsmy. There 10 no difference in tRkint
the stimulants In this or that form, TIL
effect being precisely tie same.
Outside the Islamltes; however, the ust
u wine or strong drink as a beverage Il
common among all classes Of society, ex.
cept, Of course, honest and upright tenn
perAnce people in our country and 10
England, who are rather scarce, as were
the Nazarites and RachRbitcs among the
ancient Hebrcwa our.
Well then, intelligence by common con.
sent does not declare the use oil such
beverages as being immoral; hence, II is
IS moral as eating choice food, sleeping
On costly couches, promenading, or Seek-
lng amusement and pleasure in any legiti.
mate form.
What does the Bible say on the sub
lcctt Moses certainly had no idea Of
prohibiting tho use Of wine or strong
drink, for he says to the priest NeVit (,
s., Wine and strong drink thou shalt
not drink, thou and thy sons with thee,
when they come into the tabernacle OF
the congregation" &C., or whenever and
wherever acting 10 an official capacity ;
but outside thereof no such prohibition
exists in the laws OF Moses, for either
priest or people; and Moses was very
strict in dietary laws. Whatever was
sacrificed upon the altar, like salt, flour.
oil, pigeons, doves, sheep, goats, and cat
tie, was also intended Us most desirable
articles for common consumption. With
the exception OF the feasts Of booths,
vine was one Of the ingredients OF the
sacrifices, and included also In the tithes
gwen to the priests. So it was considered
one Of the necessaries OF lie. The law
concerning the Nazarite Is an exception
Tor the sake OF gloomy Oscetics, in which
the Orient sbounded.
Whatever Moses did not prohibit the
Prophets did not. Isaiah, upbraiding the
weakness Of his people, says. "Thy wine
IS adulterated with WATER" and the
PsAlmist sings, "And wine gladdcns the
heart Of man" Rachabites are praised
BY jeremiah Tor their obedience TO their
fathers teachings, without any recon-
mcndatiOn whatever Of their custom.
The ancient Hebrews called the public
banquet mistteh, 80 drinking occasion"
They opened or closed every meal on
the Sabbath or holidays with wine, and
s0lomnized marriages again with wine,
AS is the case to this day among orthodox
Jews, who must have wine 10 perform
their religious duties well. Moses and
the Talmud are not opposed to the use Of
wine or strong drink. The Jew might
consider 1t supellu TO be more ortho.
dox than Moses, the Prophets, or the Rsb'
bis of old.
| did otsuCceed in finding in the New
Testament that anything going into the
mouth" Is sinful. Jesus and his disciples
did drink wine, that Is certain, also at the
Last Supper; so did the primitive Chris
tians, as Paul says, and so does the
Church 10 date. There Is not a passage
IN the New Testoment which prohibits
the use Of wine or strong drink as a bev-
ersge, and 1t is difficult for Christians OF
the nineteenth century to be more ortho-
dOx than Jesus and his apostles. There.
fore 1t must be admitted that intelligence
by common consent and the Bible OF both
iews and Christians do not consider 1t u
moral wrong; hence II Is not, to use wine
or strong drink as beverage. This ad-
United, It follows that you have no right
to tell this or that man, II may, but you
shall not take a glass Of wine; Il is moral
for me, but immoral for you" unless you
argue from the principle OF economy,
which makes no moral wrong Of the
thing itself.
But 1t is not the use, It is the abuse Of
the thing, which is the cause OF the com
plaInt and excitement. The Incorporate
use Of wine and strong drink degrades,
brutalizes, ruins body and soul, Supplies
reason, benightens the judgment, and is
frequently the cause OF shocking crime
and untlmely death, Of sorrow and Attic
ton, Of insanity and suicide. It Is inc
briefly, against which Moses holds up
Noah and his degraded son Ham and Lot
and bis deluded daughters; and many
other prophets and sages speak solemn
words OF admonition and rebuke The
abuse is calamity, which for the sake Of
humanity ought TO be remedied by just
and proper means.
Here a story OF the Talmud must be
narrated. A heather asked a rabbi, at
your God hates our gods and idols, why
does he not destroy them IL He Is al
mightyH" "You worship sun, moon,
stars, mountains. rivers, and all the va
rious objects Of natures" the Rabbi re-
piled; "can you expect Of tho all.wise
God that He will destroy His beautiful
creation on account Of some foolish men 2"
This, indeed, Is the real point at issue. Is
il proper, just and wise to destroy or pro.
hhlt the use Of anything not improper In
itself on account Of some foolish or wick
ed men who brutally abuse Gods gifts.
ls It just and wise 10 punish the innocent
in order TO reach tho guilty onesG have