Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1875-11-10


AT our last Sunday evening meeting we had the
encouragement Of full house, and the Rev J. L.
Wright favored Us with very interesting ad-
dress, 10 which the audience listened with the
closest attention. Mr. f. Snow, the chairman,
called upon Hon Joseph Poland to open the meet
ing with prayer, after which he introduced MFR.
Wright, whose address was substantially rs fol-
lows It is very common Tor some who call them.
selves temperance men to criticisc temperance
men and measures, aud they become the more
critical rs measures promise To be efTcctual
will commence my address by criticising the use Of
the words tempted aud temptcrs." The phrase
is often used AS II the sellers Of liquor were TO be
denounced as temptcrs par excellence, while drink
ers were 70 be pitied as the poor weak, tempted
! have no apology to rake for the sellers Their
traffic IL curse 10 themselves and their neigh
bors' But why should apologize for drinkers
Were drunkards, with physical and mental pow
ers broken the only ones meant by the word, |
might readily find some palliation for their ex-
cesse- They are diseased, their will power is I'M
paired, they are not masters Of themselves, and
are fit subjects for a physicians care. But arc
those who are called moderate drinkers " to be
treated with such enicncy2 ! cannot admit 1t
My reasons are;
fTst-Ihe moderate drinker voluntarily adds
one to the class from which the drunkards Of the
next decade will come-adds one to the chances
that the next crop Of nebrates will be fully up To
the sad average n past years ltmay be taken rs
an aNiom-the drunkards, in any country, at any
period will be proportionate to the number Of mod
crate drinkers in the preceding period No
drunkard begins with drunkenness The drunk
ard OF to-day was a moderate drnker, and the
drunkard Of ten years hence will be the very man
who, to-day, has " never drunk ~ excess"
! Second-1he moderate drinker voluntarily en-
courages tho practices of men who deem them
selves moderate drinkers, but are not The Sc
auctions Of alcohol are 20 insidions that men are
in danger without realizing IT, Their friends tear
for them, and watching them with the great
estanxiety, while they unconcemedly take step by
step the way that leads to drunkenness Now,
| II is not the sot in his degradation who lures these
on 10 destruction. lie is not an inviting object
It is tho drnker who retains his responsibility that
ensnares What the devil in horns and hoofs
finds impossible 10 do, he, in broadcloth, patent
leather and kids, finds easy Of accomplishment
Thrd-Ihe moderate drinker voluntarily sub
tracts from his influence over the fallen. lie may
want to hepthem, but he has little power to draw
them TO total abstinence, so long as he abstains
not himself
Fouh-The moderate drnker rotinidtily at
tempts To assume practical neutrality on one Of
the most momentous issues OF the age lie does
not want to be drunkard, nor stigmatized AS a
fanatic Says " Good Lord, % feebly, and Good
devil, timidly. His efforts in behalf Of temper
ance are like ohispers to the deaf man in danger
on the railroad track lie does not, after all. at
tain neutrality. The moderate drinker sustains
the rumseller in his nefarious work. The dealer
in liquor refers to him as his patron his endorser
He does not point to the drunkard in his rags and
wretchedness, and ask community to uphold him,
because this is the work Of his hand-but he
points to the respectable Mr. A., Judge B. and
Deacon C., and says you need not try to bring the
law to bear upon me when | am supported by
such men these. Were his traffic clothed only
in the mud-stained tatters Of the drunkard, its
hdeousncss would arouse men to sweep it away
but dressed in the fine clothing Of the wealthy and
the cultivated it is protected Now all this is
done voluntarily by the moderate drinker. lie is
not diseased, but in the full possession Of his rea-
son and will-pcwer aud am | asked to pity him |
as a poor object Of overpowering temptation |
can not do it. Iadmit that the ruaseiier is in one
sense the tempted Tempted by his love of money to
gain what brings dishonor and death to his brother
But the moderate drinker considers himself in no
danger, as he never drinks to excess-he IL n tenn
perdnce man in the true sense Of the word-he |
uses but not abuses this good gift OF the world |
He forgets that " wine is mocker," and knows |
nothing Of the anxiety of his friends rs he warns |
all against ianaticsm, and says miss is as good
as mile" answer yes. miss is well, II it is |
all miss Has he forgotten that he is his broth
er's keeper aud that no man liveth 10 himself ? |
He has not missed increasing the list from which |
the crop Of drunkards Of the next ten years are to
come he has not missed corrupting society, and
sustaining practices from which result enormous
crimes and mseries. lie has not missed lessen
ing his influence for good. lie has not missed
supporting, by his respectabiity, the rumsellcr
The moderate drinker says to me-you forget |
the broad aspects Of the case Gods plan il that |
by temptation gain strength and rise to heights |
otherwise impossible. Would you have me wear
alife-preserver cultivate weakness and never fully
develop my own strength? My answer would
bel believe in no development that obiges nue.
to climb over the PROSTATE forms Of my fellow
men. There is no danger, II this temptation be
removed but there will be opportunities enough
for self-discipline. The great temptation in this,
as in every thing else is, we seek our own. The
highest solf-cuture is sef-denial. Therefore, not
for your own sake, but for the sake OF suffering
humanity-for Christ's sake, II you please, for He
has said " inasmuch as ye have done it unto the
least of these ye have done it unto ~ ask you
that you come up to the platform Of total alb
stinenee, While there are some things uncertain,
this principle is sure of the truest and grandest
results short time since the Pope sent his ben
ediction to a band of children who had adopted
the principle Of total abstinence. There is one
greater, higher than any earthly potentate, whose
benediction waits upon all who sacri6ce self for
the good OF humanity.