Ellsworth American. [volume] (Ellsworth, Me.) 1855-current, 1875-01-21
Temperance Column.

prey was uot justly NJ
faith in moral or legal suasion." But, as UNI
rstand he will defend himself, II pass on to !
say that the point Of Mr.. Garretson's remarks
WAS missed. IL the reporter understood it to be
that violent measures should be at once adopt
ed The speaker was somewhat ambiguous in
his language, but intended TO say that three
things should be tried rst,-total abstinence.
moral suasion. and legal coercion. II these
failed. land he thought they had not, since he
proposed the appointment of committees to
carry them out,) then, OF course, the people
might take the law out Of the hands OF unwor-
ny fnnctionares and enforce7them for them
selves. But the speakers real point was the
selection Of committees to wait upon the su-
thorities, the violators of the law and upon
drunkards, TO try such gentle measures to the
full, before admitting the necessity Of popular
coercion.
have no disposition to find fault with the
report, but rather TO set il right upon points
which We're not fully understood, owing part
y. no doubt. to the ambiguity of the speakers.
The tone Of the editorial, headed Temper
ance Fanaticism." however, was To me, as TO
others, highly Objectionable.
do not agree with those whom the Ameri-
can there dcnounccs, nor do blame it for de-
nouncing what IL does not approve. But you
will allow me to suggest that for the editorial
columns Of paper to be utterly silent upon so
important and much.needed movement as
the one now under way, and then To break the
silence by calling speeches made in its behalf,
vile, degrading, ruinous and cursed is not
calculated TO help the of Temperance.
From the beginning until now, with the excep-
ton of one article uriten By myself, the cdi-
tOrial columns Of your paper have contained no
denunciation of the rum-seller. no rebuke Of
the inactive authorities, no encouragement Of
those who are doing those duties. Not even
commonplace remarks upon the evils Of intem-
perance have found place there. In short, ii
would puzzle a stranger 10 find on which side
of The question the American stood. Certainly
II has said no strong words for Temperance.
But now, because one or two men in q meet
ing provided for the express purpose Of the
frtr discussion Of measures TO check the grow
ing evil Of intemperancc, have expressed an
opinion, (which no more bound the meeting
than Mr.. joys words or my own,) that when
all means fail, the citizens should take the law
into their own hands, the American is fired
with Indignation. and spends all its breath up
on 'clergynen and teachers OF the young 1t
includes earnest and honest gentlemen under
the same head as rumsellers, the action Of both
( being vile, degrading, ruinous and cursed
/ The frst words the American has to say
against rum-selling are said only to give great
er effect TO its denunciation OF these CLERGY
men and teachers" Does the American real
1 iX, how llscpuraQ,iny surh n course Il. IN he.
| Temperance cause; Where, ret me ask has
/ been its Indignation all the past year, while
/ draInshops have been dealing out ruin 10 men
and misery to families; Was it necessary to
hold its fire from them and deliver il at last up
/ on men Of known integrity and zeal, whose
! sole object was 10 awaken their fellow citizens
| TO sense Of their disgrace and their res ponsi-
| bility; Had the American spent half the zeal
and half the vocabulary in rebukng those who
are TO blame for the present state of things
which ii has spent on those who are honestly
trying to mend it, there would be less cause for
shame. | submit 10 the better judgment Of the
American whether ii has not been negligent Of
It's opportunity and its responsibility in this
matter, and appeal to it as power In this
community 10 send forth no uncertain sound
|
honor. W. H. LYON
We cheerfully give place to the above
communication from an esteemed clergy
= - ~" and shall ALWAYS be han
ny TO do the same for all who desire I'M a
proper manner TO vindlcate themselves
from criticism, or for the purpose of pro-
noting public reform.
The report of last weeks Temperance
meeting was LANDED US by friend of the
Cause. and We are glad to learn from so
candid an authority as Mr.. Lyon, was, lin
the main correct" Had it been otherwise
no one wouldlhave been happier than the
reporter himself, TO have made it accurate.
With regard to the past course OF the
American on the subject of Temperance,
although il may be somewhat foreign TO
the issue raised, viz: mob lac as a mean,
q moral reform, yet, we freely give place
to our correspondents structures Every
month, and ofen in every issue, will be
tonhd editorial comments and communica-
tions relating to this great question. Each
and every one has always favored Temper
ahce and denounced the miserable business
OF the ram-seller. Is our correspondent
quite fair in asserting that lit would puzzle
stranger to lind on which side of the
question the American stood:" Let our
readers Judge between him and Us. And
why is the American blamed for not re-
bukins our inactive authorities, when in
lecture from our correspondent some
Few weeks ago, he, himself, express
| ly declared them not to blame for their in
action: Is he quite candid, in this thrust
| at usI
As to the rebuke of the American.
the subject matter of complaint, it was
given, not as implied, against the friends
OF Temperance, not against the cause, not
against character, nor standing, nor
honest endeavor, (and no special pleading
Will make the people SO look at it, but
against the advocacy of mob-law to pro-
mote moral reform, by clergymen and teach.
efs Of The young. Aud why these, because
they were the very men, as the report said,
guilty, and from such we had right to
nope better things than the incubation of
disregard of law. If they did not do it,
then the rebuke is pointless.
Does Mr.. Lyon, or any sane man, deny
the truth of the Americans assertion as an
abstract proposition: Is it not the appli-
cation which smarrs? Against the gentle
men in question we have not a word to
say, we respect and honor them; but the
sentiments attributed to them are fanatical
and atrocious.