Vermont farmer. [volume] (Newport, Orleans County, Vt.) 1870-1877, 1875-04-09
The Good Templars.

Inc oOod Tomplars. -
An order which has spread over the whole
earth until, as has been said, the sup never
sets on the order, aud which has, in about
twenty years Of existence, become the larg.
est organization in the world, with the excep-
tiOn Of the Roman Catholic church, owning
a single central head, an order which has
met with such unparalleled success as has
this order, must have mission, and must be
performing its work.
The reason Of the success Of this order is
that it is needed, aud is working wisely aud
discreetly to do its work. II keeps up to the
times. When the anti-liquor struggle com.
msuced il was rightly named, a temperance
movement, bat as the reform progressed it
outgrew its name. The FIRST pledges were
simply pledges to abstain from drinking to
excess. These were found 10 be Of slight
value, for after person had drank moder-
ate quantity Of liquor he was not fit judge
Of what constituted excess. b total absti.
hence societies were formed, and now il is
very generally allowed that the only hope Of
reforming drunkard lies in total absti-
hence. But it soon became apparent that
there we're many who realized the folly and
crime Of drunkenness, realized the danger
they were in, but whose appetites had such
power over them that they could not sec
the temptation and resist it. They might
resolve and re.rOsolve, but all 10 vain when
they passed the place where it was veuded
they would invariably yield, aud fall. To
protect this class, it was found that another
advance step must be taken, and SO from the
total abstinence platform the workers stepped
upon that of prOhibitory legislation. And
noble is the work that has been done iu this
warfare, though much moro lies in the fu.
ture, which will require long, earnest, per
sistent struggle to accomplish it. In thi'
battle for temperance, peace, obedience "a
law, religion, and morality, the Independent
Order Of Good Templars takes front rank
standing boldly on the platform Of total alb
stnencs and prohibition, and is doing glo
rious work.
Women are welcomed in the order, and i
is we'll. Woman, gentle, accomplishing an,
administrative it may be, bears the heav
lest weight Of the curse of rum. Did th,
evil effect reach only the drinker there woul,
be far less cause for making the struggle
against rum as prominent as it is to-day
But the heavier part Of the burden is bornt
by woman, who has no opportunity to pro
test at the ballot box by voting the probibi
ton ticket, and who is almost entirel
Though, thank God, less so than formerly
excluded from the pulpit and the rostrum
it is she who bears the kicks aud curses Of a
Infatuated husband, and to whom tho shiver
ing and halfstarved children of the drunk
ard cling for protection from him who shoul
be her and their protector. 1t is woma
who bears the load Of sorrow, woe, auc
, wretchedness which is the lot of the drunk
ards wife, while the drunkard deadens him
self to all sense Of shame or remorse by tn
Supplying and soul-destroying dram. TheI
as woman is the principal though innoceu
sufferer from the effect Of drink, il is we
, that she should have part in the work {
reform. This is recognized by the Goo
l Templars, and one of the reasons for the vi
PARALLEL success Of the order Is 10 be foun
in her presence.
Were the question Of entire prohibition
be put to vote to-day and woman allowed
t, vote on the same basis as man, rum woul
= go down on the first ballot. We are not
those who believe all or nearly all womt
want to vote. Probably on any other que
tion but very small per cent of them wou
= use the ballot, but once give them the pri
o iIege of voting for or against rum and we al
q firm in the belief that large vote would
thrown, and that on the side Of prohibition
The orders of Good Templars, Temple
, Honor, Sons Of Temperance, &C., are doir
Q a good work, and work which goes n
4 backward but forward. Its course is new
: retrogressive but progressive, because Go
is in it, and he is a'God of progress.