National Republican., 1877-07-12
TIE TRUE PRINCIPLE 70. TEMPER
dNCE REE'ORM


DR.. CrYLER's reference to the Presidents
practice Of temperance suggests distinc-
tioh between the moderation of principle
in respect OF the use Of liquors and the
ultraism of propagandists. The one is
sober, sensible and enduring, and the other
is ribid, irrational and eyauescent. The
one attracts and charms by the quiet OBJ
servance of habit or resolution, while the
other rcpclS aud disgusts by an offensive
assumption Of superior moral virtue in
making public parade OF abstinence. The
iOrner is the manner of the President, and
the latter IL the method of the rciormcr,
albeit his object is to gain followers.
IL is strange fact that principle in reform
should he No often represented by such
atiectdtiOn and folly Us to ALLEVIATE instead
ol inviting those upon whom it would ope-
rate There is, IL is true, II natural tendency
10 radical measures and aggressive methods
IN reform, and necessity for vigorous adj
N1acy and extreme practice in the agita-
tion of the subject sought TO be brought
home to the attention of u careless public; /;
but there is no excuse for the noisy I'M
reason with which most of the rclOlms, and
particularly that of temperance, is pushed -
not forward, but hther and thithcr in the
estimation OF society and in the line OF pro-
grrss. There is generally no alsurdity so
great in the way of abstinence but it is in
sisted upon as absolutely essential to the
well being of the yotary, or TO the elevation
Of Others by the force of example,
and self-denial is carried so far as to
become ifksome, and, at last, in many
many cases impossible oil attainment, while
the failure to arrive ut tho iincied plane Of
purity aimed at has the effect to discourage
the ndherent and precipitate him back to II
lower level than when first influenced by
the piOrm.
The intolerunt dogma of perfection, so
sadly illustrated in Christian realization, is
extended also to moral endeuvor, and 1t il
urged that men may be precisely accurate
iii all the details Of personal department In
regard TO loI hidden things, and still I've hu-
man. So touching the use of beverages,
the unthinking reformer maintains that not
only shall anything containing spirituous
stimulaut be avoided, but that that which
with age is liable to generate such stimu-
liant shall also he abandoned, as dan
gerous and destruCtive--while every Gle
mcnt of Judgment in the mind, and every
impulse of appetite in the body, unite to
pronounce the proposition untenable and
ridiculous, and to license and impel vio-
lation of prccept. And il 40 happens, in
consequence, that nine out of ten OF those
who undertake the perilous pledge of total
abstinence fail in the observance of its cx
actions, and more frequently than other
wise sustain injury in their characters as
members of society, as the result Of the at
tempted practice of overmuch restraint
II is plain, therefore, that while II is easy
iOT persons who have no desire to indulge in
any of the iOrns ofdrink, to refrain from its
use. With those whose habits have been
different it is unwise to attempt any stand
ard Of excellence which is liable to add
Lack of seli-pspect by reason of short
conIings in the line of the pledge TO the
weaknesses of character already apparent.
An upright purpose in life, with firm de-
termination to do right in all things, or as
nearly 80 rs the infirmties of the i1esh will
admit of, is the best temperance pledge, and
the surest protector against the ills of
strong drink, and the philanthropist giving
his time to the dissemination ofmoril teach
ings who will direct his attention to de-
velOpment of this gem in morals, will have
the qualification afforded by success in we'll
doing more surely than he who portrays
the evils Of intempeIance, and then pre-
senting the pledge bears away the sigma
lures of inebriaies AS trophies of hts cNhor-
tations rather than rs evidences Of refOrma-
lion.