Daily press and Dakotaian. [volume] (Yankton, Dakota Territory [S.D.]) 1875-1880, 1878-02-22
A REPLY TO ..rrRE BALL"
Editors Pres & Dakotaiaa.

Editors Press & Dakotaian.
In yesterdays issue Of the Pres a.d Da.
kotain, some individual, under the ao~ de
plsme Of Fire Ball." ventilates his views
with reference 10 temperance matters esner-
ally, and particularly indicates hi. v lack
Of faith in the reformation Of %drunkards.
He quotes, n "Mr. Rhodes,"a writer in the
Galaxy, who seems similarly afflicted with
an absence Of faith in the grand christian
and philanthropic work Of raising the
fallen.
"Fire BalP' is evidently q cynic, and pre-
fers to see humanity rushing on unchecked
to ruin rather than encourage or sanction
the efforts Of reformers. He believes that
men should not sign the pledge who are
d%ruukards. Why? Because, forsooth they
may fall again, and will Then be weaker
than before. This proposition is emphatic
ally denied. The man who strives TO do
right will come nearer the mark than he
who makes no attempt. Oh no. do not en-
courage the weak or erring.
Fire Ball " is not q creature of impulse,
therefore is of the opinion hat men Of
quick impulses sign the pledge. Impulse
would lead q drowning man to grasp the
plank that offers him life. He would not
deliberate calmly At such . time. It 10 q
truth, we'll known to the writer, that in
many instances, dissipated men, who avail
themselves Of the opportunity when pre-
sented to sign the pledge, do 60 after calm
determination" springing up within their
souls, in hours Of sober reflection. They
realize keenly and bitterly that they are
within the grasp of . demon, and when the
f~aintest hope of deliverance Is famed into
life, they are impelled by noble impulses to
hedge themselves with every restraining
power to enable them to stand forth again
in noble manhood. God help all such
men! John B. Cough, Francis Murphy,
DR.. Reynolds and Luther Benson, all great
apostles Of Temperance, are brands plucked
from the burning" of drunkenness.
The most debsseu inebria,e may be saved
from ruin aud despair. Let him but know
that his brother man feels interested in him.
and the dormant spark Of manhood bright
ems again into . strong yesrning to redeem
all the wrecked and shattered past
What. though his erring feet,
Have stumbled in the way.
And in a thoughtless hour
He has been led aStray.
The great Creators seal
Upon his brow is set.
And fallen though he be,
He is thy brother yet"
%"Impulsive men are generally the frs
to move from out the crowd to sign a pledge
and in almoet every case they are the first te
break it." This is the disparaging Language
of this sage and philosopher "Fire BALI
All! indeed: Dried up mummies, cadaverou'
iuvslids, %phlegmatic drones and indolen
imbeciles have nc impulses. Without mo
tives or impulses men become mere livini
automatons, never moving except by me
chanical action. He that is not enrapturee
with song, inspired by the eloquence of ora
tory, touched by the sacred story of h eros
or nerved to deeds Of daring BY patriotic sp
peal., has all the chilling frigidity Of Al
icicle and is as ~soulless as a superanuatet
clam.
1t is true men have used intoxicants in
all the past ages, and used moro In ever,
period OF the past all along the dim cen
turtles than they do st present. So hs
religious intolerance always cast its demora
LIKING shadow over past centuries NOR
than it has ever done in this nineteenth
century. Truly the world moves, Alexan
der the Great was miserably overcome b,
drunkenness and Noah drank wine an,
declared himself after leaving the Ark, bu
these facts will not justifysus in following
their bad examples. The world is nesrel
perfection to-day than ever it has been
Total abstinence is not Q fallacy. B hristial
civilization is redeeming q world from tn
thralldom of evil, chief of which 10 alcohol
"CoLD WATER"