The Hawaiian gazette. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1865-1918, 1879-03-19
Temperance.

The fearful prevalence of intemperance in
the United States, and the general demoraliza-
tion of the people as a consequence, has
caused a movement on the part of the better
classes of citizens with a view to check the
evil that seems to have spread like an epi-
demic of gigantic dimensions. The alarming
IA, ages Of intemperance in the United States
calls for prompt and energetic action. 1t is
lamentable to contemplate the fact that in
America, with its 40, 900 900 of population,
there are 100000 habitual drunkards and of
that number forty per cent are women, and
boys and girls under age But this is not all,
it is also a fact, that there is more money ex-
pended in the States annually for alcoholic
beverages than there is for breadstuffs for the
whole population; and when we add to this
side OF the account the Honey expended in the
prosecution of criminals, made such directly
by intemperance, we have a huge record of
the money consumed as the direct result of
the great evil that is fast sapping the very
foundations of society. Then when we turn
to the still more awful feature of the terrible
vice, e. g.. the disgrace, the anguish and suf-
fering of families, brought about by intem-
perance; and the frightful array of those who
90 down to a drunkard's grave with all their
sins upon their heads, the picture becomes
one of the most appalling that the human
mind can conceive of. Among the many
praiseworthy efforts that have been tried to
stay the ravages of intemperance at different
periods in the history of the States, Lone we
believe, have been more successful than that
of ''The Woman's National and International
Christian Temperance Union" The organi-
zation has its headquarters in New York City;
it is carried on entirely by women, and has an
organ in the shape of very neat, spirited and
well edited newspaper, called sour Union, %
which is now in its fourth volume. We are
indebted 10 good christian lady of Honolulu
for sight of o few numbers of this temperance
newspaper, which we have read with pleasure
and profit, and which furnishes the gratifying
information of how much good is being done
through the temperance organization conduc-
ted by the gentler sex.
We regret to be compelled to say, that even
here in this isolated spot, Honolulu, there is
a pressing need for a woman's organization to
stay the ravages of intemperance and we
learn with pleasure that such an organization
either has been or is about to be formed by
our christian ladies, who deem it duty to
engage in the work Of saving the rising gen.
Grafton, at least, from going down to the grave
of the drunkard. With Woman's temperance
organization in this city, and the Working
mems Library Association recently formed,
there is reason to hope that large amount OF
good will be done in the near future, and
many an erring person may be rescued from a
fate too horrible to contemplate, through the
instrumentality of the good people who feel it
duty to step into the breach and do what
they can for humanity and the sacred cause OF
true religion; a religion which has charity for
its pillar and foundation-stone. Indeed this
is work that should engage the best energies
of all good men and women in our midst.