Mexico weekly ledger., 1879-07-24
TEMPERANCE.
Meeting of the &. 4. Union ON
Monday Night.

PteCceocu IL. IL was opened Dy re-
hgious exercises conducted by Rev.
DIR. Grasty. After which, the Ex-
ecutive Committee made a lengthy
report, setting forth the progress,
needs and dangers of the association,
which might be read in full with profit
by everybody, but from which the
crowded state of our columns forbids
that We should publish more than
the following extracts. The reading
of the report was followed with APP
plause. After abiding to the pleas
ing character of the meetings of the
association, and the unbroken har-
mony of opinion, which prevailed in
the Committee, Notwithstanding diff
ferences of opinion as to methods
and jurisdiction and the mission of
the Union, arising from discussions,
that were without profit, either to the
Union or to the cause of temperance !;
the report proceeds to set forth, that
to your Committee it had always
seemed impossible, that any misap-
~prehension could arise, rs to either
the powers or the mission of your
Union, when the pledge, which lies
at the foundation of your whole eX-
~istence, and the constitution, which
but enforces that pledge, are thought
fully considered.
The pledge taken by each one of
us, measured the entire obligation,
that We have assumed, either To our
selyes-to u neighbor or to the
cause of temperance, as well as deter
mines just what forces pertaining to
each we have c%ovenanted, to devote
to the temperance work.
This pledge requires of each of us:
First, to abstain from the use of all
intoxicating beverages; second, that
we shall, each of US as individuals,
do what we may to persuade others
to abstain from the use of like bevera-
ges. Within these two lines of con-
duct lays our whole duty, as we'll as
our whole field of labor, as created,
defined and bounded, by the pledge
we have taken and which is our whole
covenant, in the premises. Outside
of these boundaries there IS nothing
we have covenantcd to do, beyond
those boundaries none have covenan-
ted to 90, and cultivating the whole
field, within these boundaries, faith
fully and well, our whole undertake
ing is fully performed.
AS we read the second clause in
our pledge, we see we have not I'M
dertaken to forbid the use of intoxi-
cants to our neighbor; nor did we
undertake to compel him to abstain
from their use nor, did we covenant
that we would do or would not do
anything by which it would be incon.
venient, impracticable, dangerous or
impossible for him to obtain intoXi-
cants should he desire to use them as
a beverage but just what we did
covenant to do was, that we would
do all we could, in charity, to per-
suade him to abstain from such use.
We, each of US, as individuals, are
to use our whole personal influence
to persuade our neighbor to do
what each of us have done, abstain
from all use of alcoholic beverages
This duty imposed upon us by the
pledge, is q work of advice and per-
su~asion, and is confined, exclusively,
to the personal habit-appetite or
taste of the individual is connected
alone with the use by him Of alcohol
ic beverages, and cannot refer, in
the remotest degree, to either the
manufacture or manufacturer of al
coholic liquors as such, nor to the seller
as such, nor to the laws or absence OF
laws, or the enforcement or non-en-
forcement of laws, regulating Or con-
trolling, or prohibiting such manu-
facture or sale of such liquors.
The performance of such duties as
are imposed, by signing your pledge,
can only be accomplished by the en-
ployment of educational forces, and
to secure the full accomplishment OF
such duties, all the forces, actual and
potential, peculiar to the individual
signer of it, as an individual, and
which arc intellectual, moral and so
cial, commonly called personal infiu.
ence, must be kept in affirmative,
harmonious, constant and charitable
operation. The execution of the
work, the performance of the duties
defined in and imposed by the pledge.
does not, nor can, involve any Of the
forces pertaining to the individual,
and peculiar to hln, as n citizen, o.
which may be evolved from his citl.
zenship only. The employment o
forces peculiar to citizenship is com,
pulsion, and compulsion Is wholly at
war, not only with the language, but
the spirit of the pledge itself.
- Now, your Union was organized
upon no other basis or doctrine OF
t covenant than this pledge, and Their,
, is no word in your constitution, Il:
adopted by you, which modifies it,
character In any respect, but, OF
the contrary, this pledge, in very
words, is incorporated into and made
a part of the constitution, and by
such organic act of yours, is declared
to be the measure of the entire obi
SablOl dLu uutJ vi C'CiJ hlCLubCl "
the Union. The sole purpose of lhe
, organization Of the Union being, t.
gather up and aggregate the individu'
al forces of each person which, by
the pledge, he OF she had covenanted
3 to devote to the temperance work a'
defined by itself, into one grand con
, lcentrated and combined force, and
with a common hand moved and di'
= rected by a common mind and hear
, and will, use it tor the accomplish
, ment of its legitimate work.
From this statement of facts ant
its exposition, it follows, with all thu
! assurance of that fate which is borr
of memorable logic, that the Union a
such is not and cannot be a factor
much,less an actor, in any election, mu
aicipal or othefwIrn, no matter, wha
= the question involved, that nc power
has been delegated to it, which per
mits itself to become involved, il
any description of controversy as t.
granting Or refusing to grant dram
La l,annon IN ON nifu ~ a1Gn