Louisiana capitolian. (Baton Rouge, La.) 1879-1881, 1879-11-15

by DIR. JOHN NJ WATKINS, OF New ORLEANS
CIVIC, r. of /. &. q. II. Of Louisiana.

Delivered on tho occasion Of the public installa.
l. ton of the officers Of Cnpital aud Onward
| Lodges Of Baton Rouge In ihu Methodist
| Church, Thura'ny, Nov. eth, ls7o.
| LADIES AND GENrLE,iAN--R the earnest Rolici.
taiion Of those inicr,elcd In the temperance work
| In this community, desire to appeal to you IN
behalf o! our cause. which han for ita object to
which, with kindred evils, have for 10 long
disturbed the prosperity of our state. More
| thnn year ngo, M u delegate from tho Y, NJ &.
| A. of New Orleans, md moro recently during tho
session of tho Grand Lodge Of the Independent
Order of Good Tcmplars in last April, 1t was my
| pleasant privilege to abnro the generous bospi.
tnify and wiinoss tho hearty cooperation Of
your citizens In behalf of those whose object In
any way tended 10 the moral and intellectual nd
vanc"mont Of il,c young men Of our State. Ones
moro your doors arc opened, u warm word Of
welcome Is upon your lpa, aud your symmthics
nrc extended TO III who labor for The accomplish
mcnt of N, aim onapnd the same with that Of
the church aud tho Y. NJ &. A. Too much honor
cannot bo extended you for tho Willingness you
manifest IN aiding every enterprise calc,
lated to elevate the social aud religious standard
of our people, The nnnnla Of the history Of the
Y. NJ. 6. a. Of Louisiana lindB ilB brigh,cat pngo
recorded alnid the fragrant ilowrla md genial
Influences of your charming liiilo city; and tbis
days pleasant experience woIcomcH Til" dawn Of
brighter hopes in the hearts OF those Interested
IN this work.
am satisfied, too many make tlfo mistake Of
leaning too much to tho aide of ink florence md
neutrality on this question. We a." careless and
indifferent, not because the HtaggeiIng innblato
fails to convince both our reason and Judgment,
but too frequently because wo iialtor ourselves
that there IL a wide gulf between the iOndncas
with which We indulge our wines and the unAat.
isicd cravings of the drunkar fora stronger aud
deeper drauglt. Tho advocates OF temperance
unfortunately occupy position whcro they arc
opposed m would naturally DO expected, BY
tl,oao who reap their fortunes In tbs barter and
sale Of Intoxicating drinks; but shgulnrly aud
'nnatnrally too, they meet with opposition in
the pnlpits and among proicascd christians In
many of oar churches. They tell lls that this
thing OF temperance Is m outside Issue; TINT tho
churches Of which they aro mnlnbcrs prohibit
indulgence In intoxicating drinks, and co,lso.
Hu"n'ly there IA no reason why they should ns.
sumc morc binding obligation; md That M ten.
pcinnco means moderation, We who advocate
total abstinence lmvc ~ right to call ourselves
temperate As TO tho frat of tllcac objections
experience teaches how sndly our churches f,
to insist on tha point. All Of IN have seen not
only prominent members Of the church, but even
ministers who lmbitnnlly, though possibly In
moderation, indulge without one conscientious
aciuplc, and often IN the very presence Of those
who regard them M examples Of morality whom
they may safely follow. Not only arc they thus
encouraging others in II dangerous vicu. but
whether they realize It or not, they arc them.
selves recruits in the terrible ur,uy of moderate
drinkers, u IN beyond the capabiliiy of any
man to place his finger on the line Of dcmatca
ton which separates the moderate driukcr from
the most iuvctcratc aud degraded slave of IN.
temperance. Where does one end and the other
begin How aoon inay the strong man, Justly
proud of his innate scnas of honor, his nobility
of soul, his purity Of character, find thrHc blunt.
cd II not destroyed, and the sure foundation of
his integrity undermined BY the blasting inu
cnccg Of the wine cup.
How can he who only iipa the social glass to.
day feel assured that weeks and months hence
the desire will bc no easily satisfied Thia iB
the drunknrds old, familiar pathway. Thoua.
ards have gone the same road before. Appetite
increases until honor, pride and reputation nro
sacrificed to allay the cravings OF horrible tor.
tiiie. Our churches may have turned the door
against the miserable inclriato who appeals to
our pity, but they have failed TO discOllntcna,lCc
social drinking, and II is just here where the
covcn foot Of the demon is concealed beneath
the agreeable and fascinating garb of pleasing
sociabity that the seeds OF many Il terrible har.
vcst of wrctchcncss are sown, and tho strong.
est ba'ries Of honor arc first broken down.
"A to III, objection brought forward by those
whom VIC would naturally expect to cooperate
will, IN, and who ARE ever quoting Paus ndvAc
to Timothy in their own defence, Had the con-
sells Of Paul been needed and man contcntNl
himself with the little that was necessary for thu
preservation Of health, there would then lnvU
been no occasion for the tremendous opposition
which the rapid development of this vice dc.
mands. We arc arrayGd against n traffic which
destroys the youth of our land, corr,pts Glial
affection, paralyscs tho strongest arm of man.
hood, wrecks tho body and lciIlcs the soul
transforms the honest man into thief and daily |
writes fearful record of blood
Pause aud consider the hungry scpulchrc,
whose gaping mouth and horrible pit and arc |
already chokcd with the mighty tide of our fell |
low men who have been trttcd into the terrible
abyss. Statistics prove that sixty five thousand
persons annually ill drinkaids graves. This |
melancholy fact demands careful consideration.
Last years sxty.ivc thousand have been buried. |
This year y sXty.ivc Thousand arc being buried. |
Now who are to constitute next years ghastly |
contributions of siXty.hvc thousand miserable vic.
tins One by one they fall perhaps l,l,noticcd,
but the grand sum total of sixty.fivc thousand |
must be completed before the first day of another
new year bcgus again the fearful record. VIII
it be yourself, or your father, your husband or
your son Deep within your heart the dismal
picture calls forth horror and you say may God
forbid! ind yet hope can only coluc in proportion
as the princnciplcs we advocate become fixed
laws In the minds of our people.
History, nature and revelation all teach
how great Is the power Of strong drink not
only to destroy the highest faculties of the intel
'ectual man but to degrade tho noblcstattlibutcs
of the soul OF all the means which foster crime,
fill prisons and sustain courts none are equal to
tho habit of indulgence in strong drink. Does
the barter, sale and indulgence in whisky pro.
mote business Docs it elevate tho morals of
any community Does it make men prosperous
or happy Does it aid them in the education of |
their children or aid them in the support of their
families Docs it afford peace and protection to
society To all Of which you are compelled to
answer, No--and must admit that if We could