The new Northwest. [volume] (Portland, Or.) 1871-1887, 1879-04-10
PRAOTIOAL TEMPERANCE WORK.

To THE EDITOR OF THE NEW NORTHWEST:
From attendance, attention and gen.
eral interest manifested, the open tenn
perance meetings in this city are de-
eided success, but that q lynx-eyed
court of inquest would admit the cor
rectness Of that assumption, very
much doubt. The exercises are pleas
ing, attendance over-flowing and at
tention good, but that something very
essential to the accomplishment Of great
aud lasting good is lacking, no candid
person can deny Were I physician
aud called upon for an ofl-band preserip-
tion for this patient, I'd say, Liberal
aud long-eontinued doses Of an uncom-
promising spirit Of working reform" !"
Would be counted captious il ! should
say that there are too many appeals
made to the Almighty at these meet
ings, unaccompanied by the laying hold
Of the means provided by which intem-
perance may be suppressed At times
one can scarcely avoid the conclusion
that, "in the opinion Of leaders Of this
movement, the rum traffic can aud
should be put down without hurting the
feelings Gf they have any Of parties de-
irving profit therefrom." Now, this
man-fearing, time-serving spirit is the
very device 10y which "the powerful
batteries Of the Almighty lour pulpitsl"
have been "spiked," and until this spirit
has been thoroughly eradicated and our
church people, as whole, come out on
the side Of temperance and every other
human reform, but very little Of the
good accomplished can be placed TO the
credit Of their account. Local option"
is the route we must travel TO reach
prohibition and enable a generation
hence to stand up as on man, total alb
stinence people, both from habit and
inclination; but so long as our sole rot
ing stock ia trade consists Of a geuer-
alton Of tipplers aud rum sellers, local
option will fall very far short Of giving
Us p.ohibitory laws. Hence, every
nerve should be strained to have this
one thing essential submitted TO an en-
franchised nation. Now, If our temper
ance reform leaders and our deacons and
divines desire to be considered as acting
without mental reservation in this mat
ter, let them head a petition for local
option to be presented for the consider
alton and ballots OF good men and
women; let them also exhibit church
records from which tine names Of every
member who directly or Indirectly de-
rives a profit from the rum traffic shall
have been eXpunged, no matter if the
guilty parties have endeavored to of
set their actions by "a donation Of Chin
cony bark" for the cure Of their victims
Mere "pledge-takiug" is comendatory
indeed, but is food only for babes and
sucklings. Strong men require stronger
food, and IL our leaders and teachers are
content with "such weak diet" they can
scarcely be surprised II their followers
20 into decline. The Almighty never
does anything by halves, and il is folly
to imagine that he will couuteuance a
movement undertaken under similar
conditions. II the reverend gentlemen
who are so willing to confide the safety
of our young men in the hands Of our
young women will come out squarely
in their several pulpits and lecture
stands for radical temperance reform
aud universal suffrage, our girls will be
better fitted to assume the responsible
ity in question. Yours fraiernally,
Portland, April 8, 1879. II. c. W.