The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1879-10-23
Fair Play Lodge, L. o. OF G.. t.

Mr.. EDIToR: This Lodge has been
numbered with the things of the past, or,
in other words, like most similar socie-
ties, it has died natural death. It was
organized with eighteen or twenty men,
bers, and out Of this number, strange to
say, there were only two church men,
bers; but, however, the Lodge went to
work, and fought bravely for eight or ten
months, asking the old church members
in the neighborhood to join us and thus
swell our little band, in order that we
might better contend against the great
army of intemperance. which has so
many men, aye and women, too, in its
ranks, and which is daily growing larger
end larger. Let ell this be as it may,
contend that the members of the Lodge
ought to have worked the harder. There
was no reason why it should die out in
the manner It did. But, alas some of
the members became disheartened, ard,
consequently, became irregular in their
attendance, and the rest of the members
soon found that they were too weak to
accomplish any good, or rather they too
soon gave up the good work in which
they wero engaged. Before they gave
up, feeling their weakness, and, being de-
airous of awakening new interest in o
community in behalf of their Lodge,
they called on tho members of the church,
especially those living in and around
Fair Flay, to join the Lodge, bn. all in
vain. They merely evinced carelessness,
or rather Indifference, to the cause, when
we thought that they should have rem
dered all the uid they could in behalf Of
our Lodge. When called on to join,
some Of them remarked sha. 4.. .l.sJ .hsy-i.iis had
been waiting TO see whether the Lodge
would continue TO hold up or not. This
was all the encouragement that we, few
worldly persons, received from them,
when were doing our best to improve
the morals Of our town and vicinity Do
you suppose that if the people of neigh.
bcrhood were to see q fire, driven by q.
bowling wind, approaching their fencing,
that they would stand back and say that
we will wait to see whether the fire viii
reach the fencing or not? No yon
would gee ne waiting, but the mind Of
every one would be bent upon quenching
the flames before any damage could be
done them. There would soon be quite
an army Of persons arrayed to contend
against the flames, and they would fght
in earnest, too. Then is il not Of much
moro importance to contend against the
great flame of intemperance which is
sweeping over our land and destroying so
many persons, both morally and socially !;
that flame that is wreclring the happiness
and fortunes of 60 many of our fellow
beings. 1t Is plain fact, which does
not require double glasses to, behold. It
requires no dedactive or inductive system
of reasoning to ger at the truth of the
matter. We hnva ti,A esils cs.ssv;;; tbv tbv ;a-
temperance daily before our eyes, and
why will people not unite in its suppress
sion? Has 1t taken ouch hold upon
opr people at large, that It is too strong
to be overcome7 / answer, emphati-
cally, mol All that We need is unity of
action and perseverance,. We must cast
aside our indifference and supply its
place with energy. We must determine
60 win. and no can win. viii We allow
our fellow-beings to throw themselves
away without a struggle on our part to
save them? Will we allow them to give
themselves up to the demon, Intemps.
rance, that destroys so many, robs so
many, blights so many hopes, aud wrecks
so mary brains, making persons totally
unfit for society or earth, or to onter the
kingdom, Of Heavenf Let every man
stand brayely to his poat, and we can
prevent these direful efIects--if not in
whole, We can Ia part. p.
NVtnpai,n,r, 49, r., I,s.s