Orleans County monitor. [volume] (Barton, Vt.) 1872-1953, 1879-02-10
LETTER FROM NEW YORK.
Special Correspondence.

social problems. Everything alcoholic,
under the generic name of ssRum," ap-
peals, in greater or less degree, to the
cravings of an overwhelming majority
of our population; but respectable
minority are its bitter enemies. Hun
dreds of devoted men have dedicated
their lives to warfare upon it. The
Francis Murphys plead and declaim
against it the John B. Coughs hurl the
myriad shafts of wit, sarcasm, eloquence
and impassioned denunciations against
it ; the Neal BOWS, the Crosbys and the
Cotters, legislate and organize against
it, But, after all, it must be conceded
that, by their results, the struggles of
all these would be exterminators of al
cohol irresistibly suggest the valorous
efforts of the immortal Mrs. Darlington.
to "sweep back the Atlantic Ocean with
broom" What is the matter ? Intern
perance being freely acknowledged evil,
can nothing more effective be done to
mitigate it?
The solution of this question is about
to be once more attempted here in New
York, and in somewhat novel way.
The experlmentors on this new line have
watched the labors of the uncompromis-
ing total abstainers, and seem to have
reached the conclusion that total alb
stinence may come as part of the mil
lennium, but is almost too much to hope
for at the present day. The result is
that the certificate of Incorporation of
an association to be known by the title
of "The Business Mems Society for the
Encouragement of Moderation" has this
week been filed in the County Clerks
office. The purposes of the society, as
stated in the certificate, are to encour-
age moderation in the use of alcoholic
beverages +; to promote a knowledge of
science and statistics relative to the
manufacture and sale of alcoholic liquors,
to disseminate among the people useful
information regarding the principles of
moderation and the means of carrying
such principles into practical effect
The society intends to prepare and
furnish to applicants either of three
forms of pledges. to wit: A total alb
stiuence pledge, operative for one year,
and renewable thereafter at the will of
the pledger; moderation pledge, bind
ing the person who takes it not to drink
during business hours and finally, a
unique engagement meant to prevent the
person taking the pledge from partaking
of Intoxicating liquors at the expense
of another person, and from extending
an invitation to any other person to
drink at his expense. The society is
also to exert an influence to induce re-
tail liquordealers to provide for teeto-
talers stimulating and nourishing bev-
erages which contain no alcohol. Still
another purpose of the society is to en-
courage the establishment of places OF
cheap recreation and amusement where
no intoxicating liquors shall be sold.
The society will begin operations at once
and its term Of existence is fixed al
twenty years The incorporators of the
society are we'll known citizens, and il
seems to me, if its affairs are wisely and
vigorously managed, that it may render
good practical service to the temperance
cause.
Brother Talmage, the athletic and
agile exhorter of the Brooklyn Taberna.
Gle, has lively time of it all around
He breaches widely advertised sermons
on the terrible "gilded vice. of New
York. and most of the other prominent
American cities brooklyn always ex
cepted). draws great crowds to laugh
and applaud his variety performance
and then. when he pantingly pauses fol
echoes of commentator from his cleri
cal brethren, hears only stern rebukt
and denunciation, followed up by ru
NOR, now current, that the Brooklyn
Presbytery will be called upon to dis
cipline him for unseemly behavior. HI
, labors frantically to wipe out his church
debt. and only little while after h,
has held glorifcation meeting to- cele
q brate the accomplishment of his task
is made party to lawsuit in which
q the testimony is uncomfortably strong
; that some of his subscriptions were OBJ
tanned under false pretences, and tina
instead of his Tabernacle being fire,
: from debt, it still owes from sixty t.
:, seventy thousand dollars. Then, he i
all the while subject to the merciles
lampoons and caricatures of a ribalt
. press, and in every way takes the pen
!. !. alties of greatness in heroic doses.
believe. however, that there is not an,
9 truth in the vague report that Bro. Tai
mage is going to escape these persecu
tions by resigning the ministry to &C
= cept a fattering star engagement wit
combined circus and minstrel troupe.
A recently revived project to lay
street railroad in Broadway, from tn
Battery to Union Square, ELECTS fror
one of our prominent Sunday papers
column of "Reminiscences regarding tn