The Emporia news. [volume] (Emporia, Kan.) 1859-1881, 1879-04-25
THE NEW TEMPERANCE MOVE
MENT,

A new temperance movement seems to
have taken hold upon the solid men and
best citizens of New York. The mem
bership to the new order seems to be con-
fined almost entirely to substantial bust
ness men-men who have never professed
any sympathy for the more radical tenn
perance movements that from time to
make their appearance. The first public
meeting of the new society was held re-
Gently in Chickering hall, which was
well filled. The platform was occupied
by such men as F. B. Thurber, Henry H.
Hadley, Peter Cooper, the Rev. DIR. How
ard Crosby, Thurlow Weed, the Rev. O..
B. rockingham, Walt. Whitman, Ed
ward E. Thorne, and others of like char
acter. The president, Mr.. Thurber,
opened the proceedings with short ad-
dress, in which he said that the object of
the association was the same as that of
their temperance societies, and it is pro-
posed to make the attack upon the CON-
mon enemy from another direction, and
to muster into service class of recruits
who did not believe in total abstinence.
The secretary of the society followed in
in brief speech, in which he stated
that the association had determined to
advocate the cause of moderation, be-
cause after century of labor for prohi-
bition, drunkenness was on the increase.
They proposed, therefore, to direct their
efforts against excess in drinking, waiv-
ing the question of the right or wrong of
manufacturing intoxicating liquor, and
abandoning the possibility of ever stop
ping intoxicatiOn by legislation. The
society offers four forms of pledges. The
first, of red color, is a pledge of total
abstinence. The second is white, and
binds the signer not to drink during bus
mess hours The third-Or blue pledge
prohibits treating at public bars, and
the last-the red, white and blue-lim-
its the signer to nothing stronger than
wine or beer, and permits these only at
meals and in moderation. The pledge
binds a man only by his personal honor.
The Rev. DR.. Crosby, in the course of an
address, said:
This looks like business. 1t looks
more like business than anything i have
seen in thirty years. When the business
men of a country take hold of such a
thing as this it inspires hopes in me that
never were inspired before. The good
men who have been fighting intemper-
ance for thirty years started with false
theories. They COMPOUNDED moderation
with excess, and their principal shafts
have been aimed not at intemperance
but at moderate drinkers. You stand
on broader basis and seek true fra
termination with them. AS / looked at
the four pledges thought that prefer
red the blue one. The great trouble in
the community, believe, grows out of
the miserable business of treating /
never believed for a moment that mOder-
alton leads to excess. think that from
this time forward the rum-shOps of this
city will recognize you as their greatest
and most formidable enemy"
The Rev. Mr.. rockingham endorsed
the movement in similar language, ad-
ding: "There is no solitary drinking.
If the practice of treating is abolished, a
heavy blow will be struck at drinking
usages. This is the emphatic and deci-
sive STEP" Several other well known
gentlemen spoke in favor of the new
movement, and letters were read from
other prominent gentlemen, expressing
their hearty sympathy with and endorse
ment of the purposes of the society.
There can be little doubt concerning
the good results that must follow such
a movement as above indicated. We
may expect enthusiastic prohibitionists
to call Justify for something more radi
cal. But it must not be forgotten that
the something more radical does not
reach the class of business men reached
by the New York movement. The new
Organization means an attack coming
from the strongest and most influential
element of the communicable business
men who have thousands of young mer
in their employment, who will be great
ly influenced by the example set by theil
employers.