The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1880-12-18
IA New Temperance Movement

Fs~A NOW AOHlpCIduC MOV6M6nb.
A new movement in behalf of
temperance has been begun in Bos
'ion, and last week a largo meeting,
sintended to give 1t impetus, was held /,
~ fremont Temple. There were
/ aevefal Vigorous speeches. made by
:sssss.r men chiefly and GOV. Long Of
Massachusetts presided and delivered
the opening address. A large pro-
portien Of the audience were men,
and though the meeting lacked the
fervsr which distinguished the tenn
perance gatherings of generation
ago, 1t was the most extreme epiu-
ions which drew out the loudest and
heartiest applause.
Coy. Long announced the purposes
of the new temperance movement.
They are not at all political, nor do
they especially concern themselves
with the questions of the legal means
of preventing drunkenness. The
idea is rather to stimulate the growth
of great popular sentiment in favor
of temperance. AS Gov. Long put
it: "Whateyer your Individual
views, the scope of this meeting rec.
ognizes. first, the peril of lntemper-
ance and its growth second, the
necessary constitutional differences
of opinion concerning the methods
Of suppressing it, and third, the need
of combining every element of good
citizenship against it,"
Such an effort to awaken the COM
munity to individual and general
efforts to lessen intemperance, must
command the respect of everybody
who thinks about the subject.
Whether men drink alcoholic liquors
themselves or not. whether they be-
lieye in prohibition or the system of
licenses, they dc not differ in opinion
as to the benefits which would result
from temperance actually practised.
Even the drunkards appreciate the
Importance of a reform in that direc-
ton, and far more keenly than those
who do not suffer, in their own per-
sons, from the inordinate use of
alcohol. They do not need Cough
and Murphy to tell them of the evils
nf intemperance.
And everybody knows that the
chief Affections of society come from
the abuse of alcehel. 1t fills the .iails,
prisons; almshouSeS and insane
asylumns. 1t is at the bottom Of
very many of the failures in life. 1t
is the fruitful cause of many
of the diseases which are most
destructive. 1t paralyzes the en-
ergies of the generation existing,
and transmits Verse evils to the gen
erations to come. All this we know
and acknowledge; and yet drunken
ness is still among the commenest of
vices, and only small proportion of
those who drink alcoholic beverages
keep their indulgence within the
bounds health requires.
There is a line of discussion re
garding temperance which all reas-
enable men can follow with profit,
and to which they will give serious
attention. 1t is that in which the use
and abuse of alcohol are treated
scientifically. 1t is that in which are
exhibited the evils, moral and phys.
ical. sure to result from intemperance,
and which shows where temperance
ends and intemperance begins. DR..
Richardson i'm England has made
himself great temperance reformer
by pointing out, simply as physi-
clan, the dangers which follow more
than an exceeding moderate use of
alcohol, and the benefits which will
accrue to large share of people from
absolute abstinence from it's use as q
beverage.
Other physicians may not go so
far as he in his denunciation OF afco-
hol as a poison, but this may be said
of DIR. Richardson's view-it is the
safe view to take Sc far as the indi-
viduai is concerned! Even If the
harm of drinking may not be so great
and so general as he contends, there
is no harm, certainly, in following
out his temperance rules, and, on the
average, great benefit is the reward
But, whatever may be the differ
ences of opinion as to the wise and
practicable methods of lessening in
temperance, coed must come of any
serious and thoughtful movement to
awaken the public to ist dangers and
to lead them to practise individually.
and to unite to create common SEN