Litchfield enquirer., 1880-01-22
Temperance.


 brave words on Temperance in the issue of Jan. Sth!
 You are squarely right as to several points: to wit, we ought to organize for the roofing of total abstinence practice (and priu- ciple) in the rising generation" l.
 We ought to have Temperance endowment as we'll as church endowment, or charity en- dowment, beginning, let me add, with simple measures like the reading -rooms of Nart:l Canaan and Lakeville. We ought to prevent the Temperance movement settling back into 'the denominational rut" Cause? It is the most natural thing in the world for water to seek it's level, and when cold water "wave'' subsidies little, it seeks out the old channels whose banks it has overfown, hastening on in response to natural laws toward the fountain head again, in it's endless round From God it sprung, and to God, through the channel of believing people it returns. The majority of believing people are in the churches, hence all movements that rest upon faith will always rest hack ultimately upon organizations al- ready at hand, and in sympathy with them. But the churches should not seek to draw into their control any Temperance movement. This will kill the enterprise. The case is different with the movement in West Cornwall It started from church work, and by the votes of the society it has been put into harmonious fellowship with the church here. It is the peoples society, based upon the pledge, and has the privilege of the free use of the chapel Sabbath evening, once month. This is mere- ly an illustration of how Temperance work may be put in harmony with church work-i. e.; by being legitimate child of church life. If it be an adopted child, the relation is less feicitous if it be taken on trlal, under pro- test, it's stay and usefulness are sure to be short. You are right m saying that any forced union of Christianity and Tcinperanc, would seem likely to prove hurtful to both. |"
 Permit me word of dissent. courteously. "Hence Temperance has always seemed to us a secular matter, rather than religious ques- tion," (See your article.) l. dissent from the inference that Temperance is not a close handmaid of Religion. If mo drunkards shall inherit the kingdom of God, here is one clear path for the lights of the Holy Gospel to be turned upon, to clear the way for saving the poor slave to drink. The church should let people of differing faiths alone, and save the drunkards. 3. dissent from the plain dis tinction between secular Temperance and re. ligious- Temperance. Temperance is a virtue, moral force as we'll as moral duty. To secularize it is to take it out of it's conditions essential to growth and vigor.
 If by secular" you intend to exclude churchly work and influence alone, dealing with the problem as popular eApedient, and handling it both with the aid of sclence and legal force, then you will find one thing need ful, viz.-time for educating the public mind. But for this, the three most valuable co-labor- CTS you would have would be found in the church and the home and the press; for the press is moral force, and its grandeur lies in it's moral influence. 3. dissent from the in- ference, almost statement, in your closing re- marks, that to control the vice of intemper- ance with the language and methods of expe- diency is the wisest and safest way. Permit me to say that understand you. You stand on noble ground 'sTotal abstinence is the wisest, safest rule of society,"" May your pa- per be blessed in the advocacy of this princi- ple.) But let me ask, is it your view of the question practically, that Total Abstinence claims mans support and advocacy as a rule of society" rather than as 8 principle of personal life? If the latter, then it becomes high moral question, and a religious man would-who believes it such, remember-be disloyal to the convictions of his soul, if he re- fused to take it up. And taking it up on those grounds he would have far better lever age upon public sentiment than as though he held it as ''the wisest rule of society,"" In a word, the argument "It pays," has not yet supplanted that old and grand principle of moral law. If man knows to do good and doeth it not, to him it is sin. "I ought" wins after ''it pays" has failed. The issue raise and the exception l take to your view is that in separating Temperance and Religion, you would-if in fact it could be separated long throw away the grandest fulcrum the temper ance Archimedes has ever found. That full crum call the conscience. The pulpit which is marked by distinguished lack of conscience, you would despise. Apaper which invited the charge of "a censcienceless sheet" would despise. A Temperance movement that should start strong in other respects save mor- ol I h,,k l pray that it's day of small things would sooner dawn in day of power than all other similar efforts have done. The greatest apostle of Temperance now before the country, Cough, is religious temperance reformer.
 Who is having any success in advocating ''secular temperance And once more let me dissent from, and ask you to show, the facts in support of your statement that "We see, instead, helpless. inert. public opinion, do- ing nothing, or next to nothing, towards lm- pressing itself upon the everyday habits of our times" It seems to me that this may be termed "a blind mans view" of the matter i; or possibly your language may not have been quite faithful to your thought.
 If you speak Tor our County -seat simply, it may be so; do not know. If you speak for the entire county, I question you fasts. It you speak for Connecticut, satisfy myself clearly that it is is not borne out by the facts, and believe have kept abreast of this move- ment somewhat sympathetically. Give every good work It's due That Temperance people are doing nothing as they ought, relatively to l their ability and light, own. But the Tem- perance sentiment and principle of old Litch field County was never as strong
 1 Morris.
 New Years evening, the friends of T. L..
 Harman, to the number of 70, gave Linn sur. prise party at the residence of Mir. and Mrs.
 Edgar Alvord, who very cordially opened theil