St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1880-01-16
Signing the Pledge.


THE VALUE OF A WORTHY EXAMPLE.
Dear Friend Stone:
A writer in a recent number of a
leading religious journal took excep-
ton to the ordinary working of tenn
peranee societies at the present time.
His criticisms are calculated to dimin-
ish respect for them, and to turn the
public mind against them. If his state
ments are true the mode of operating
the temperance reform should be radi-
cally changed.
After several structures which we
will not stop to notice, the writer says,
"ApOther false method INDUCED in, is
the practice of re-signing the pledge ad
infnitum by men aud women who are
well known us teetOtalers for the sake
of the example, it may set to those
who are not. question the propriety
of this on the ground that it is both
immoral and unwise-immOral,b because
it is acting lie-unwise, because it
has re-actionary influence preventing
what it is meant to incite."
The logical distinction which the
writer makes between "immoral" and
'unwse" is too fine for me, for fail to
see how an act may be immoral and
not be unwise. Can falsehOod, larceny,
or murder be immoral and not be I'M
wise "WisdOm is justified of her
children Has not our critic made a
distinction without difference But
let us look at the first point little.
Is it an immoral act to sign the pledge
a second time, where the person is al
ready Il teetotaler and has no fear of
ever using alcohol improperly ? Then
the Christian church is guilty of i'm
morality, in going to the table of the
Lords Supper second time. Then
the mother teaches her child immorali-
ty when she asks second kiss in re-
turn for her own so often repeated.
Then the admirer of natural scenery is
guilty of immortality in repeating the
declarations of his pleasure at what he
beholds, Then society is guilty of i'm
morality in this manner in everyday
life from the mansion to the howell. Is
it not generally conceded even by the
most profigate and unchrstian to be
the hight Of morality for Christians to
repeat their pledge of allegiance to
| Christ in the holy eucharist And is
it not as universally acknowledged to
tian church to require its members to
repeat that pledge of faith at stated
times With what show of reason
then can our critic say that the thou
sands of men and women of spOtless
cOnsciences in this matter are Sim
moral and unwise," and "acting a lie"
when they resign the pledge? The
criticism will not bold. 1t is uncalled
for and unjust. We sincerely wish
that many mole of those who have thus
signed the pledge for the good of 9th
ers in times past, but have felt their
duty done in thus signing, would come
to the front at once with new pledge
bearing their names, and do earnest
work, that others seeing their good
deeds may 60 and do likewise.
If the pledge could be fastened to the
door-pOsts Of every living person who
has ever signed it, and all were oblig-
ed to write their names every morn
ing as they go out and every evening
as they return, in letters so bold that
the public could read as they pass, then
signing the pledge would have some
influence for it would mean something
The "farce" as our critic calls it, is
not in re-signing, but rather in signing
only once and then never seeing or
caring anything about it afterwards.
The "farce' is in signing the pledge in
a corner very likely, or the last one at
public meeting in the light of tai
low dip, with face to the wall, and then
pCFOi diOSI "druS siSHiHS duOJueT OF
lifting hand or voice in the cause, but
considering all duty done in the great
temperance battle of the age by that
one pencil scratch of the name on a
piece of paper TO avoid the disgrace of
refusing. The ''farce" is in externally
keeping the finger on that signing I'M
til the advancing years stretch that fin
ger as long as mortality. The temper
ance cause peeds men with backbone
linen to do the right thing with nerve
and forca vvho a.a ,ot o.lo,o5 &c