Ashtabula weekly telegraph. (Ashtabula, Ohio) 1880-1886, 1880-06-18


The column this wcck is made up in part
Of selected matter, for believe il sbest to
avail myself Of the best thoughts uf the
best men and women OF the age, fur ! Know
10y experience that rip ned fruit is imorg
Wholesome than that which is green. Con-
consequently leave out my own crude
thoughts, and copy the thoughts Of Others.
THE TEMPERANCE ISSUE.
The curse of htcmpemnce with its with.
vrig aud blighung iuauuHcr, Is found
almost everywhere; aud yet, arrange ~ say
pruie>s-dly Christian and humane men
look upon It's ravuges unmoycd, and refuse
To lend their aid ,ur MS suppression. II
the christian people nnd the lovers ol good
orler in this country, would nrise IA their
might hey could put down this Muluch,
aud dry up the streams of misery and
death winch it causes tu flow thrUugh the
land
Whrn he yellow fever, or some other
epidemic iuvades some section Of our
country, and few hundreds. or few
thousands become lis victims. he sympa.
thy of the whole people Is uroused and
they are ready TO furnish money 10y the
thousands, aud physicians by the score are
ready To risk health and life and fly 10 the
rescue. but Tie demnu Uf inteWpernnce is
permitted 10 destroy men, soul and body,
by hundreds and thousands, aud II excilps
almost no attention. calls lrrih no sympa-
Thy, aud men pulessediy christian men tlu
nothing 10 arrest II Ili us work Of destruc.
liuu. Nay, for the sake Of little paltry
gain many OF them give their infIence and
aid tU the fell destroyer. There will be "a
fearful reckoning some day, when God
shall make inquisllion Tor blood.
Every effort made tu cOunlcMct this evil
and promote the cause Of temperance and
sobrlely, should be regarded with favor.
Men cannoi be 10 earnest in their dpposi.
tion 10 the traffic in intoxicating liquors
for this traffic Is indeed the sum Of all
vilnines. the alder aud abetter Of almost
every crime, Moral suasiUn aud legH
suasion should be employed for its over
throw.
To licence horse stealing would be fal
less evil than To licence liquor selling
That would only authorize men to depriY,
you Of a certain kind Of property, but thii
authorizes them to sell you what win rot
you OF health, honor and everything 20.
possess.
There Is but one eifectual way to sup
press this traffic and remove the curse b
intempeTance; and that is to pnoe il unde
the ban Of the law. II should be declared
crime against society. aud like othe
crimes it should be punished by suitabl,
pains and penalties; and these to be pro
pOrtiOned to the ofiense should be OF
very severe character This would not, o
course, do away entirely with the evil, n
no laws which have ever been ennctel
have been sufficient TO prevent crime, bu
II would largely suppress IL, aud protee
hundreds OF thousands from It's ensnannl
influence and render il as detestable anl
rs rare as other crimes which are punishe,
by law.
When christian men for the sake OF Go,
and humanity, are willing TO break AVA
from party, and refuse 10 be led by Il set o
low, cunning politicians, who frequent thl
saloons and court the favor Of those en-
gnged In the liquor traffic, new state o
things will be inaugurated, and not per
haps ell then. The responsibility Of th
traffic rests largely with the christian
sober and temperate men OF the country
Let them refuse to support men for oflic
who will not pledge themselves to OppOs
in every way within their. power th
liquor traffic, aud politicians will soon dis
cover that they are power that cannot b
ignored. But 80 long rs good men supper
those who favor the traffic, they will
emboldened to encourage and sustaih il
1t is gratifying to know that in Rnnsas u
issue on thls subject is fairly Joined. Al
amendment to the state constiiutiun is I
be voted on at the geiieral election in III
present year, which declares that the man
ufacture aud sale Of intoxicating liquors /
that state, shall be forever prohibited, *
cept FOR medicine, scientific, and meclAnt
cal purposes. The Kansas State Telhper
ance Union, with Governor st. John at il
head, has undertaken TO arouse aud con
solidale the temperance elements, and b
organize them for successful campaign
We pray God to give them success. W
trust that all our people in Kansas viii
array themselves on the side pf temper
anoe, and assls, IN redeemiug their hobl
state from tile power Of the destroyer.
G- Methodist RseOrder