The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1877-1885, 1880-12-23
THE TEMPERANCE MOVE
MEN I.
The Teet ,tellers IN Line OF Battle

| he lccOD IcilCa IL DN'S
For several year, past, the friends OF
Temperance have apparently been III
der An eclipse doing nothing, or hIT1
IL ANYTHING. aai saying les. H-.c or
there, the Good Gemplar>. or
Friends. have kept NJ a sen1'ance
OF organization but il IA sOclit AM
conrtative. rather than live 4nI aggrss-
siye. Indeed, the CONCLUSION has set
tied upon many minds, ot real trends
Of Abstinence, that little can be accom-
plished by Societies either secret or
open: and that sworn pledges are
rarely effective, and very often a real
detriment, because the struggling NC
tim Of an heliish appetite, after one or
two failures 10 keep MS pledge, be-
come. not only disgraced IN his own
estimation, but hopeless OF any further
effort at selt-rescue.
This fact may perhaps excuse the
clergy of all denominations tor their
backwardness in joining the temper
ance workers. We have for years Al
tended the Temperance Associations IN
the East, the middle. and the Nc.tern
portions of North Carolina without ever
meeting a clergyman in the Loige
rooms, save one or two Local Netho-
dist. and Baptist ministers Perhaps
we should except Rev \ ID. Cofeu.
, of Newborn Baptist; Rev. Mr.. " hit
aker, IF Raleigh and Rev. John T..
Butt (Methodist) Of Charlotte. Many
clergymen OF the Presbyterian, Eplsco
palian. Catholic, Lutheran, and other
churches, preach once or twice a year on
+ Temperance but this pertunctory ser
I vice rarely y a suicide And yet
there has certainly been need for active
work. We can give the name. OF 80
young men, who like ourselt, were
barely able TO vote when the war closed.
They were young men who III physical
and moral manhood, in social standing,
in old family name, and in future pros
poets. had no super>Jrs in North Caro-
lima. Yet to-day, II years later, all
occupy forgotten graves, and many OF
them fell within half a dozen years.
Well, what shall be done? 10 our
mind the only thing that CAN be done
is to stop the manufacture of liquor.
Nothing but a LAW, declaring all
kinds of intoxicating drinks rank poison,
anu tlCTtlOIc uiltlcl Vic Ddli dhu oub
iect to destruction wherever found, Will
do any good. We know, BY personal
experience, that no moral restraint, ~
appeal to manhood, no eXertlon Of
Will Power, can stop the large majority
of intemperate men from taking the
fatal cup, just SO long as they can st
1T. And so long as it is made they viii
have it. Ii costly, and hard to get. SO
much the worse for their pockets and
their families.
We are not among those who
attempt to cast Odlum upon
~liauor sellers. We see not one particle
more of disgrace in selling a thing than
in buying it. Women would not pros
titute themselves If men were not con
%tinually urging them to do SO. Many
saloon keepers are upright, warm
hearted, honest-lived citizens better
in every respect than some who sheer
at them. There are, of course, many
disreputable characters, behind the
bar: but SO there are behind the dry
goods counter, or the attorney 8 desk,
or tie editor S tripod Aud why should
we stone the humble bar keeper,
whose profit is but a few pennies per
Tram, while we treat with respect the
wholesale dealer in liquors, wines, CT
CARS. etc. who sells a thousand gallons
to the others one?
We have not been inside of a Bar
Room in years, land have no subscribers
among saloon keepers; but we shall
not cast any reflection upon them until
it be conceded that Buyer and Seller
80 o,,,olIy- blame worthy
These random remarks, however, are
merely preliminary to a statement OF the
recent movement for prohibition.
Some months ago several c~lergymen
and others set at work to arouse pubic
sentiment on the Liquor Law question.
The Baptist Convention debated the
matter; and the Methodist Conference
went a step farther, and ordered an adj
dress to the State on the subject.
Meantime the county commissioners oil
lChatham, Northampton, and We be-
lieve Halifax also, decided to refuse al
license of bar rooms within their coun,
ties.
A Quiet Conference of Temperance
People was then called and met In thu,
city last week. 1t was participated IN
by prominent p~ersOnages, OF all church
es, and has apparently started in to dc
something.
At the meeting in the House of Rep
resentatives, Rev. DR.. Skinner intro
duced Rev. Roger Martin, of Robson,
who earnestly unfolded the plan pro
posed. Remarks were made by Rev.
Df. Atkinson, Capt. f. r. Stamps,
Prof. Kerr, Col. j. NJ. Heck, Judge
Edwin G. Reade, and others. Al
Association was organized with Judge
Reade, President II. A. Gudger, Vice
Pres. II. II. Whitaker, Sec; \. B.
Broughton, Treas. A committee Of
five vas appointed to issue a call for a
State Convention Of friends of Prohibi,
ton, in this city, January 18th The
committee, headed by DIR. Skinner, has
issued the call.