Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1881-02-02
Temperance "Reminiscences In Springfield,
Vermont.

Far back in the distance, more than fifty |
years ago, as l was emerging from youth
into manhood, had nice chest made Cat
that time chests were more common than
trunks) and painted green. 1t became the
receptacle Of many things that l cared to
preserve. AS years rolled away it took the
familiar name of " the old green chest"
In process of time my daughters had
great curiosity to see the bottom of the old
green chest. Having obtained permission,
they went into it, and exhumed many things
which l suppose were to them great curios-
ities They found some old temperance
manuscripts, but they were in my own hand
writing and were not of much account to
me. Among other things they found the
first temperance pledge that was ever circu-
lated in town. l seized upon that, and as |
read over the names of the pioneers of the
temperance cause in this town my spirit
was stirred within me. And how could it
be otherwise, as l read over the names of
Rev. E. W. Goodman, Dr. Moses Cobb, Dea-
con Hawkins, Deacon Seldom, Nomlas Cobb,
|. M. Lewis, and many others, and asked,
Where are they now? Gone, gone to their
last resting-place, and alone am left to tell
the story. They were all pillars in the
church and the very backbone of society,
ready to take hold in any spot or place and
help. They saw that the use of ardent spirits
as beverage was an evil, and that some
thing must be done to bring it into disuse.
Hence the formation of the temperance soci-
ETY. October 10th, 1S29-ffty-one years ago.
The use of ardent spirits at that time was
very common. Almost every one drank
not every day, but on occasions, such as
training days and raisings. No one thought
that building could be raised without rum.
Company, too, must be treated with ardent
spirits just as much as a cup of tea and if
either were to be omitted, | think the tea
would be. | remember, when / was in my
teens, carrying my sisters to a place for
an afternoon visit and in the course of the
afternoon "toddy" was served around to the
ladies, and bottle of rum set on the table
for me, the only gentleman in the room. l
have seen a bottle of rum on the table in
minister's parlor on the Sabbath day, and
two ministers sitting there. Though did
not see them drink, suppose they did, or
it would not have been there and no one
thought it was wrong. Aud if the ministers
drank was it anything strange if the deacons
should drink, and so all through the com.
munity? One good old deacon of our church,
when asked to sign the pledge, said: 81 do
think that it is good cause, and 1 think /
should be willing to do without it myself,
but do want the privilege of treating my
friends" Another stood aloof for while,
but on going into store one day he met an
old rummy, who greeted him very cordially:
al am so glad, Deacon, that you have sense
enough to maintain your independence and
not sign away your liberty" The deacon
began to reason with himself somewhat in
this way off have got to throw my infu-
ence on the side of drinking, and be taken
into such warm companionship by those that
advocate the drinking of rum, had better
sign the pledge" Aud so he did. A deep
interest was awakened in the community;
frequent temperance meetings were held,
| and the cause moved on finely. A large
number of names were secured, and think
that a large share continued firm to their
pledge. One man in the neighborhood
where then lived has told me repeatedly that
if had not urged him to sign the pledge he
would have been drunkard, for he loved
| liquor from child; but he has remained
firm for more than forty years. and | think
will hold out to the end.
Moral suasion was the principal means
used to advance the cause. After while
the prohibitory law, called the Maine law,
was enacted. And here let me say word as
| to the origin of the law. Neal Dow, at a
small temperance meeting in Massachusetts,
said that woman came to him once and
| said: "My husband sometimes gets the
worse for liquor, and there is one man who
has great influence over him. wish you
would go and talk with that man and see if
you cannot persuade him not to sell my hus-
band liquor So went. He said he had
a license and should sell to whom he
pleased. You have license, have you
Heaven helping me, you shall never have
another" And that was the beginning of
| the Maine law
| About this time anti-slavery became the
all-absorbing subject and the cause of tenn
perance seemed to remain stationary. When
the war broke out every subject was alb
sorbed in that. After the war the friends
of temperance felt the necessity of rallying
to save the country again. Vice-President
Wilson, in an address at the National Tenn
perance Convention at Chicago, said intern
perance was the greatest evil in the world
unless we except slavery. Slavery was a
local evil; it could be surrounded, it could
be starved out. Not so with intemperance.
lntemperance is interviewer into the very
warp and wool of society. Society must be