, 1881-02-27


hsionSs to Il system Of intimidation that can
nere: he permanent institution - III tn;S ,f
I have thus far considered ouly tne prunettHtt
ot1csIion, The total abstinence srheinc may 9e
#. strict accordance with theoreticn! ylrtlle u
may be the Grand end to when CIV, W. pGtord
thus rar I'd establish is. that it is plan 'at ca-
NOT succeed if we IRE to Judge It ny its PAST MS
tory and methods rs wen us nylts III; GI..n Is
II, ieicat tue yreat end we should MI have in
view: the cessation of drunkenness, Win us
rqn TO s', noa a tho ppie viii not
receive system whose principal agencies nave
been falschoods and Intimidation, 1llld Whase
principles they consider to be ut Whr with Il
proper nia,,li1ess or seif-respec1. We rsp"at
THAT GO une may mistake us} that these 1alse-
ht,nds aud i1titnidauous nre not necessary par5s
Of the system, but have bccn its constant al.
Iunnts III point OF fact; and we also repent that
our argument regarding manltness is not go Tyr
rs we have Eoue) So much n charge aEalust .no
item us Il stu temcnt OF what very l'kge PARTON
Of rcspcctab bic lind yirtuous thinkers think OF it.
It is from such considcratlons.w We hold, that the
plan of total hS2nel ice rs method ol erauieL
iur and its attendhnt wees Will never
be adopted by the community. Ono other thlng
desire to repeat bcfore taking up the other
branch Of my subject and that is tnas IT tEaka .I
total-ulstinence leaders. Their main arguments
are falsehoods. us I have shuwn; but am quite
sure that tho excellent men who nre ottcn ,oen4
these false statements. They take up these
wcupo1ls without sufficiently examining them.
They SET that they can be made effective. nut
do not stop to inquire whether they are leslel-
mate. Their pralscworthy zeal
OUTSKIRTS THEIR JUDGMENT AND PRUDENCE
honor the heart und energy of very H,.ny OF
these men. They show Il philanthropy ana CON
secration, involving often snlt,den,ui oiu 'oss
deed. too often mired up with low, hyp"crisicHl
seif-scckers who make tho TEN peranec cAGse Il
mere lever 10 raise money, but TINT does not de
frt,Fr
souls; and, whlle differ from them ttltslEetnef
Ia my views, und attn thoroughly convinced they
are doing unnleasured harm tn tue community
by retarlug practical RETURN aud dlssenl1i'hf-
Ing pernieiuus principles, at the shnlt ti1i'e
would not refrain from yielding ths honest anu
hearty tribute to their intentions, and d!seam
any personal reprouch. while criticisin3 the sys-
Sc sccundd-The d prudential question being thus
treated, turn to the moral question before rs:
Sought the plan of total abstinence to be
adopted?'' is it hcalthful and legitimate
method Of doing away with drunkenness: y
MAN stauds at Il great disadvantage VINO nrgues
in behalf OF his belief that the tosat-abstlnsnce
system is immoral, because be ut once exposes
himself to the assaults Of stAndcrers. who M
pllgll his motives and deny bis honesty lfnd!-
calism has so ruthlesly inobbed down lndepend-
ent thought by its illuminating processes, that
editors who have no fnth in the etotal-;ibsthcnce
system still uphold it In their coun INNS, anu min
listers deem it prudent 10 say nothing against fl
cause SO popular i'll religious circles .alci!
are loarh to come forward and " oespnt,teresa s
with mud thrown in the paine Of truth and god
ljuess. They are loath to lose tho support and
good will Of the many whose fanntic!stu !iesplses
any one is constrained to speak. he is tempted
to come forward rs an humble apooS1st, anu
uotlcs1ly plead his With many CONCESSIONS
and compromises. Surely, this IS nor 1of the
In this address take no apoeeetc position l
cnrry the wur into Africa ! have M contest
with men. but with false principles. l assert
tlnt the total-aostiuence system is false In It's
philosophy,
CONTRARY TO REVEALED RELIGION,
and harmful TO tho interests OF our country. l
churge upon this system the growth of Drunken
ness iu our land. and ii general denoruIixuton
among religious communities. Anu call upon
sound minded. thinking men to stop The enor-
mites Of this faisc system by uniting III rcason-
able and wholesome measures for the suppress
sion Of drunkenness. for the lnek of Whtcn this
false system has all its present success. Be-
tween fanuticisn, on the one hand nila l,cen.
1nuss Of 6ulid folk, whose union and eificic1cy
would moderate aud reduce, il not destroy. both
First-The first moral error of the total-ab-
gtinencc system is IN turning 4 medicinal pre-
scription into Il bll-of-fare for all mankind.
form Of alcoholic drink, nobs'dy ca,n deny He
is diseased mnn and his restoration depends
on this restriction. Now, by what logic does
| this mans duty become mine: Because have
admitted total abstinence us correct principle
In his case, bound to admit It rs y correct
| principle for all? Are tho sick to be the nor!1i
| Iated by the needs Of the drunkard? Way not,
| then. ny tho needs Of tho dyspcptc? Ah. but
5hey} ls e Z Shoe 5h n yao ay fn oy feonE
| By this explanation? You world put me on 4
| sick regimen TO keep me from becoming sick!
| BECAUSE total abstinence Is absolutely necessary
| necessary to one whit Is nnt IL drunkard. DO you
not see that, if you arc going to prove your 10 +
| than your former one? The two are wholly UNI
| connected. 1t is all otfcnsc to the moral sense
| OF the community to spread over It the rcstric-
tion of the druukard as It would be to irnpr!sotl
| all the community with the imprisonment uf the
thief, lest bJ liberty they should I'LL fall to
! Secund-A second moral error Of the total-ab-
| stlnence theory Is its assumption that 'nodeCatc
drinking leads to drunkenness. The millions
| upon millions, OF our race who have been nc
cls:omed to drink wine und who never knew
| drunkenness stand up against
| THIS ATRoc1oCs DOGMA.
| And yet this dogma has acriatly become aI
axiom with the total-ubstinence reformcrs ano
| they would disiain to ur2.le it. They are Sci de-
| termined To have it true that they have per.
formed the pAradoxicAE ope'asi>'n nt putting he
moderate drin,er IN Ia tue piaee OF tsn shH aruSr @
| cpntuu,ely. This strange mixing Of th'nFs re-
| minds us Of the calling good cvl and evil goo!
deep tlcpravity Yosl will iinl That the prllicl-
pal shafts Of the total-ntstincnce literature art
! directed mot ut the lrunkard, but at the mud
crate drinkcr.. The drunkar1 Is pitied ana CO..,
! died, while the tnOHernte drnker is scuurEcd
| Now, this sort OF moral jugglery is nD, bcne
| ttcial to tue community. 1t di5tOrtS lnd pre-
vents Judgment, and involves moral DISTINCTION
| ju chaotic confusion 1t oyerthruws the ordinary
reason, that Is So useful i'll All the relations u1
lite, Aud leads men 10 CsAilIliSh obedience t.
| some ruling mud. II is tho old trlGK OF the
| Jcsuits TO weary the mind in 1nnze5, 50 that ]
may, in sheer fatigue, seek to be guided b
| them. ~
Third-A third moral error Of the total-absti.
| nence theory Is its wunt Of discrimination be
! tween things that differ. Everything that hn
alcohol in it must be tubooad; rs il Ill the drink.
tut Ind alcohol u them were OF the satllc ctltc
| when drunk. Bru1ldy aud mock. wine and laycr-
| beer, Arc all Mike the devils poison, and mus
be Eunshcd from the lips Of nll true nle1l. This
assault upon common knowledge is blundcI
thut has
THE PROPORTIONS OF a CRIME.
To say that certain drinks that are whoiesom;
and beneficial are tho same rs certain drink
that are pcrnicioEs and destructive, is mora
outr;..e when the whole community should i'll
| tiiEnuntly' repel. Beers and unbranded wine
are promoters IF health and strength when uscs
| juliGiuusiy, especially by those who hate no
| rt,uust health. They are tonic. nnti-scorbullc
and gently stimulating 20 the digestion. AS DR.
I'urkcs, who il Strong oppuser Of the use o
people whu live I'll the confines Of heulth. Who7t
digestion is feeble. circulation lHnyu'd, ant
| nervous system too excitMbie. mild WINES ant
mutt liquors are bcEetical- The Tact IL. thnt. IL
another writer well 5iiys outside ri the SICK room
the distilled liquors are comparatively noX!ns
the fcrmente1 comparatively hlrmlcSS. Nna
VIC desire 10 e.lphusiZe il, that the two classes y
| drinks are altogether different In their GDar:cte
aud effect: a11d that theory which destroy