The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1877-1885, 1881-03-10
Another Anti-P rohibitionist.

loose in the shape OF a M froin
Rev. DIR. Howard Crosby, the noted
PRESBYTERIAN preacher in New lork
Civ. We give some of his argument.
In the first place Crosby claims that
the word Temperance has beer wrest-
ed from its true meaning, and ne
charges the total abstinence people,
also, with other deceptions-ln assert,
ing that the wine commonly spoken OF
In the Scriptures was unfermented or
that whenever VII IS spoken or 10
praise or used by our Lord and ms
APOSTLES it is the u~nfermented kind
"a cause having such falsehoods as Its
.suain can never be accepted
s.hv the hubble" A second reason why
DR.. Crosby believes that total ab2tl-
pence will not be adopted Is It's unman
illness. To stop the use of anything
because of its abuse would be TO de
s.grade the race and remove all the IN
'.centives and helps to moral growth
I'VE are to develop self control "a
much as possible. A true clvlllza
''tion always seeks to do this. Dr.
Crosby docs not say that total absti-
nence is wrong in principle, but that IL
it is not feasible. The community
will not reasonably, as they think. be
s'put into leading strings, and kept 10 a
s'nermanent nursery, and that, too, by
s.men who use manifest f~alsehoods as
appointment arguments for their posl
s%'tion." A third reason is the spirit OF
intimidation which has been the V
riable accompaniment of the total alb
s~tinenc nlan. at has used a violence
''of language that can admit OF no ex-
scuse. 1T has confounded all ideas of
'sright ard wrong, calumniously declar-
sing that the man who drinks wine
.'noderately is as bad as, nay. worse
THAN the drWlkard. DIR. Crosby
honors the heart and energy OF very
many Of the total abstinence leaders,
but is convinced that they are doing I'M
measured harm by retarding practical
s'reform and disseminating rerniclous
principles"
Turning to the neral side ofthe ques-
ton, DIR. Crosby charges that the total
abstinence systemis false IL its philos
''ophy. contrary I orevealed religion and
harmful to the interests Of our coun
try" and is responsible for 1.-THE
GIOHIl VI NhNSo !" eHs
and a general decentralization among
religious communities" The first
moral error, be says, is III turning a
medical prescription into 4 bill of fare
for all mankind. A drunkard should
carefully avoid every form OF alcoholic
drink. He is . diseased man, and
s'his restoration depends on this ~restiic
''tion. Now, by what logic does this
mans duty become mine! 1t j. an
offence to the moral sense OF the com
s'munity to spread over it the restrIc-
''tion of the drunkard, as it would be
ito imprison all the community, with
'the Imprisonment Of the thief, lest by
liberty they should all fall to thiev
ing A second moral error. he SAYS.
is the assumption that moderate drink
ing leads to drunkenness. \ third is
in the want Of Discrimination hctwees
things that differ. 10 say that Ger
tain drinks that are wholesome anG
beneficial are the same as certain
drinks that are pernlcious and ,iestruc
tive Is u moral outrage which the
whole community should Indignantly
"repel." A fourth moral error of the
total abstinence system, DR. Crosby
says, is the assertion that all drinks tina,
contain alcohol are poison. To say that
everything containing alcohol is IA poi.
on is 'as false as to say hat fruit /:
poisonous because prussic acid, which
rs a deadly poison, is found in it A
fifth moral error is the dependence
upon a contract rather than upon the
moral sense" Instead of regulating
a man from within. it would apply a
straight jacket. Instead of allowing a
free play of the mans individuality, and
then ~endeavoring 10 instruct and edu
cate the mans reason, 1T would, In the
moment of the mans emergency, tie VI
a conscience with a pledge. which, when
the emergency is past, he will bear irk
somely and endeavor to nullify or evade.
True reform would demand a change Of
the underlying principles Of life. The
sixth and last error, DR.. Crosby brings
forward as one who believes in the Di
vine authority of the Holy Scriptures,
as 1T is impossible to condemn al
drinking of wine, as either sinful OF
improper, without bringing reproact
upon the Lord Jesus Christ and his
"Apostles." And who will believe that
Christ and his Apostles, con great
moral questions and matters of mora
conduct, gave example and precept
that would not last?"
DIR. Crosby admits that as TIRE tota'
abstinence system, as a cure fon4utem
perance, vii! not and ought not to be
adopted, he is bound to propose a sys
tenn hat ought to be adopted. He de.
clares that no man is more keenly alive
to the ''frightful ravages of drunken
ness than he is, and says that the
right system to cure the evil must be
one that recognizes practically the diff
ference between excess and moderation.
and the difference between injurious
and harmless drinks, and that will ap
peal to the common sense of reasonable
and thinking men. 1t must be a sys
TEN that deals honestly with history.
science and scripture, and does not in
vent theories and then support them by
garbled quotations and imaginary facts.
1t must be a manly system that has no
cant or foolery of orders and ribbons,
degrading a matter of high principle to
the hocus-pocus OF a child's play. Such
a system would be found in the ~ecclusion
of distilled liquor from common use as
Jercrage, both by public opinion and by
la'0, and the wise regulation in society
and in the State of the use of vinoas
and malt liquors. Society should PIT
aicoy all the drinking usuges MptlerR
to ercess such as furnishing MANY
wines at an entertainment, or treating
others, or putting branded wines upon
the table and the State should Ln,tt
the numJer Of Lcc,srd seL!ers to at post
the proportion of one to Il thousand in
habitants Of each town, and these sell
lcrs should be under heavy bonds no to