The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1881-03-14
Incorporate Temperance

lCMcaSo Alliance.
Chancellor Crosbys article has proved yerv
exhilarating to the religious papers. 1t has
made very many of them Incorporate in Ian
guage, and has worked nearly all of them into
an undue excitement. The usually moderate
Herald and Presbyter has no less than eight
editorials in the current issue, all on Crosby
Another paper has accused the Chancellor of
prostituting Joseph Cooks platform, several
others have called him unfair and dishonest,
free-to-all- -go-as-you-please salvation journal
has charge1him with love of bad whiskey.
Only the Interior, 80 far as we have noticed,
has deemed him honest and given him credit
for good intentions.
1t is hard to understand what there is
about the temperance question that makes
men Incorporate in speech and sets temperate
and pious editors crazy.
DR.. Crosby is "temp srance" man in eyery
sense of the word. He not only practices total
abstinence, but he has done more to abate the
consumption of strong drink in New York than
any other person or any other society in the
city. He has made temperance and the en-
forcement of temperance laws special study
But he was invited to deliver lecture in Bos-
ton and choosing the popular theme with which
his studies and efforts had made him most fa
miliar, dared say his honest say about it, He
does not believe that the wine of the New
Testament is anything but wine, fermented
and Intoxicating wine, and he said so. He
| thinks that the total abstinance movement has
| been marked by intemperdnce of speech and
| action, and he said so. He holds that in the
| present state of public opinion prohibition of
fermented liquors in our great cities and in
most OF the towns is impracticable, and he
| dared to advocate a law restricting the sale of
| liquors to light wines and beer as the best
| practicable and enforceable legislation on the
| subject For this deliverance he has been at
| tackled by the total abstinence people with
| virulence and bitterness that would seem to
prove his statement that the advocates of the
| total abstinence system are Incorporate.
Without at this time passing an opinion
| upon the wisdom of DIR. Crosby's suggestions,
the Alliance would, in the name of Justice
enter protest against the handling which
DIR. Crosby has received, and plead for de-
| cent treatment by temperance advocates of
| those who, with just as much desire for the
progress OF the temperance coercive teetotal
cause, differ with the popular opinion in regard
| to the manner in which it is to be brought
| about.
In the first place it is but common courtesy
and common decency to give every man who
| pays enough attention to the reform to have
and express decided opinion about it the
| credit of being honest in his views. We should
have taken it for granted that man who had
| lived temperately before the public in promi-
nent position for good many years, and had
shown his zeal in the temperance work as has
| Dr. Crosby, would have been safe from the
charge of dishonesty ana tppling unless he was
| convicted of stealing or was found drunk on
the streets. But it was reserved for the advo-
Gates OF temperance reform [coercve teetotsl-
| ism to accuse prominent temperance reform
| era total-abstinence man, and as pure and
| upright citizen as the country contains-of
both these crimes because he dared to pro-
mulge what he believes to be the most eifec-
| tive method of curing drunkenness.
| Again, it is the fact that save in one or two
| New England States where there is no pre-
| dominance of foreigners with an imported
taste for beer, prohibition of fermented liquors
is impossible. In the light of such fact, such
suggestion as that made by DIR. Crosby does
not warrant the storm that has been raised
about it, 1t is at least worthy of considera-
| tion it at least demands respect and debate
| The proposition and not the motives of him
| who offers it is up for consideration. Is it
better to have half loaf than no bread? Can
half loaf be secured? These are the questions
that should occupy the attention and secure
the verdict of the religious press. Dr. Crosby
himself is not on the table for butchering dis
| section.