The Fremont County record. [volume] (Canon City, Colo.) 1877-18??, 1881-09-10
TEMPERANCE.

| have for sometime thouSnt OF
askinga favor of you, not for myself
solely, but for portion of the COM
munity of whom am one. 1t is ac-
knowledged by everyone that we
have q community of more than or,
dinary sober, intelligent and well
disposed people. BY looking over
Canon City aud the surrounding coun-
try we find that quite large portion
of the inhabitants are either cnris-
tian, or disposed to favor christian
~. We also find that large portion
of the people are temperate citizens
and not only deprecate intemperahce'
but look upon it with abhorrance.
We acknowledge the fact there Is
diversity of tastes and interests, ahd
yield to the rules of society that all
have rights which must he respected
and that we have interests common 10
all classes relating to education ana
common prosperity. But wish 10
ask the question; if the secular press
of Colorado is not betrayed INTO
little unfalrness publishing matters
pertaining to theaters, races ana oth-
er immoralities while they ignore
matters pertaining. to the cultivation
of Temperance and sobriety and 9TH
vate community? Now Iwould mosi
kindly and respectfully ask ii it would
not be fair to consider the wants OF q
large and respectable part of our citi-
zens and their families to ap-
propriate a small portion of the
RECORD to the cause of temperance
and kindred subjects. When we look
at the past we can hardly conceive
how it is that SO large part of the
secular press have ignored and do ig-
more these subjects. We must recog-
nize the fact that the world is NOV
ing. Europe and America are TAX
ing hold of the subject of temperance
with great energy. Many ardent and
burning hearts are longing to see the
time come when alcoholic spirits
cease to ruin mankind when fathers
shall cease to be brutes,a and men shall
cease with frenzied brain to Undue
their hands in the blood of their fcl-
lows.
Would it be too much to ask that
iaSlaps % As sSs ii snIns II ma ~s
are disposed to undervalue your pa
per, for must say think it is con-
Quoted with enterprise and ability.
L ask this simply as matter of fair
ness to respectable portion OF your
readers. Respectfully,
wo are perfectly willing to devote
such space as we can, be it one column
or more to the subject of temperance
each week, but if Mr.. Fowler or any
other advocate of that cause wishes
the RECORD to stand in the ranks OF
that army of reformers they must not
ask whether we believe in the Hebrew,
Catholic, or Protestant faith; they
must not ask whether we believe in
the divinity of Jesus Christ, the in-
spiration of the bible or not they
must not ask whether we prefer at
tending church and listening to what
they arc pleased to term the word of
God, or whether we choose to COM
mune with the Creator in some other
manner. These things we hold, have
nothing whatever to do with over
coming the evil of intemperance.
Drunkenness among the Hebrews
is almost wholly unknown. One of
the most successful and best organ
lied temperance societies is the Cath
oiic Temperance Union. If we read
Shakespeare OF Byron, Tom. Paine or
Voltaire, it need not interfere
with our full cooperation in a
temperance cause with the man who
reads his bible daily or any work up
on the subject of religion. If we
play a game of billiards or cards. at
tend theater or horse race it need
not become stumbling-5 block be-
tween us and the man who plays GRO
quct or authors, goes to church fes-
tivnls or religious love feast. If We
choose to dance while our brethren
in the cause of temperance is at
prayer meeting that choice need not
become as gulf between us. Tenn
perance men must work, not talk or
preach mere theory at slimly attended
meetings where it is q rare thing to
meet the men whom they wish to
reach. 1t is, perhaps, well enough to
hold gospel temperance meetings, but
the public in common will not be
reached through them. Something
more attractive to the man who drinks
excessively or even moderately must
be offered. A place as attractive as
the saloon must be provided for his
entertainment. Men will indulge in
what they believe is pleasure and if a
resding room for instance. is started
for their benefit 1t should be provided
with something besides mere dry
reading matter. 1t should contain
such things as card tables, cigars,
lemonade. billiard table and such
other smusoments in which men de-
light TO Indulge. There is not SO
much evil comes out of social game
ofbilliards " there does out of game
OF croquct. II It were not that the sa-
loon men own Ill tho billiard tables
end the temperance men have not