The Morristown gazette. [volume] (Morristown, Tenn.) 1867-1920, 1883-01-17

The following appeared in the cd
itorial column of HE GAZETTE last
week:
s.The temperance department re
Gently added 10 The GAZETTE. I'M
der the supervision of the Morris
town Lodge of Good Templars, with
Prof Geo. III. Cox a. editor, IL prov
ing an acceptable and pleasing tea-
ture. We are glad to note the in
terest aud activity that prevails
among a majority of our best citi
zens in regard to the great evil of
intemperance. No considerable per
son should complain Of the efforts oi
temperance people doing all in their
power 10 curtail the consumption OF
liquor in view of its consequences
They may, possibly, become super
Jealous and say and DO many fool
ish and indiscreet things, as, no
doubt they do. nevertheless they
mean we'll and are engaged ia the
prosecution of much needed work.
When we see SO many excellent
families brought down TO poverty
and destitution and 80 many prom
ising young men hopelessly ruined
bv intemperance, il Is certainly time
for "A vigorous effort 10 check It's
ravages. Something must be done
and done nj onc~. Liquor Is doing
immense damage throughout the
land We all know il and all feel
il. many to their sorrow and most
poignant grief Let Us, then, en-
courage every movement calculated
to neutralize its bad effects.
There are one or two things IN
the above of which we wish to speak.
First. lac says, They may, possibly,
become superzealous and say and do
many foolish and indiscrcet things,
as no doubt they do." Now just
such i IN all great retOrmatory
movements. Many mistakes are
made. many false steps taken, much
~uprrzealousucss. ami in conse-
gueucc. much said and done that Is
foolish and indiscreet and which,
Tor the time. binders the cause. But
such are not the standards by which
to Judge of any movement. We
must look To the object aimed at,
the desired end, and see if that Is
commendabIc.-benefcial, leSiti-
mate. RIGHr for all and to all; and II
50, then, like true men and wOmer )
rally around the standard and bat
tie for the right even if some "su-
psrzealous" advocate does "dO many
foolish and indiscreet things. That
much has been said and done in the
Temperance movement that would
have been better unsaid and undone
no one will question; that Temper
ance people have made many mis-
takes we freely admit and deplore;
but looking beyond all these, we
hold that the object aimed at, the
desired end, is commendabl bene-
fetal, legitimate, RIGHT for all and
To all, and hence is deserving of the
active support of every true man
and woman i'm our town.
Again he says, "When we see so
many excellent families brought
down TO poverty and restitution and
so many promising young men
hopelessly ruined by intemperance,
it is certainly time for a vigorous ef-
fort to check its ravages." Now,
right here, is the main point. We
all see and know the terrible effects
of intemperanee; no argument ever
has or ever can be made In Its IA
vor; not one single blessing ever
came to one single person from 1t,
or ever can nothing are its fruits
but degradation and vice, unhaPpi-
ness and misery, blasted homes and
broken hearts here, and hereafter
no heaven but an endless hell, and
vet we suffer il 10 go on in our midst
unchecked, and many good people
stand aloof and lend mo helping
hand in staying the dreadful curse.
Why is this2 Should it continue so7
II every man and woman in Morris
tOwp, who are TSpPorases people