The weekly Floridian. [volume] (Tallahassee, Fla.) 1867-19??, 1883-06-05

irom the ploOo OF Cnrist, the only water
Of life that God has ever given to man,
to find the elieir n,ortis The art of con-
centrating alcohol by distillation was dis
covered. Almost simultaneously the pro-
fessed followers of Jesus Christ begun to
use their gathered wealth and power for
luxuries, for wines and ardent spirits; for
more than six centuries the priests of the
church, faithful followers of the sons of
Eli, lead the world in iniquity and the
"women clothed in scarlet is drunk with
the blood of the saints"
A better day dawned-the bible, the
word of God, the light of the church, the
manual of temperance, was found. 1t was
read, searched, printed and scattered.
That it might be scattered everywhere
God gave the printing press, steam, light
ming. Its light now flashes upon every
continent and island of the globe.
Among the most earnest readers of that
word was Mr.. Wesley. With it's light in
his understanding, its spirit in his heart,
and the book in his hand, he went forth
In the name of Its Divine Author, claim
ing "the world as his parish" " to spread
scri plural holiness over the lands" Among
the items Of holiness which he practiced
and taught was temperance. Thank God
this, with the other items, has been hand
ed down as rich legacy to the Methodist
Church. Nor has the Methodist Church
despised this legacy. 1t has grown in
her midst as tree of life; her sons have
eaten of this fruit for six generations !;
they have given largely to others; they
have tasted, found it's fruit good, and have
planted seed and grown trees and given
to others the heaven-granted fruit the
churches have planted it; continents and
islands are planting it; the nations are
planting it in legislative halls, in legisla-
tive enactments, by hands of Judges !;
and now, thank God, as in Florida, the
Legislatures are giving to the people in
every community the power to plant this
fruit, to spring as roof tree to give
shelter to their children and bear fruits of
sobriety, peace, good will and prosperity
in all that is lovely and excellent
And now, rejoicing over the good for
tune granted by our last Legislature in
the enactment of local option law, we
send greetings to the friends of temper
ance throughout these United States !;
word of warning to our fellow citizens
of Florida, that we are not yet to fold
our arms and think there is no more to
be done. We must educate our people
and public sentiment to claim their rights
and sustain and enforce the laws and es-
pecially do we urge the ministers and
members of our church, which, as Metho-
dists everywhere, have been a potent fac
tor in educating Wholesome public senti-
ment, to renew their efforts and zeal till
every community and mind have been
penetrated with light which will reveal
temperance as heavenly virtue and in
temperance as the curse of our people,
homes and country.
And now we solemnly enter this indict-
ment against intemperance: 1t has taxed
the people of this land as no other tyrant
ever dared to tax them, wasting millions
that would have paid the public debts,
clothed the naked, fed the hungry, edu-
Gated the ignorant and enriched the poor.
1t has filed the poor-houses with pau
pers, jails with criminals, disgraced our
fellow-citizens and suspended them by
thousands upon the gallows.
1t has invaded our homes, corrupted
our sons, made widows of our daughters
and orphans of little children whose cries
reach to heaven.
1t has been more cruel than war, for it
has first corrupted and then destoyed,
peopling grave-yards with disgraced vic
Tins and hell with immortal souls.
We charge upon intemperance all these
evils, and call upon all who have seen and
suffered, every man, woman and child in
these broad lands, to witness before God
to the truth of these indictments
We do more. In the name of human
ity, and for the sake of Him who has suf-
fered to redeem humanity, and whose
word and whose spirit, and whose blood
have so often failed to save because intel
lect has been dethroned and the heart Of
man corrupted by this monster; yes, for
the sake Of Him and His Church, do we
cry to the God of Providence, Justice and
Love to hear us, and by His own strong
arm to Danish this curse from our homes
and from our land.
Resolued, That we again pledge our
selves to keep the general rule of the
Church forbidding drunkenness or
drinking spirituous liquors except in cases
of necessity"
2. That we approve most heartily of
the recent enactment by the Legislature
Of the Local Option Law" and hereby
express to our legislators our pleasure
and our gratitude for this timely measure
which gives to the voters in each election
district the right to refuse to have in their
midst drinking saloons and the more do
we rejoice that the measure was carried
by the good men of both political parties,
thus eliminating the issue from party pol
itics and resting the question where it be-
longs, upon the moral integrity of citizens
and Legislators.
8. That we pledge ourselves not to sign
any petition for granting license to sell
intoxicating liquors, and that we urge all
others to join us in this pledge.
4. That we hereby invite all Christian
people of all denominations, and all good
citizens throughout the State, to join with
US and by every lawful means to rid the
State of the tax, nuisance and curse of in
temperance.
S. That we hereby tender our gratitude
and express our pleasure to the editors of
our State and local papers for the words
of encouragement already given and the
help they have already afforded the cause
of temperance, and petition them, one and
all, to give US their best endeavors to
make the power of the press what it
should be both in this and every other
good cause, patent engine to lift the
people to a plane too elevated to breathe
the fumes of intemperance and too pure to
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