The Middlebury register and Addison County journal. [volume] (Middlebury, Vt.) 1883-1885, 1883-04-20

! :
These figures cannot be fully inter.
preted, but in many respects their
story is plain and terribly emphatic.
They tel us of steady gain in con-
sumption, amounting in the last four
years to siXty-one per cent.-at least
three times the gain in population, and
that distilled liquors, contrary to the
frequent assertion, are in no manner
superseded by malt liquors. Counting
our population at 53,000,0 900, the aver
age for every man, woman and child,
is nearly tTelce gallons.
Behind these figures is q growing
army more destructive than the Goths
that sacked old Rome. 1t eats out the
beauty and strength of the land like
the locusts of Egypt; it riots in the
destruction of homes beauty and
peace; it assails the safety of the State,
the existence of schools and churches:
it is deaf to the cries of helpless in
fancy and innocent childhood; it mocks
the despair of broken-hearted wives
and mothers, and in its track are
paupers with life blighted, assassina-
tions, suicides, goals packed and glib
bets multiplied and doing duty.
Such the spectacle to all who see it.
What shall be done about it?
The timid, the Indifferent, the guilty
participants and coadjutors, those
whose delicate tastes recoil from con-
tact with life's real tragedy and degra-
dation, say "Do nothing"
What shall they say who love God
and their fellow-men, who pray as we
are to-day invited to do, for the "bless-
ings of health and plenty, the preser-
walton of all our religious, educational
and charitable institutions" and do
their best to answer their own prayers;
who believe that God helps those who
help themselves; who rightly read the
history of every reform, and who hear
the Master saying, Take We away the
stone from the sepulchre," and "inas-
much as We have done it unto the least
of these, my brethren, we have done it
unto me-"
They say, and their number is large
and increasing, these woes of human
ity are self-inficted, and human hands
must put them away. What ought to
be done a be done. They do not
wait for public sentiment. They say,
as did DIR. Noble, of Chicago, in IA re-
cent sermon "What kind of atti-
tude is that for a true and earnest
man to take in the presence of aneeded
moral reform? Paul did not wait for
public sentiment to support him in
preaching the gospel. He went to
work and made public sentiment.
Richard Golden did not wait for pub
lie sentiment to be well defined and
clamorous before he began his agita-
ton for corn law repeal; he set out
solitary and alone, and winning
John Bright and a few able
men to his side. he ira
versed the land planning, speaking,
agitating. lie created a public senti-
ment before which Sir Robert Peel and
the whole Tory party We're only as SC
much chaff before the wind. The
heroic Garibaldi did not wait; he said
clearly what ought to be done to re.
deem italy from the thraldom of the
Pope and make it a nation among
nations, and he threw himself into the
breach and led the way to victory
Neal Dow did not wait for public sen.
timent to support him in his demand
for prohibition. Month after month
year after year, he and his faithful co
workers wrought at the business Of
making public sentiment, and they die
it. Public sentiment does not make
itself. Public sentiment does not move
forward of itself. When there is (;
vigorous public sentiment upon any
question of morals it is because some
body has taken an advanced position
and educated and drawn the people III
to it,"
But let not this quotation, however
true and eloquent, mislead. The Cob
dens, Garibaldis and Bows do not viii
the battles. The rank and file do tn,
work. And what we need in this TEN
perance cause is wise diligence anC
fidelity among the rank and file, ever,
man rightly Informed and alway.
active.
Again, in every great campaign, tC
be successful, there must be some line
of procedure as a keynote to all tha'
is done. Every battlefield has some
key to the whole position, that, Sc
curely held, the issue is equally Sc
cure.
1t is certainly an important ques.