The Brookhaven leader., 1884-01-31
Outlook OF the Temperance Cause.

Notwithstanding the back-sets which
the Temperance cause has met with in
the way of legislation and in the en-
forcement of existing laws designed to
check the evils of intemperance, the
eau e is making rapid progress, more
rapid in some quarters than ever before.
And the advance is in the most desira-
bic form. the growth of personal and
and public sentiment in favor of absti-
nence among the most influential
classes of society. Even politicians are
no longer afraid to advocate Temper
ance principles or to act upon them.
Although recognizing the change, we
confess to some surprise in reading the
following statement in the Washington
correspondence of the Springfield
(Mass.) RepuJlicap:
There has been a very great and
very noticeable change here within a
few years 10 another respect, and it may
be partially due to the increase of busi-
ness representation here or to the de-
mands that business makes. This
change is in the use of alcoholic liquors.
A striking illustration of it was to be
noticed during the canvass for the
Speakership. Not a single glass OF
liquor was set out by any of the candi-
dates. | did not see single member
OF Congress under the influence of liquor
during that canvass, nor have | since.
The bar-keepers and the hotel proprie-
tors say that the decrease in bar
tippling is so great as seriously to cur
tail receipts. The three leading candi-
dates for Speaker used to use stimulants
sometimes to excess. Two of them are
now total abstaincrs and have been for
some years, while the third only uses
wine in moderate quantity at his din
ner. L can count a dozen Senators who
used to tipple who have not drunk q
drop in two years, and there is not
Senator, with perhaps an exception or
two, vino is not prudent and most tenn
perate in the use of liquor. Nearly
all of them do not touch anything
except light wine at dinner. 1t Is
so in the House. 1t is so with most of
the public men. There has grown upa
sentiment that man is fool who uses
liquor immoderately. and that he is
better off without any of it. Three
years ago l saw one of the most brilliant
members of the Senate staggering drunk
in front of Wizards Hotel. The other
day l saw that he left his champagne
untouched at % dinner. Said he: i
haven't touched alcohol in any form for
three years. l woke up one morning
realizing that pretty much all the Tenn
perance lecturers have said was true,
and simply said to myself that have
had enough. And I have. I have
never seen the time from that day to
this that have not felt a repugnancc
for liquor Garland, the learned law
yer from Arkansas, is teetotaler. Said
he: Il was passing by the cemetery
near my home one day, and I saw the
graves of a dozen brilliant men who be-
gan life with me, every one of them
fastened to his end by whisky. 1 made
up my mind that bad drunk my share.
and stopped In the social entertain
ments here less and less wine is used,
and the number of guests who refuse it
is constantly increasing. In the old
days a man used to fire up with rum
before he started off in speech, and
politics and rum used to mix well. But
now a days men who used to disdain
business are finding enjoyment in it. and
they seem to have learned that it re-
quires cool head, and thai there is far
more enjoyment in developing success
fully an enterprise than there is in
getting drunk, or in picking in whisky"
To the same effect the New York
Times says: 1.-The bar-keepers in the
National capital are discouraged at the
prospects of the retail liquor business.
Most of the Congressman appear to
have ceased drinking anything what
ever. and those members of the Senate
who have not already 'sworn Off in
tend to take the pledge on New Years
Day, 1884. IN Y Observer.