The Monitor. [volume] (Woodstown, N.J.) 1884-1892, 1884-03-14
HELPS AND HINDRANCES OF THE
TEMPERANCE REFORMATION
BY REV. WILLIAM wEsTFIELD, JR.
PASTOR OF THE FIRST REFORMED CHURCH, JERSEY
CITY, NEW JERSEY.


BY REV. WILLIAM wEsTFIELD, JR.
PASTOR OF THE FIRST REFORMED CHURCH, JERSEY
CITY, NEW JERSEY.
Then said he unto me, this is the curse that goeth
forth the face of the whole world.-ZECH.
5:3, first part of the verse.
There seems to be always some prominent
gigantic evil against which to wage warfare.
AS rule the evil which monopolizes public
attention is the one which needs most to be
removed. While other evils existed at the
time of the reign of slavery in our land, yet
slavery monopolzed the time and the atten-
ton of the people. That great evil was re-
moved not without struggle, not without loss,
great and deep Now other and important
evils in the midst are attracting attention.
They must as surely yield to the continued
and ever-increasing attacks made upon them
as did slavery. The evils which l refer to
have always existed; and if they had not be-
come bold, defiant, arrogant despotic, they
might have remained in our midst unin
terfered with. But, like all evil, they did not
realize that their life and prosperity depended
on their not attracting too much attention, by
their not allowing their power to become too
apparent, by their not seeming to dare public
opinion, by their not seeming to say, ''What
are you going to do about 2" The enorInity
of an evil is, in the mind of the public, in
proportion to the extent of the misery and
suffering which it entails and the probability
of it's overcoming the influences which work
for the good of humanity.
The two evils which I have especially in
mind and which are occupying public at
tention at the present time are the abuse of
the marriage relation and the liquor traffic.
Notice also that while civilization seems to
mass its forces against one particular evil or
vice, and, for the time being seems to ply lit
or M attention IN 0t blio evils yUhi1a
it masses itself against one battery alone, and
allows all the others to feel that they are at
liberty to escape, they seem to feel on their
part, that they can go right on pouring in their
hot shot and make their raids with perfect
IMMUNITY. They only need wait long enough.
Their time will come. Civilization silences
only one battery at time, but silences each
one effectually.
I would also call your attention to the
fact that every step that has been taken in
the correction, control or annihiation of
some abuse has been in proportion to the
ability of the public to grapple with it at the
time
Nothing marks the onward and upward
march of our civilization SO distinctly as the
special forms of evil against which civiliza-
tion from time to time wages war. In the
early history of the English people, effort was
made to obtain from the despotic power some
recognition of human rights Everybody oc-
cupied slavish position. The people must
secure their own liberty before they could be
expected to think of the liberty of others.
Then their idea of liberty must be improved.
At first immunity from grossest oppression
was considered wonderful step in the di-
reetion of personal rights. So we find that
the struggle was, at first to gain immunity
from the hand of oppression and to obtain
the right to govern self or to say how self
should be governed. Then came the feeling
that not only they themselves should be free
who were able to fight for their freedom, but
all should be made free, the weak as
well as the strong. The obtainment of free
dom for all was therefore the next step.
Then naturally came the next step to mark
the.onward march of civilization viz. the ex-
tirpation of evils which interfere with the
right use of the freedom obtained for and en-
joyed by the people, the removal of such
overwhelming evils as practically prevent the
ordinary mind from retaining its freedom.
Thus in one sense all the crusades which
have been entered into have been against
slavery, or those influences and powers which
practically destroy the individual ability to
truly enjoy and properly use the liberty
which has been won by man in the struggle
of the past
So liberty is the great boon. and its preserva-
ton, the great duty and work of humanity.
Anything which affects the onward pro-
gress of the human race, anything which
seems to say liberty shall be made curse
and bondage instead of blessing must be
overcome as was the despotism of the past,
as was the slavery of more recent days.
Now the liquor traffic of the present time
is really one form of the slave-power.
l have said, or implied, that the people IN
their collective capacity wage war against any
form of despotism, against anything which
takes on the form of slavery, which seems to
bind down human kind and prevent the free
use of mans powers in the development of
ideal manhood. War is being waged in the
same spirit against the form of slavery known
as intemperance, as formerly war was waged
against negro slavery The war at the present
time against the liquor power is a war in the
interests of human rights The liquor power
is despotism, slave-power. The analogy
between it aud the slavery of the past is very
striking Men who made business of sla-
very captured slaves, or bought slaves who
were captured, and lived by their labor
Those, whose business it is, employ their
time and use their means to capture men by
binding them down to drink. They enslave
them by the habit of drink, and when they
have them safely in the chains of intemper
ance they make living by them. For let it
be known that the immense number OF
places which now exist every where IN our
United States, are not supported by the oc-
casional drinker, but by the regular drinkers
who are Just as much bound to the liquor
dealer nc the slave of oldan DAYS was bOunl