The Monitor., 1884-06-06
South Amboy.

South Amboy
Possibly outside of the great cities of the
state there is no spot within its precincts
where temperance is needed more and prac-
ticed less. The population is one which in
its masses is only temporary, and this is al
ways against the morals of temperance. The
migratory spirit is always in favor of alcohol
1t is difficult, If not impossible, to say why
this should be so butso it certainly is. It
may be the fact that solid and permanent
people feels more deeply the evil of intoxi-
cants as disintegrating element, and there
fore opposes them. Persons who have no
tangible interest in place, who have no prop
erty to suffer, are less likely to care for the
interests by which property is made secure
than their opposites. Besides, one does not
care as much for the reputation which may be
established, if only short residence is antici-
pated, as is cared when that residence is to ex-
tend over the years, and consequently allows
an indulgence which would not be permitted
if the years were attached to his stay. An in
cident which the writer once beheld here,
where man who was intoxicated flung his
wife, who was also intoxicated, into the street
from high porch, would not likely have hap
pened if the man had expected to spend his life
In the town. The rum-shops of which there
are over hundred would not have the full
support which is given them if this migra-
tory practice was abandoned A large part
of the interest of the town is railroad interest,
and the railway interest of the Pennsylvania
company has latterly exerted itself strongly
in the personality of temperance. Col iBucka-
lew, representing not only his own personal
desire, but the sentiment of Mr.. jackson, the
general superintendent, and both represent
ing the general policy of the company, would
be only too glad to put away the evil, but
the evil is too great for even that great com.
pany, and laughs at all its efforts to put it
down. The Pennsylvania company, at loss
of $3.50, 900 per annum, refused to rent its Jer-
sey City property for the sale of intoxicants,
and we presume the same policy would be
carried out here, but the property which can
be rented is here in plenty and the saloons
flourish. Still the grip of the company is get
ting stronger on this subject as its intelli-
gence as to its effects increases. There are
no sharper eyes in New Jersey than those to
whom the railway interests of that company
are intrusted. Mr.. Roberts, Frank Thom-
son, Mr.. Pugh, Gen. Sewell, Mr. jackson and
Col. Buckalew look at things in the distance
as though they were near, and calculate the
effect of intemperance upon property and in
dustry by the disorder and lawlessness it in
troduces and perpetuates. No man under
stands better than these men the fact that the
security OF railway property, as we'll as the
safety OF railway locomotion, depends more
certainly upon the maintenance of order
through temperance than upon anything else.
The writer, as the vice president of the tenn
perance interests in this state, has kept, and
is keeping the fact steadily in view that the
railway interest, SO naturally and so largely
potential in legislation, will, fully, in the
end be thoroughly exerted in the cause of the
prohibition of the liquor traffic in the state.
Short travel, as the railroads are able to fur
nish it in inexpensive forms, is now among
the national amusements of the American peo-
pie; and while Sunday excursion may carry
large number of the rougher populace to
unlimited indulgence, yet the people who
will have money to go, and go often, will be
the people whose earnings have not been
swallowed up in rum.
There are no temperance organizations at
work efficiently here. The Women's Chris
tian Temperance Union would do what is in
its power, but there is little they can do. The
churches almost alone have the work to do,
and they are too few in membership to ac-
comphsh largely what is to be done. Still the
force and the power is there and is utilized
as far as it can be. The writer spent the last
Sabbath in May in the town, in the Method
ist Episcopal church, under the pastorate of
Rev. Mr.. Post who not only put his pulpit at
his disposal but the hospitality of his home
also, and no family knows how to do this
with clearer sense of welcome to the guest
than Mr.. and Mrs. Post He is thoroughly
in harmony with the sentiments of the Alli-
ance, and does what is possible both from pull
pit and in pastoral intercourse to advance the
"cause," bringing to it the influence of a high
personal character and the experience of life
spent in the oversight of churches and dis
tricts. The agent preached on the franchise,
as the only effectual destructive of the bust
ness, and was rewarded at times by hearty
amens, with no opposing sign, and on the
whole had good time in the chu1 ch at South
Amboy. VICE PRESIDENT.
These are some of the results of the explor-
ing expedition conducted by M. Alphonse
Milne Edwards at the instance of the French
government, in the Atlantic ocean, on board
the I'0lisman. They were communicated at
&c AZ C,,o