Staunton spectator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1896, 1885-02-04
ZEAL VS.. FANATICISM.

Zeal, in any cause, is an important fac
tor in reaching successful results and not
unfrequently peculiar circumstances justify
extraordinary efforts. But when this zeal
runs into "fanaticism, thinking people
will take but little stock in the movement
which carries with it impracticable theo-
ries and unnecessary side issues. We are
fully aware that no little difficulty presents
itself, when we attempt to draw line OF
distinction. Opposing interests too fire.
quently brand each other as fanatics"
without just cause. All this has but little
weight with intelligent people, so long as
the question at issue is confined within the
limits of legitimate discussion. But when
other questions are dragged in, foreign to
the one sought to be maintained, then we
confess there seems grounds upon which to
base the charges made. This applies more
particularly to those seeking to advance
the cause of temperance. Honest and sin
cere in their endeavors, they have accom-
plished much good, and are still accom-
pllshlng good; but is this success to be en-
dangered by "impracticable theories?" We
have the temperance question dragged into
politics; we have woman's suffrage dis
cussed in this connection; and last, but
not least, not a few honest advocates OF the
cause are making the use Of tobacco an is
sue in connection with temperance. Look
at the fallacy of this? Tobacco never
robbed man of character, manhood, or
integrity; it never filed Jail or an aims
house; it never led pure life into vice, nor
blackened a pure heart " it'll shame; it never
filed the land with wailing, nor its house
hold with want; it never caused suicide or
murder, and what possible connection can
it have with intemperance that does all
this; and why the necessity Of bringing it
into the temperance cause at all? The
great London divine, Mr.. Sturgeon, once
declared boldly that if anybody could show
him in the Bible the command, "Thou
shalt not smoke" he was ready to keep it.
81 find," he said, in famous discourse,
'ten commandments. and it is as much as I
can do to keep them, and I've no desire to
make them eleven or twelve. | wish to say,
that Pm not ashamed of anything what
ever that do, and 1 don't feel that smok-
ing makes me ashamed" The tobacco
habit is unnecessary and expensive, and
for this reason we would say to young men,
don't commence its use. At the same time,
it is not of sufficient consequence for tenn
perance men to make it an issue, driving
away other men who are DESTROYS of seeing
intemperance driven from the land. Any
cause, to meet with success, must be dis
cussed upon its own merits, and stand or
fall upon these merits alone. We are liv-
ing in the nineteenth century, and it is of
| the utmost Importance, in a great moral
undertaking, that only sound and truthful
arguments be used We hear the argument
advanced that the Bible, in approving or
condemning wine, is speaking of two diff
ferent kinds of wine, and that it never sane
tions the use of any wine except that
which is free from all alcoholic properties
1t must be squarely owned that the claim
has not commanded general assent, though
| there have been, and still are, eminent
men who have thought the claim proved.
Still, there is mass of evidence accumu-
lated against it, from the testimony of mis-
sionaries in eastern lands, from ancient
classical writings, and from more careful
collation. of the Scriptures, which compels
the conviction that the plea is not made
out. A learned Doctor of Divinity says
on this point:
Moreover, it is clearly and for many
reasons unwise to rest so important mat
ter as the duty of total abstinence on the
issue Of an argument, which, to say the
least, is involved in any great doubt, and
an argument too which can be adequately
tested only by the patient researches of the
scholar in his study, and which is little
adapted to use before public assembly, or
in conversation with the average man.
Such men must accept the authority of
scholars, and until scholars are more agreed
concerning the theory in question, it is
visa to be ready to answer the plea that
the Bible encourages us to use wine, with
some other argument than the doubtful
claim that the wine the Scripture approves
was an unfermented wine"
The opposition is vigorous and will fight
hard, and any weak weapons which may
be employed will, in time, react with most
baleful power on the cause they were in
tended to serve. Don't bring in matters
of minor Importance and of but little con-
sequence, but discuss the matter solely upon
its own merits, and the Jealous advocates
of the cause will not lay themselves open
to the charge of 'fanaticism.
| We are led to these reflections from the
fact, that number of the papers Of this
State, irrespective of party affiliations, are
discussing this question editorially, show
| ing conclusively that the matter is taking
hold upon the people We might quote ad
intfnitum from our exchanges, but from
two journals will suffice to show the drift
of public opinion. The Allegheny Sentinel
| says:
1--WE are PrOhlbl tlOnlStS on a business
platform, not on fanatical grounds, so great
has become this evil that the people are
being aroused on the subject, and we may
expect a great work"
| The Marion Patriot and Herald says:
"There seems to be great and constant
ly growing revulsion against whiskey
drinking throughout the whole country.
This sentiment is destined to be much
greater, and there is no telling where it
will end.''
DYNAMITE IN NEW YoRK.-The attempt
Saturday night, to blow up dry goods store
in New York with dynamite enforces, as
the Bait. San says, the necessity for prompt
legislation against a new form of crime
which has hitherto not heen brought home
to us in This country. The explosion in
| New York is attributed to discharged en-
ployes who have been seeking to enforce the
demands of the Clerks Union, and who
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