The Corvallis gazette. [volume] (Corvallis, Or.) 1862-1899, 1885-02-13
AN ADDRESS
To the People of the United States.

The following address is furnished u
with a request for its publication, by th'
elHeers of the National League who ar
Daniel Dorch ester. ofsBoston, President
Albert H. Plumb, Of Boston, Recording
Secretary. Mrs. ]. Ellen Foster, of Clin
ton, Iowa, General Secretary. SJoseph b
Weeks, of Pittsburg, Pa. Treasurer.
''Impressed with deep conviction that
an urgent extingency bas arisen in the
| history OF the Temperance Cause, a large
number of persons insall parts of the LAND
have expressed the opinion that new or
ganization of the temperance forces should
be effected ON broad basis, to converse
and give direction to this important reform.
For this purpose, after extensive consulta-
tiOn, meeting was held in Boston, Jan.
l, 1885, ut which "a National League,
mon partisan and non-sectarian,) for the
suppression of the Liquor Traffic." was or
ganized, under whose direction we now ad
dress the public.
| A great contest is upon us. A dire and
barbarous foe seeks to throttle the Republic
and no weak, doubtful or one-sided measures
will suffice The times call for combina-
ton, on a broad basis of unity.
History abounds i'll instances of the
usurpation and tyranny of oigarchies which
were overthrown only by the uprising of the
people. A formidable Institution, familiar
ly called the Liquor Traffic, exerts lomi-
nant, deadly influence in American Society.
Its tyrannizing power is felt i'll politics and
legislation, in courts and juries, in trade
and finance, in literature and science, in
schcols and colleges, in social and religious
life. An oligarchy of nearly two hundred
Thousand mel, engaged in the sale of in
toxicants, presume to claim the RESPONSE
bilities and privileges of government over
fifty millions of people. How far it has
succeeded in exercising It's fatal sway is
only too paipable in the evidences of wretch
edness, crime ami ruin all around us.
Only a united movement of the people
can overthrow this malignant despotsm
TO combine, SO far as possible, ali present
efforts, ahd to create new agencies for de
IN ctI SbItSIy lIOIl G1S evils WHICH nave
proved inseparable from the trade of in
toxlcants, this National League has been
forned.s It members do not think it wise
to commit the organization to any political
party, to form new one. AS matter
of history, they remember that olioarchies
are usually ovetthrew'n by the people, and
nos by divided parGizan action. The mem-
bers of this League therefore do not favor
entangiins this reform with partizan afilia-
ti"ns. They believe their purpose will be
soonest and best secured by keeping 1t clear
of all such embarassments 's
The work Of this League must be largely
to create and intensity public sentiment,
seeking to build it mp from the bottom line
of true reform. Intelligent convictions in
the hearts of the people, with Gods bless
ing. afford the only true basis on which de
hverance from the alcohol curse can be
reasonably expected. go produce, strength
en- and enliven such convictions will be Il
large part of our work. The needed legis-
latinn and e:fJryea.en5 ot law viii surely
follow. inhii: sent iner5 soon shows it.
self IN LEGISLATION .md administrator. We
Propose to i'aild Sha ry@a.:,;.!. npv from the
areZ, hnt from She in:.<c
This League ii invoices An | expects to
maint,in the sanction OF law. iii what they
are Wiling to caii q crusade against this
great organized evil Sc, much dreaded IN the
land tn dealers in liquors ask that they
may be left to the same laws which govern
other trades. But when q man sells all
article the use of which takes away tile
judg.neu5'"f him who buys. he mnst not
expect T., be leftto the Laws which govern
other tradesman. for the State nluat~ inter
posHs and insist npon protecting those who
are TINS nlrle unable to protect themselves |
Is it said t.,at a common llsinsss and |
common peril uhite9 The dealers sin liquors
with bonA which ,kes sl2e they will |
act ole: t''Te propose ta, unite against
them a hundred times as many men and
women, who believe that the liquor traffic
brings grevious calamities to the land We
shall use every pra'lent aud right method
TO carry out our purpose, and ask all good
people, men md women. of all parties and
creetis, to jolnins In such endeavors.