Press and daily Dakotaian. (Yankton, Dakota Territory [S.D.]) 1880-1889, 1886-12-10
survey of ,he Field.

popularity, entitled aDeacon
Giles distillery," for which he paid a
for his courage of a month in
prison. So the temperance bali began
to roll. Temperance societies multiplied.
The first pledge was most liberal to
drinkers of lntoxicants, requiring abb
.stinance from rum, gin, and brandy.
These abstainers might drink wine to
or become supplied by
beer; yet with this liberal margin
this infant movement towards reform
met with q most determined resistance.
The cry was raised by it's enemies, "The
church and state united"-Liberty and
individual rights. invaded. pAfew min
listers and fewer pen holders came to the
front to combat this growing vice.
The church said of such ministers
that they would ruin their influence
with sinners, for few would be the
sinners they would win otthe cause of
Jesus when they refused the social
glass with them. This beginning was
followed by the Washingtenian move
ment in Baltimore, Nd, about the year
1910. This movement aimed Of the
reformation OF drunkards, and for atime
the new phase of temperance spread like
wild fire through the United States, but
died out as s%uddonlly as rapidly spread,
having no root in themselves. Thus
when temptation made its appeal their
good resolutions failed them. Follow
ing this movement came numbers of
secret orders devoted to the expulsion
of this vice. Brilliant colors of the
regalia, orders and degrees had o charm
for o time, bat tie novelty soon tired
and these organizations became careless.
of their mission. The Sons of Temper
anoe led the way,iD this new path of
reform followed by Recabites, Good
Templers, Temple of Honor. Johnadabs,
40. These institutions SOON conEnea
their labors to naught but a social club
or mutual admiration societies and
the drinking class multiplied rather
than lessened. More yenderg of intex;-
Giants, more %drunknrds, more pauperism
and more crime. As time progressed the
liquor traffic become more and more ex-
acting until it became q we'll drilled and
thoroughly organized body from the
highest official to the rank and
file. The recent liquor dealers
convention held at Chicago
speaks out with no equivocal
meaning. The spirit OF the resolutions
of the body plainly shows what they
think and the line of policy they intend
to pursue. One of these resolutions
shows unutterable opposition to prohi-
bition. Another demands for the liquor
traffic a place with other trades, aud
claims for the business all just and
reasonable protection. Another sug-.
gesss the necessity Of united political
action where legislation is directed to
the destruction of the liquor business.
These distillers, brewers and wholesale
and retail vendors seem to imagine that
their business is friendly to public
morals and in harmony with temperance
and good order. Their gross mistake
bot confirms the written revelation that
wicked men wax worse and worse, be-
coming harder, darker and deader as
they go on towards the pit of doom,
whitening as they descend. So temper
workers can see what fearful odds
they have to contend with in this field
OF reform. To this organized opposition
may be added prohibition as q positive
factor in American politics; the ciamor
OF drink calling for more frequent and
moreiheroic potations. Last, and far from
being least, the appeal to the pocket.
All these and, more are confronting the
worker IN temperance to-day. The
price OF success ID eternal vigilance. We
have no time to throw away on uncertain
experiments, no beating tho air; strokes,
every stroke to be telling one; each
worker to do allhe can, use up his entire
material for the cause Of humanity. The
day before the battle OF Waterloo,
wellington called his generals together
for 8 council of a He said: "Gentle-
men, you ses some hard pounding is to
done and we shall zee who will pound
the longest So there should be con-
tinu0us strokes, without iutermission.
Line upon line and preceptgupon pre-
.ceptshere a little and there . little.
Sleepless vigilance required, but while
40 sleep the enemy comes and sows
tares in the field. Let us make q strong
pull, a long pull, and q pull all together
and the victory will be ours. d. B. N.
Yankton, Deo, 9th, 1886.