Ellsworth American. [volume] (Ellsworth, Me.) 1855-current, 1891-12-10
lntemperance and its Cure.

lntemperance and its Cure.
The warfare against intemperance has
grown into mighty conflict, and true
hearts all over the world must have thrill
ed with prayer of thanksgiving at the
inspiring scenes of the great National and
Worlds Convention Of white-rbboned
temperance people, congregated in Bos-
ton recently, must look with wonder,
yet loving regard, upon those grand
women, chief among whom is our noble
President. Frances f. Willard, who have
consecrated their lifelong services to the
holy cause of temperance. The motto on
the front of the great organ of fremont
Temple. Christ for the World" shows
where the reliance for strength of the or
der of the W. &. L. L. is placed and the
grand results of the seventeen years
crusade against intemperauce proves plain
ly that the mighty power OF God is up
holding the work.
Much has been done, but much yet re-
mains to be accomplished. 1t has been
ually addicted to the use of strong drink,
that intemperance causes more suffering
sorrow and misery than war famine and
pestlence combined. Two-thirds of the
crimes of this world may be traced direct
ly or indirectly to this foundation source.
II claims for its victims the aoblest and
best as well as the base and vicious. Tue
heartrending scenes of the inhuman treat
ment of devoted wives and children, W hen
their natural protectors are ruled by rum.
are too common to need repetition Then,
why, let US ask, should our American gov
eminent, otherwise so grand and noble in
its aims for the development and welfare
of its people, permit such blot upon its
fair fame: Why not enact laws stringent
enough TO prevent the manufacture of DIS
titled liquors within its Dor iers, and to
prohibit the importation Of such from
other countries!
All there are many obvious reasons,
very influential one being that many of the
legislators chosen to enact the laws are
| themselves ruled by King Alcohol, but the
principal reason is that the people as a
whole have not demanded it. DO you not
believe that II a just expression Of the will
Of our nation in regard to prohlbitory
law were taken, by just, mean the honest
counting In of the women's vote. do you
not think that such an overw helming de-
mand would thunder in the ears of Uncle
Sam as should compel him to extinguish
every distillery in the country? | do.
But, alas We have not reached to that
! point in civilization yet, though the wheels
of progress are rolling on and must sooner
! or later shake off the mud of barbarism
! which clogs its work and binders full and
| free franchise of the people. Meanwhile
wise measures are being adopted which
shall largely voice the sentiments Of our
citizens, Irrespective of sex.
| You have all heard. probably, of the
mammoth memorial petition for temper
ance legislation, whose signatures in one
| long length encrcled the interior walls of
| fremont Temple last week, which will
continue to increase in growth and be dis
| played at the Worlds Fair and whose sill
ent but potent influence will yet be felt in
the halls of Congress.
| We know that desperate diseases re-
| quire desperate remedies" that if physi-
clan finds wounded hand or limb engen-
| dering blood poison, permeating the sys-
| TEN with its destructive venom, he does
not hesitate to call in q surgeon and have
| the seat of disease removed, the offending
| member cut Oft. So with intemperance
| the only sure cure is to stop the manu-
facture of liquors. to efiectuaAy cut of the
dlstilleries and breweries, and 10 do this
| will require the united efforts of every
| temperance advocate in our land, for we
know the rum power is immense, that un-
| limited money, gained in the iniquitous
traffic, is used freely to buy license and
crush prohibition laws. yet we have the
| promise of God that in the end right shall
prevail.
| Then let us all be up and doing, the
great result would be soon achieved if
each individual town would but cleanse
its own locality. In our dear old State of
Maine, so staunch and true in its prohi-
| bition stand, We have laws sufficient to
Danish every drop of liquor, if We bnt ,ciH
| it so, and we are criminally negligent of
our duty when we fail to enforce the laws.
Do you think if every true temperance
citizen in the town of fremont had been
watchful and alert, that for q score of
| years past, boxes and barrels of liquor
would have been taken from the steamers
and express offices to be peddled out to
our Inhabitants without let or hindrance?
| Had We been less sefishly absorbed in our
| own pursuits should we have allowed cases
of liquor, ,fraudulently ordered in the names
of respectable law w-abiding citizens, to be
carted away by disreputable persons. who
by this criminal practice were earning
themselves place in the States prison for
forgery? Had we been alive to the sin of
intemperance would our merchants have
dared to sell unlimited quantities of Jamaica
ginger, that most destructive and perDi-
cious Of drugs, knowing as they no doubt
did, that it was dragging the drunkard
down still lower into the depths of degra-
dation? Had we been doing our whole
1 duty IN the years past, would it have been
possible for such acts Of lawlessness and
insult to have been perpetrated upon the
premises of one of our most upright citi-
zens, both himself and wife being worthy
of honor and respect In any community,
such acts as We know have taken place
within few months, deeds of coarse
vulgarity only equalled by city roughs.
stepped in vice and crime?
We have had Q Good Templars Lodge
in our town for several years, all honor to
it for the good work it has done, but how
many Of our temperance people have
helped to sustain its integrity Had we
been wide awake to its needs, should we
have stood alo0f and criticised its meth
DDS Of work? No. indeed we should have
hastened to its aid. and Iallying boldly,
| shoulder to shoulder with its charter MEM
bers, helped to lit the load and have made
1t such power for good, that perjured
oath would have been unknown and brok-
en- pledges an impossibility. In the grand
strength of numbers we should ere this
have built capacious temperance hall.
What support has the Juvenile Temple
had except by the few devoted women
who have perseveringly sowed the good
seed in the minds of the youthful Temp
lars, until q principal has taken root in
| their souls, which shall enable each of the
little band in the years to come. to say No
to the rum tempter's voice? May this or
der and the loyal legion just organized.
| receive such wise counsel and training as
shall make them real, live, temperance men
and women of the future. May each and
every one dare to be Q Daniel and hold
high the banner of the cross and prohibi-
| ton.
| Can there be . more solemn warning
than is contained in this sentence, "Woe
unto him who giveth his brother drink?
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