The state rights democrat. [volume] (Albany, Linn County, Oregon) 1865-1900, 1898-06-10
Ton, Reed ON Temperance.

ii Representatives, has written an article
IN temperance for the New York World.
We publish few extracts from it iust
because OF the famous author: |
We can have little conception 10 our |
day Of the univsrsality Of drinking before |
the fifteenth century. Since thai time
the word has slowly but surely changed.
There have been epochs Of hard drink
ing. when, in the time Of Pits and Dun
dss the gentleman soaked himself In
port from in the afternoon until 10 at
night. when Irish society was reeking
with that thirst for liquor which pulled
down some OF Irelsnd's greatest intsllscts
and wrought the ruin of no less man
than John Philpot Curran.
As Lecky describes Il in one Of those
books of his, which broaden every man
who reads. aud makes men think 1t the
power Of thinking is stili in them, there
happened about the fifteenth century
what 10 known a. the introduction OF
hot drinks into Europe--she advent of
tea and coffee.
Il doea not seem to me that hot dr,nks
were the cause Of the partial cessation OF
the use Of intoxicants, but that the zen.
eral Improvement Of the world. which
LecKy himself 90 well describes, the
slowly rising tide Of which browns out
the bad by quiss progress which al
meet escapes our observation. MADE the
evils Of hard drinking more clear 10 the
world and created the demand for the
substituted. However that may Be-. the
world was very glad Of sHythiug which
led away from headaches and exhaustive
reaction. Nevsrthsless progress was
Glow and temperance, even In its mosi
limited form was Alow in making its
progress in all nations. But is has made
tremendous progreas-progress which
We can zee If ws take many yea-s inse
account.
a little more than half . century asc
hardly any obligations Of hospitality
was deemed half fulfilled unless seasoned
by the social glass. and no guest val
thought 10 have bssn welcomed unlss.
he partook. Drunksness was not thought
to be discredis II moderately indnlgst
in. Even the clsrzy were not exempt
from appreciation Of the cup which inc
briates 40 we'll - cheers. Going back 9
century further when the ministers mel
together aad behaved badly. one Of sheiI
class gave Il the title Of ''foFsesting de
ccrum!" OF eourse Il 10 not 90 sasy y
sss the progress from day to day. fo'
there are some signs Of rstrogrsssioa-
signs only, hut not rsalitiss. But 1t ~
bear in mind what 10 really fundamsnia
principle, We shall zee thas the use o.
iliquor in Gil its iorma 10 isssenins day b
day and pear By year.
Most of the argauents in favor Of th'
las Of prohibition and regulation OF th'
law Of alcoholic traffic assnms thai mai
has grown beetsr beosase OF the pazssa
diseontinusncs Of the uss Of alcohol
whereas men hsvs ceased 70 abuse lqno'
becsuss they have become better them
selves. The growth Of the peop.s u
.ntellisencs has caused them TO thros
away the senssssas supports on vhisl
they leaned In times Of darkness.
Not ooly has growth in intslligsne
helped 20 do this work, but the inProv
cd phya.cal eondition Of mansind hs
had iss share in the advance.
Wherever lie n hardest the tsmPts
ton to oblivion 10 sharpest.
No people know that batter than th
/ people of the United States, for the eel
tlemeat and growth OF this country "a
in the nature Of . forlorn hope from th
itime of the Pilgrims in Masssehusstt
land the Cavaliers In Virginia down :
Klondiks and the advsntureTs In the fro
zen regions Of Alaska. From early day
our faith iu our futu.s wac sublime
Sublime, however % our faith was, on
realization has outranksd our dreams
| I: ia true that the increasing knoWl
edge and the increasing comforts Of tn
world are really what drive out iess. o
a. least lessen them and inculcats viz
tues, CT at least increase them. But q
the other hand, one Of the grestest help
70 knowledge 10 discussion and even sx
hortaiion. They breed knowledge sn'
sift error from truth. They sslp TO In
crease public sentiment. Indeed in con
nection with real facts they create is.
Laws also help In Temperance 40 wsl
a. in all other things, but laws are ot n
use except when they record public tesl
ing. Thsy are Of use only when pabli
sentiment is bshind thsm. There hav
besn many laws passed by the ssssss q
these who favored them which hss
besn injurious 10 the very cause they d
sired further. When the public min
has been made up, and has slowly an
naturally crystsllized lie belief into stas
futss, those ststutes have great power
for determination 10 thereby invigorsts
and opposition ehamsd. From all thss
things II 10 fair 20 conclude from what v
can zee in the past Of the increase q
tsmpsrancs. O past which cannot bs con
Itrovertsd, that the Same progrsss 10 %
ing on. and wider knowledge and sounds
eense srs DUNG their work. II laws as
eontinusliy improving, public ssntimsn
coutinuslly incfsasing In one direction