Corvallis gazette. [volume] (Corvallis, Benton County, Or.) 1900-1909, 1902-01-10
TrT CORVALLIS GAZETTE.
THE GROWTH OF TEMPERANCE.

THE GROWTH OF TEMPERANCE.
There is a prevalent opinion
that intemperance, especially in
the use of intoxicants, is rapidly
growing. In support of this view
it is asserted that the quantity of
liquors consumed is constantly
increasing. If this be true it ar
CUES that self-control governs
greater numbers than heretofore,
for it is indubitable that the NUM-
Der of inebriates has become
very much smaller. There is a
larger number of total abstainers
at present than ever before, and
among the occasional and the
habitial users of intoxicants there
is greater self-restraint and, as
consequence, much less intemper-
ance. Never before has drink
ing to excess been so disreputa-
bic as now.
Within the memory of men
yet living the use of liquor at
entertainments, weddings, funer-
ais, barn-raisings, in the harvest
fields, at sheep-washing and
shearing time was the almost uni
versal custom. Merchants served
their customers with grog. At
ter ladies had completed their
purchases they were shown to a
neatly furnished room and regal
ed with cake and wine. Dram
drinking was the rule. Ministers
of the gospel tippled and church
members became hilariously
"mellow." On first rising in
the morning men were accustom-
ed to take IAN eye OPENER" fol-
lowed by an 'appetizer" before
breakfast, then, if travelling on
horseback, "a stirrup cup" al
ways ending the day with
"night cap"
Gin mills, tippling houses,
grog shops and taverns abounded
on all sides. Rum, gin and
whiskey were sold by the penny
worth to any one. In 1921 the
mayor of Philadelphia declared
that many tippling houses and
corner groceries sold liquor by the
cents worth to children of five
years old. Through a period of
twenty or more years much effort
was put forth to stay the evils OF
intemperance, but not until
about 184o was the work of tenn
perance reform given direction
which lead to greatest permanent
good. Washingtonian total abb
stinence societies were formed in
every community and thousands
pledged themselves to life of
- total abstinence. They taught
it, exemplifed it in their lives,
and built up, in lalmost every
community, a strong and endu-
ring public sentiment in behalf
of temperance. "Self-control,"
they said, ''is commendable and
manly, but total abstinence is
safer and more efficient. eff
eating meat causeth my brother
to offend I will eat no meat while
the world standeth." This was
the spirit which animated them.
The old Washingtonian tenn
perance movement accomplished
more for real temperance reform
than all the subsequent efforts
through prohibition. 1t appealed
to the individual. 1t was pure
1y moral reformation and within
the easy grasp of every individual,
every community. 1t enlisted
the wives, the mothers, the
daughters of the land and opened
a way for their influence. Since
then women has not ceased to
WELD an active and efficient in
auence in behalf of temperance.
Not the Neal Dows, the J. B.
Coughs and Francis Murphys,
not the Carrie Nations, but the
Frances Willards and the thous-
andsss of intelligent, earnest wives,
mothers and daughters of our
land are the real temperance re-
formers. The foundation principle
of temperance as they teach and
exemplify it is total abstenance.
Prohibition is a mere, corollary,
but the cause of temperance con-
tinually gains ground.