Year: 1875

1 have studiously avoided contro-


versy in former communications and


am well satisfied with having done


so. There are no uneasy reflections


to trouble me, as there might be if /


had been tempted in the heat of ar
gument to do injustice to q personal


opponent. My remarks have been


of an affirmative character, and there
is a consistency and continuity of
ideas in all that I have said. have


written with a wish to be useful,
hoping that some good may come
down from heaven through my cog


itations. A truth that is disregar-
ded now may take root in the mind


of some ingenious youth, and ulti-


mately be used by him as shining


light for the benefit of the human


race.


Intemperance, pernicious as it is,


is not the most baleful, general or in


terror evil of our times. ''The whole


head is sick, and the whole heart


faint" The man of to-day is full of


wounds and bruises and putrefying
sores" and his life's blood must be
purified before his evils can be re-
moved. VIII this be done? Is


good time coming? If not, why are
we taught to pray that the divine
will may be done on earth as it is in
heaven! Vain are the external
agencies which are most relied on
for this ''consummation most devout-
" to be wished"


I have noticed the interesting let
ters of ''Flora" in the News nave
been attracted by their elegance and
good sense-and have not been in
sensible to the humor which is some
times found in them. She does me
the honor to question me, and l
might sooner have replied to her
question, but it was mislaid and
only recently came to light, which
fact 1 mention by way of an excuse,
fearing that the goddess of flowers,
like other feminine deities, Will not
brook delay in the man who fails to
come to time.


Here is the question: "Do you be-
lieve that the Temperance cause
would advance faster if all the Tenn
perance associations were Dissolved,
and all the liquor laws repealed?"
This question can not be answered
in either ofits branches with SIM
pie ''yes" or ''no." Permit me, most
gracious "Flora," to answer it in my
own way, and l will endeayor not to
be tedious.


Our statutes are not at hand, and |
[ am not familiar with the liquor
laws of Ohio. In regard to only
one OF them, do I feel able to speak
lpprovingly. The Adair law was a
happy thought originally, and as
now amended it is worthy of unquali
fed appreciation. 1t must commend
itself to the good sense of every eiti-
zen, who wishes society to be pro-
tected. Other laws, that can not |
be enforced, ought never to have
been enacted, but as they are on the !
statute book, there let them stand,
if for nothing else, as permanent
witnesses of the ineficiency of State
I speak of the Adair
law, because it deserves favorable |
mention for reasons that apply to
itself, not, however, with any idea
that it can be relied on for the re
noval of intemperance, or any thor
ough reformation.


An association of inebriates, whose
object is to encourage and assist
each other, in mutual efforts at re-
can not be otherwise than
useful. The old Washingtonian socie-
y was of this character. But woe unto
it when it hardens into an aggress-
we or political party. Then it can
TALL into folly, and practical injustice,
which the individuals composing it
would not be guilty of. The PRO
hibition" party is bigoted, and filled