The New England Magazine, Volume 1, No. 1, January 1886: Bay State Monthly, Volume 4, No. 1, January, 1886Various
History
The New England Magazine, Volume 1, No. 1, January 1886: Bay State Monthly, Volume 4, No. 1, January, 1886
Various
New England -- Periodicals
The prohibitionists of New England find it difficult to understand why
Georgia, with the immense quota of ignorance in its voting population,
has been able to abolish legal rum-drinking, a thing which has not yet
been found possible--notwithstanding the supposed reign of a more widely
diffused intelligence--in the greater part of New England. An
explanation of the fact is to be found in the homogeneity of the
Georgian population, due to the vast preponderance of native born
elements (there being only ten thousand five hundred persons of foreign
birth in 1880), and to the popular condition affecting public sentiment
in Georgia and her sister States. Among these influences may be noted
that of the clergy, who reach the greater part of the population, white
and black, through the churches in whose membership it is enrolled; the
fact that, owing to the comparative non-use of wines and beers, the
question is simply that of rum or no rum; and the added circumstance
that the evils of intemperance are there greatly aggravated by the
character of the whiskey almost universally used, it being an
unrectified form of the article, and accompanied by the most dangerous
and destructive results to individuals and to society. Among these
results may be mentioned the often repeated instances of lawlessness and
bloodshed, and the growing demoralization of the colored workingmen,
which reacts injuriously upon every industry.
Against conditions like these, there can be found in almost any
community in the land, in the aggregate, an opposing majority. In New
England this majority is largely powerless, because swallowed up in the
opposing votes of political parties. In Georgia it has succeeded,
because it has separated the liquor question from all other political
considerations and made it a separate issue, upon which men vote neither
as Democrats nor Republicans, but as well meaning, and ably directed
men, who are marshalled against a great social evil.
New England temperance advocates have difficulties to contend with,
growing out of the foreign born elements in our midst, which do not
exist at the South; but it may be well for them to consider the question
of adopting the Georgian method of sticking to the temperance issue as a
distinct question, instead of dragging it into general politics, where
the temperance element loses in strength by a division upon other
questions.
* * * * *
We find in the _Pall Mall Gazette_ suggestions intended for the eyes of
English matrons, but which may be equally commended to the attention of
American mothers, relating to the establishment of "housekeeping
schools" after the pattern of those in Germany.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
Reviews
Reviews
No reviews yet
Be the first to share your thoughts on this work.
Elsewhere in the archive
Join the Discussion
Join the discussion
Sign in to leave a comment or review.
Sign InorCreate an account