Missionary Societies—Temperance Societies.
By William C. White
Perhaps there is no class of people that has so little use for the ordinary Temperance Societies as do the Seventh-day Adventists. Incorporated, as the principles of temperance are, into the fundamental doctrines of their belief, drunkenness is not found in their midst, and separated by their principles of Christianity from the social and frivolous gatherings instituted to maintain the popularity of these Temperance Societies, they sometimes lose their active interest in the missionary part of the temperance cause, being content that they have gained a great blessing themselves, but forgetting their duty to impress upon others the benefits and necessities of Christian Temperance. The various Temperance Societies are engaged in fighting a great and damning evil, but they often come short of their great object because they do not strike at the very root of the evil. While they spend all their force upon the monster, Alcohol, they allow the use of tobacco, tea, coffee, and other stimulants that create a perverted appetite,335which is the root from which the love of drink is oftenest grown. The first principle of temperance is to discard all stimulants. A society is needed to strike at the root of the matter, to crush the egg from which the demon monster is to hatch. The true temperance reformer will discard those poisonous substances which encourage the love for liquor, and will do all he can to lead others to discard them. Such a temperance worker every Adventist should be, and such a society for the promotion of temperance every one of our Missionary Societies should be. Perhaps no part of our country is worse cursed with intemperance than California. The land flows in wine and the poisoning compounds under that name. The evil is increasing, and we are doing little or nothing to stop it. Who will arouse and take hold of the work. The cause of Christian Temperance is like a right arm to the Third Angel's Message. Thousands might be reached upon the subjects of Temperance and Health Reform, that would not listen to other points of our faith, and we ask our Tract Societies if this is not the proper place to begin. We have carefully prepared tracts to assist in this work. Dr. J. H. Kellogg has spent several months in the best libraries of Philadelphia and New York gathering important facts, the best of which he now presents with his clear, concise style of argument, in a series of Temperance Tracts, under such titles as, Alcohol, What it is; True Temperance; Wine and the Bible, etc. Full as they are of startling truth, they are written in such a peculiarly captivating style, that even a drunkard will read them. These may be made a great power in the temperance cause. What say, brethren? Shall we add this branch to the work of our Tract and Missionary Society? W. C. WHITE,
Member of the Cal. T. and M. Society.