prayer, and often to read a select portion of Scrip

ture.

One great design of the Order is to reclaim inebriates; and to throw all the safeguards we can around our members. Every meeting night the question is asked-"Has any brother violated his pledge ?" If any member knows of a brother who has violated his pledge, he is bound to report him to the Division, or pay a fine of $1 for his neglect. A strict watch is thus kept over members, and, as a violation of the pledge results in the exclusion of a member, a strong motive is thus presented for fidelity.

"Love Purity and Fidelity" is the motto of the Order of the Sons of Temperance. Love to God and universal love to mankind is inculcated; purity of purpose to carry out the great objects for which the institution was founded; and fidelity to all our obligations.

Temperance and Benevolence are also two great principles of our Order.

Truth, Virtue and Honor are also principles which should ever adorn the character of a Son of Temperance.

These are some of the principles which the Son of Temperance should observe and reduce to practice.

To remind the Son of Temperance of the principles of the Order, and to impress them on his mind, certain emblems have been adopted. The Red, the White, and the Blue, are the colors of the Order worn on the Regalia, and are symbols of Love, Purity, and Fidelity.

"The formation and existence of the Order of the Sons of Temperance is now a part of the history of the nineteenth century; the eyes of the world are directed towards it. By its friends it is regarded as the strongest and mightiest lever ever yet employed in the great Temperance Reform. By its enemies it is viewed with trembling and awe, lest in its triumphal progress, they, their miserable prejudices, and the traffic in alcoholic beverages, shall all be crushed as stubble into the very earth. In view of these capabilities, let us originate and carry out some combined plan of operation, by which every sister town, city, and state in this great Union, shall at one and the same time rise and declare in the fulness of a ripe determination,-that we will not any longer be laden against our wills with a burden so weighty, a curse so deadly, an epidemic so fatal, putrescent, and nauseous, as is Intemperence. Let us do this unflinchingly; and by such an exhibition of our moral and mental strength, the triumphs of Temperance will be gloriously and effectively hastened."

CHAPTER XIV.

Sons of Temperance.

OBJECTIONS REFUTED.

VARIOUS objections are raised against the Sons of Temperance, the principal part of which it is believed originate from mistaken views of the nature and design of the organization. I have no doubt many good men are sincere in their objections, and think they discover great evils in the system. Any good system will suffer no injury from a careful scrutiny into the principles on which it is based.

A lady, who had been for many years a great lover and diligent reader of the Bible, lately borrowed of a friend "Faber's Difficulties of Infidelity;" and on returning the book, she said, "Doctor, I love my Bible more than ever." I have no doubt but that we, after examining every objection, shall see cause to love our Order better!

1. It has been made an objection to the Order, that it has thrown difficulties in the way of the further efforts of the temperance reformers under the old organizations; and it is insinuated that the Sons of Temperance, as such, are bound to stand aloof from all participation with efforts in other departments of the great Temperance enterprise.

It is almost unnecessary for me to say, that this

objection cannot be maintained in truth against the Order. That particular individuals in the Order might desire to abridge the privileges of members, in the way just indicated, is possible; but this is not the spirit of the fraternity. On the contrary, the reception of one into the Order of the Sons of Temperance, so far from being intended to prohibit active co-operation in any plan that may seem calculated to advance the common cause of Total Abstinence, and add to its true votaries, will be found to facilitate and encourage such co-operation. A true Son of Temperance will stand ready with heart and hand, to assist in reclaiming all the victims of intemperance that come within his influence, whether they become Sons of Temperance or not; and he will rejoice in the success of all wise efforts to promote the temper

ance cause.

The Sons of Temperance feel that they are indebted for their prosperity in no small degree to that noble band of pioneers in the temperance cause, who spent years in diffusing light and truth upon this subject, in the face of rude and violent prejudice and opposition-amid peculiar trials and discouragements-but who, nerved by a strong sense of duty, persevered in their great work, and prepared the way for the brilliant achievements of the Washingtonian movement—and, eɣentually, of the Order of the Sons of Temperance; and they feel that a great work is yet to be accomplished by the old organizations. There are diversities of gifts and different modes of action-but the same spirit. The National Division, at its fourth annual session fur

nishes the following decisive testimony in reference to the very point now under consideration. It says "The Sons of Temperance sympathize deeply with every other effort to promote this cause, and entertain no feelings of jealousy or hostility towards the other great departments of the temperance enterprise. On the contrary, the National Division desire, and urge upon all the members of the Order, to take a prominent part in the out-door or public efforts to advance the principles of total abstinence from all intoxicating drinks. They believe that united action will thus greatly promote the universal triumph of Temperance, Benevolence, and Brotherly Love." (Report on the state of the Order, p. 45 of Journal of Fourth Session of the National Division.)

2. A second objection to the Order is, that oaths or pledges are taken by members when they are admitted. In reply to this, I would say, that not a single oath is administered to a Son of Temperance; and before he pledges his word of honor as a man, he is assured, by the presiding officer and others, that nothing will be demanded of him which will conflict with his duty and liberty as a man-that there will be no interference with his political or religious opinions, be they what they may.

3. Another objection to our Order is, that we are selfish in our charities, and that assistance is afforded only to members. In a word, a man must pay for our charity in order to obtain it.Must a man pay for our This we deny. That

But, I ask, is this true? charity in order to obtain it? our members-and of all beneficial institutions—are