The bases of the temperance reform: an exposition and appeal./ With replies to numerous objections. By Rev. Dawson Burns.

Objection froii " Extrcmeniess."
ventional fears and fetters will not be dissuaded by any
cry of " extreme" from inquiring into its justice or error.
It is palpably clear that the simple negative of what is
worthless or injurious cannot be "an extreme" in any
objectionable sense. But total abstinence is the negative
of intemperance, and, on this account, entitled to the
highest credit; and it is the negative of any use or sanction of the liquors by which intemperance is produced,
and by which, before intemperance arises, damage is done
to the interests of society. If, then, it be an extreme in
this respect, it is not a measure in excess of what is fit,
discreet, and good. It is no accusation against a man
that he is extremely wise; nor against a woman that she
is extremely chaste; nor-against any one, that he keeps
extremely distant from what is worthless and charged
with peril. The total abstainer may be extremely sober,
but sobriety admits of no excess; and if his principle is
one that would render intemperance impossible, and
would, in a thousand other ways, benefit the world, to
call it "extreme" is to pass upon it the compliment of
being extrenmey effcacious in preventing evil and in conferring good. The venerable maxims which warn against
extremes, and recommend the middle as the safest course,
can have no application against a measure which, if
adopted, would make mankind extremely safe and happy.
The physician is never blamed because he enables his
patient to make an extremely rapid and complete recovery; nor would he be admired if he left the invalid half-way
between prostration and health. To make these maxims
applicable to total abstinence, it should be shown that it
is followed by evils as severe and afflictive as those of
intemperance; whereas, every recession from intemperance is a good, and "moderate drinking," when most
moderate, derives its advantage over intemperance from
the fact of its closer approximation to the abstinence
standpoint. To speak, as some do, of' temperance"
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