Rhode Island American, Statesman And Providence Gazette

[Communicated.]

Mr. Editor.—In your paper of Friday some very just remarks appeared under the editorial head, reprobating the exclusive sectarian character of the American Temperance Society.—As a citizen of Massachusetts, I am grieved to find men in any sect among us, so narrowly exclusive, as to seek to confine the great work of temperance to the orthodox, and still more grieved am I, that a Society, formed upon this illiberal platform and assuming the name of the American Temperance Society, should have sent out its Missionaries into all the land, and gathered contributions for the spread of temperance from all people, without distinction of sect, and yet not have disclosed to the public its true sectarian character, thus adding the fraud of deception, to the intolerance of bigotry.

But what is my astonishment to find, that the Hon. Marcus Morton, the Jackson candidate for Governor, presides over this misnamed Society, and stands at the head of a petition, presented to the Legislature of Massachusetts at its last session, praying for an act to incorporate this Society. That Legislature, not having learnt that the orthodox or any other sect had any title or just claim to be considered the exclusive patrons and friends of temperance, and having no greater respect for an aristocracy in religion or temperance than in politics, wisely refused to grant the prayer of the petition. It is a fact deserving the notice of the electors of Massachusetts, that this petition of Marcus Morton and others was presented to the Legislature, within a brief space after the nomination of Mr. Morton for Governor was announced. If the true character of this Society had not happened to have been discovered, when an act of incorporation had nearly passed through all its stages, Mr. Morton would have stood before the people as the great and liberal patron of temperance, and hundreds of auxiliary temperance Societies throughout the State, would have been solicited to lend their influence to his election. Even now the friends of temperance are invoked to strengthen the hands of the great Reformer, by giving him their votes. But while the electors of Massachusetts will not withhold their votes from any candidate for office, merely because he is Orthodox, Unitarian or Universalist, Baptist or Methodist, they will never give their votes to any sectarian, who acts and would have others act, upon the bigoted belief, that all the true and trusty friends of temperance are to be found among the orthodox only, or in any other single sect—or who seeks in any way to check the reform of intemperance by giving it an exclusive sectarian character.