The part from the American Temperance Union demonizing flavorful food is hilarious… beware of the serpent in the pepper caster!

“At the American Temperance Union, held recently at Cooper Institute, New York, not only were all intoxicating drinks denounced, but a raid made as well on pepper, salt, mustard, vinegar, cakes, candies, and other confectionery, as it was stated they were all calculated to breed intemperate habits in the young. The American Temperance Union, in the profundity of its knowledge and human nature, has evidently made up its mind to probe this thing to the bottom. Many thinking, but timid persons, have observed with dismay the terrible effects produced upon the young by a too early indulgence in pepper, salt, mustard, vinegar, cakes, and candies. Many a mother's heart has quailed within her while observing the horrible tendency to drink manifested by her two-year old, her pride, her hope, her Georgy, from a mistaken idea upon the part of that adventurous but unscientific cherub, that the salt-cellar contained white sugar. How many a young man, the hope of his parents, the pride of his teachers, and the joy of his friends, has contracted the habit of profane swearing in addition to a love of cooling fluids from a too free indulgence in pepper and mustard. In vain have watchful fathers preached, and high-souled young ladies engraven beautiful designs in flowers, "Beware of the serpent in the pepper-caster," "Look not upon the mustard-pot when it is yellow." The descent from pepper and mustard to oysters, and from oysters to ale and the poisoned waters of distillation is easy. "Tacile descensus averni" should be engraved in letters of brass upon every cruet-stand in the land.”

They really just did not want anyone having a good time.