The Dorset County Express and Agricultural Gazette.
Dorchester, Dorset, England, 1883-05-01 00:00:00

THE TEMPER,

IOPORT.

The United Temparance Council of this town held I
• public tore log of some int-rut on the evening of
Friday, when the Temp.ar Hall was well filled. Mr.
R. G. White presi el,and was supp mted by Mrs. A.
Revnolds (the Mayoress). Mrs. W. J. Bain, Messrs.
B. Farr, J. Travers, E. iaichardle W. 11 t1t0,,, G.
Sudden, and J. S. Horsey. The Bev. M. Francis,
Mime G. Steph no, nod many other earnest advocat •
of the temperanoe cause were preen*, the hall being
well filled.
The proceedings opened with prayer and the sing-
ing of • temp ranoe anthem. when
The CHAIRMAN! remarked that this conneil had
recently taken and -r it' wing the various temperance
societlee of the town ; a deal of work bad been done,
but there was room for • deal noire, and he was sure
then ,uncil intended to do it.
Mr.. RITNOLDH, the secretary, then read the report
of proems for the put year. An amalgamation of
the whole of the tempersac.• societies had telt.m place,
branches had been formed, an I earioua maetings
add3eascd by delegates, kc., cal been well attended.
Th-rs were now 15 members of a immitte., with a
[geoid •nt and two secretaries, and meetings had been
held monthly; no lees than 300 pledge' had been
taken. The financial statement .h iwed that at the
bank there was ell Is. 7d. besides 16s. bid. in the
hands of the treaurers Mrs. Reynolds earnestly
advocated the claims of this council, trusting that
yet more work would be a comidished daring the
ensuing year.
Mr. G. BODDRIC, addressing the meeting as • work-
ing man, remaikel that when the use of intoxicants
was di-pseud with, something wit be taken in
their place, and he was amoral that there was far
more good in • cup of cocoa than in a glans of beer.
He believe I the Bible taught temp rance, ant he took
his stand upon that.
; Mr. J. THAVIIIS, who nut spoke. relate i his
beneficial experimms since he had dispensed with the
we of aloobolic beverages. He was physic ally better
In every respect, and he earnestly invited tho e who
were drunkards or moderate drinkers to follow his

example.
Mr. E. RlCUAntss, who bad had 20 years' experience
of teetotalism, remarked that everyone c t I,A
RR Influence. We not only lived for ()unwire., brit
for the world and posterity, an I no one can 141
aware how much influence he may be naconnionely
exercising. How many parents were exercising a bad
lelitience fie believed that it wu a sneer to aU who
believed in their Bible to say that "lb. book" wee
not in favour of tmepersom. No MAD ever start 44
with the determination to become a drunkard, but the
influence of strong drink grew upon them before they
were aware of it. He hoped all would join In their
efforts to put it swim entirely.
Mrs. BAN, who was cheered, said. In a very pretty
speech, that all had work to do in this gent muse—
tte, cause of temperance—and all who had children
should be jealous of what pattern and example they
were placing before them. At Bileton—where she
formerly reelded-4 000 pledgee had been taken, and
much good bad bee i the resu t.
Mr. T. Tables remarked that the longer we lire
the momehall we see of the great efforts extended for
the putting down of this ger.t evil. The misery
tamed by the drink treffic wee universil, and he con-
sidered an excellent step would be the distribution of
temperance twit., Ac., amongst the people. He
fancied that many young men belonging to this council
left the w.,rk to be done by other., but he would
advocate all joining in the work hand in hand. He had
iserst that at dt. Ives, Oornwell, they only needed
IWO policeman to look after 1.000 people ; they had •
teetotal Mayor there—(applause)—and in two years
there was only one case of drunkenness before the
bitch, and, OAWO ,ver, none of the fishing-boats there
carried beer (Hear, heat.) He heartily wished the
&lab traffic dead.
Yr. EDWARD Fee' held that theirs was • gospel
temperance cause, and he rejoiced that it was co
Macy feared for the welfare of the revenue if the
drlak traffic cease I; but he held teetotalers were the
best supporters of the revenue, inasmuch as they midi
trade (not the drink trade) better, and their children
were not dependent on the parishes, arid there would
be lees coat of maintaining gaols and asylums.
(Applause.)
3k. W. HOLTON was firmly convinced that it was
blgh time to stamp out the traffic in drink, which had
eaused, and stiU was ceasing, a vast amount of misery
la the world, and in our own town. It would have
to be suppressed, arid the time eel not far dl-tent.
Mr. J. S. HOBBIT c 'addend that moderate
drinkers were indulging uselessly, for he was long Moos
convicted that working men ooeld do their work far
better without the all of alcohol, As for himself, he
was a teetotaler and anti.vaocinationht. He knew of
a itechabite Society wham' doctor had given up the
work became th re was none to be done. (Laueliter.)
He had himself been • pleci.md abstainer of many yOlir.l
Mending, an I although be frequently found he ettend.
anoe of a medi Imo necessary before be becams an
abstainer, he had never required • doctor since he had
given up the drink,
Mr. G. THOlt•i humorously spoke of the ad want ge
of abstinence. He had hen an container for one year
and • half, and he was n 4 ashamed of it (Hear,
bear.) He advocated the cause to which he had allied
himself, and explained the many advents me accruing
from it.
An anthem followed, terminating the proceedings
which were of an Interesting and profitable character
throughout.