The Dorset County Express and Agricultural Gazette.
Dorchester, Dorset, England, 1863-12-15 00:00:00

TEMPERANCE LECTURE.

On Tuesday evening • very interesting and instructive
lectors on the Temperance question was delivered in
the Townhall, Blandford, by Mr. Thomas Irving White,
of the National Temperance League, who for the last
twenty-five years has been • total abstainer, and one of
the most distinguished advocates of the muse. We
were very sorry to see but • limited attendance, more
especially ILI the way the lecturer handled his 'abject
was peculiarly of Internet to the working names. The
chair was taken by Mr. A. S. Hodges, treasurer, who,
after opining the meeting with prayer, suitably in-
trodeeed the lecturer. Mr. White, in his opening re-
marks, said that the temperance movement wes an
educational one. It warn the desire of every rational man
to acquire daily • little more information ; and time
as it rolled along contributed to the advancement
of knowledge. We learnt by experience, sad every day
was attended with common though momentous events.
Our hennas' in life was to make the most of it, and to
endeavour to turn it to good suotint. This the vicious
and the depraved could not be aid to do. The young
men of the present day had opportunities for advance-
ment in knowledge not possessed by those who lived
years gone by, and be earnestly entreated thole present
not to let such opportunities pass away without im-
proving them. We heard a great deal about people
bung risk, for his part he considered that man rich who
had • good Are in his house, which he had paid
for, and who bad a good coat on his beck,
which he could call his own. The working man could
by provident habits pay for what he required; but if
he wee improvident, and inside use of what be had not
paid for, he we. not only injuring himself, but was also I
robbing his neighbour and society in general. The
great items for making life easy end hsppy were not
only to have money to bay what was absolutely
neonsery, but to be careful and not to spend in waste
what was required for those necessities. It was • great
mistake to suppose that money did not contribute to
happiness, that is, as • mesas to an end. The man
who by his labour earned money contributed to his
own happiness, only se far as be took care to spend that
money to the beet advantage. He who the. acted, who
paid his way, could go to his church or chapel with a
quieter conscience than he whose mind was troubled,
bantam through improvidence be bad not been
able to pay his debts He could reed his Bible
with a calm serenity of mind, and be better fitted
to understand and receive instruction from its sacred
YZ:than if disturbed by harassing thoughts
it might be truly said that the working classes as
a body were more improvident than the rich, for
whereas the rich might squander their money by
hundreds, they had larger fortunes to fall back upon ;
but the poor man had only hls daily awnings. The
working man ought to know how to spend his money.
He ought not to lay it out on what he could do without.
As temperance reformers they were persuaded (and it
had been proved over and over again) that the money
, spent at a public-house nee wasted. If any one could
convince the advocates of teetotalism that the lkieor
bought at such planes was good for the head, the heart,
or tllO mind, then they might be disposed to concede the
point. As illostratini this part of his subject the
lecturer pve an instance of two brothers who at the
same time entered, as jonroeymen, a ootton mill at
Maachtder—one of whom by frugality and carendmies
oared up • little money, and was so respected by his
employer that he was first &avenged to he bookkeeper,
then overseer, and ultimately bads Marsh' the badness;
whilst bla brother, who spent all his sander in prod=
and waste, and frequenting the public-house 00
day nights, remained In the same position as when he
cetera. Debt, said the lecturer, is the great danger
to the working sm.. fl.e receives his money weekly,
down on the nail ; but from week to week he goes on
contrasting debts at the wooers', bakers', or butchers.
Now, if he was to be careful and save as mash money
In one week is to be able to pay for his mode as be
had them he would not only save eseelderebly, bat
would be able to command the bede article ai the
lowest market rate. But suppose that when the week's
goods are dile something mean to preveat him paying
and be goo on contracting further debta, and is charged
at the rate of 15 to 30 per cent more. There was another
advantage connected with a working man paying ready-
money. —(and there were very few working men but
°wild pay reedy money if they did not waste their
wages on tobacco and beer)—end that was that if Hr. B.
gave short weight, or sold his goods too dear, our careful
friend could go to Mr. A., or to some one else. The
lecturer then more particularly Winded to the waste
eonsupoint on smoking tobacco and cigars Suppose
(he said) we reckon that three millions of the money spent
in this way was by the young male who used deers,
then there were nearly five millions left which the work •
lag oni-see spent on tobacco, an article which, except
I. • very few cases, was a positive Injury to the eon-
etitution, as might be seen from the and bagged
fair of those who indulged in it, and not &sea in the
father was sure to be seen in hit offspring. He appealed
to them to put by their pennies and half -pennies spent
on this useless and injurious ulnae, and they would be
better in health and bettei. in pocket, But though smoking
was • greet evil, the drthrr customs were worm.
Mr. Disraeli said some time ago that beer was "liquid
bread." Whoever heard tell of such an article. If
they *twitted into UN subject they would find that in •
quart of beer they weld extract first is much alcohol,
or spirits of wine, as would kill any of our domestic
animals—about lj °noose. When that wee tame away
what remained' Only • large proportion of warat.bider
and acrid to the trete, and at the bottom • very smell
proportion of glutinous matter containing sugar. This
cost, say 6d. Would any sae des, to say that this was
aped ie marialunent to lasXerporand of bed at 411., a
lie. of petatose, and the name qmatity of bread?
While bare pre mineral striking Meanest which game
atotte. own observation, of men doing
itA.er..dmetit
kinds ofs4wlthestt the sid of deist
MOM especially ail is eel it the
Peterborough, wheat, fee the pea 17 years, the men on
ogee farm bad dose their work without its aid.
The drink might make them week faster, but would
not Mimes their strength. He then related the cue
of a district In Lancashire, sailed the black country,
where I. Ave mike them Ina • popalitioa of 64,006