The Middlebury people's press. [volume] (Middlebury, Vt.) 1841-1843, 1842-06-21
5e@upewaMee- 5e@TgG@eOGG.
-
PREPARED FOR THE VERMONT PRESS BY THE
CENTRAL COMMITTEE OF THE VERMONT
TEMPERANCE SOCIETY.

CENTRAL COMMITTEE OF THE VERMONT
TEMPERANCE SOCIETY.
THE COLD WATER ARMY
Mr.. cRosBY's LETTER.
Is the Central Committees column of las
week it was intimated that farther information
respecting the cold water army might be ex
pected Such information, it would seem, must
now be especially desirable, from the circum-
stance that the season for bringing into the field
young Soldiers as they are termed in Massa-
chusetts, has fully come; and it may be expect
ed, from the very interesting nature of the Or
ganization, that the towns all over the State
will speedily be, as some even now are, alive
with preparations and movements. Those who
attended the meeting of the State Society will
very well remember that no topic, on either
day of the session, awakened so lively an inter-
est or so feeling a discussion as this. Reason
there was for its being thus; for if the triumphs
ofthe last twenty-five years effort are to be
made complete and secure, it must be by incor-
porating them with the young mind and affec-
tons of the State-with the elements of our
future population. The danger that our habits
may spring back to their late pitch OF ruinous
indulgence cannot be considered triflng when
we reflect upon the continued and almost uni
versal dominion of alcohol over the most civil
lied nations. For our encouragement, OH the
other hand, we have the cheering fact that
good work thoroughly done among rising gen.
GRAFTON has been known, and may be again, to
| endure for centuries. Indeed we may almost
say, in the present instance, it cannot be other
wise.
/ Massachusetts has been referred to, because
that is, at present, the storehouse of experience
respecting this kind of temperance movement.
The Committee have lately received com
munication on the subject from Mr.. Nathan
Crosby, Agent of the Mass Temp. Union,-
from which they feel at liberty to make ex-
tracts, although it was not written for publca-
ton. The information it contains we arrange,
for convenience, under distinct heads.
IMPORTANCE OF THE EFFORT.
Mr.. Crosby remarks-'We did much last
year with the C. w. A., and found such signal
account in it that zoe intend to make it our
great effort this summer
THE PLAN.
Sour pan,' he continues SIS to have three or
four gentlemen and as many ladies,-or twice
as many is better,-to take charge of the army,
and meet them often as once in two
or three weeks, of Saturday afternoon, for A.
bout one hour and half. At these meetings
the great object is TO teach the children to sing
and take down their names to the pledge or
into the Roll Book. They speak dialogues,
declamations and read compositions.
Our experience proves that the songs do the
work.
! THE EFFECT.
n - Children will be so full of it as to talk
all the time about it at home between meetings
and make every nook and corner ring with
/ their songs
Temperance children come first,-but the
circle widens at every meeting, till all come,
and then we have little preachers and songsters
in every family; and the obduracy and obstina-
cy of the hardest will yield to such attacks from
such assaiIants. Let the child sing away the
bowl from morning to night about house and
the father will begin to drink at the tap, lest
the child should see him,-or behind the door,
or when children are out of the house, and
soon he will sagely conclude that his cider will
make good vinegar, and he will cut the tap off
has been wesned without hardly knowing
it. This call Singing CT der into vinegar
THE NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS. OF OBTAINING
THE SAME.
'We adopt the plan of badge and banners
for picnic and all meetings where they
march, which may be often. Our badge is a
pretty picture of cold water army, upon blue
and white ribbon. We sell at five dollars per
hundred. We are now getting up beautiful
Itan-a photographic print upon card paper-fUr
the girls
c.
the c. w. A. paper. We then put them into
little book at very low rate.-We can afford
the edition of thirty-six pages at three dollars
per hundred, in packages of five hundred. Our
banners 90 to- Connecticut, and the
prices are four ut twenty-five cents, and two al
, fifty cents each. We have adopted, and re-
commend to all others the plan of selling to
children, instead of making up purses to buy
and then give away. They all have change,
sweetmeats. Let them buy,-they will buy
fast enough,-only show them the way to OBJ
l tain.'
Thus far Mr.. Crosby. 1t remains for the
advocates and promoters of temperance to &C
upon the information herein communicated o.
!, previously possessed. To the Temperance
: Societies the work peculiarly belongs. we
trust tina; the Presidents of all such societies tt
: whom the printed circular ofthe Central Com
g mittee, dated March 10th. has come, will bav'
e taken the requisite measures already. If an,
who have not received it shall observe thi
,, !, communication we trust they will not wait to
y the circular, but go forward. 1t is, however
very desirable that the County SecretarIe
4 should forward the circulars Immediately 4
$ Not already done) as well for the reason alread