Worcester daily spy. [volume] (Worcester [Mass.]) 1850-1888, 1857-05-23

Temperance Convention.

| perance IN Worcester County, at the City Hall,
yesterday, called to confer together in relation
to more thorough organization of the temper
ance forces in the county,"
The Convention was called to order at ten
o'clock, A. NJ i, by Rev. J. G. Adams of this city,
and prayer offered by Rev. Rlanation Davis
of Fitohburg
committee If three was then chosen to re-
tire and select list of permanent officers for the
Convention, who reported, for President, Rev.
Elnathan Davis of Ftchburg; for Vice Presidents,
Rev J. 6. Adams, Rev. T. w Higginson of
Worcester, Rev. DIR. Allen of Northboro', R. NJ.
GoOdnow of Oxford, Capt Caldwell of Worcester,
and A. &. Hill of Harvard
The following gentlemen were chosen a COM
mittee on business Rev. j. 6. Adams, Rev. T.
W. Hgginson, and Rev. George Bushnell of
Worcester; Mr.. Parkhurst of Milford and Rev.
Edwin Thompson Of Walpole.
Mr.gWood of Milford made report for Milford,
giving fatIering account o the progress of the
cause in that town, as the result of executing the
liquor law.
Rev. Mr.. Webster of Hopknton spoke in ref
erence to the prospects of the temperance reform
in his town.
That veteran in the cause, Peter Sinclair of
Scotland, was then introduced, and spoke in an
earnest and effective manner, in favor of prohibit
tory legislation, favor the cause of temperance
claiming that it had worked we'll where efforts had
been made to carry it into effect not only in this
| country, but in Great Britain He counselled
| persistence in all efforts to put down the liqnor
traffic, by law, until success should crown our ex.
| ertions, which would be at no distant day. He
instanced the return of New YORK to a system
of licensing, as no evidence of retrogade move
ment, because in that State the original advo-
Gates of the excise law which if executed would
from its stringency go great way towards gem
eral suppression of the traffic. are doing all they
can to oppose its execution, and have already
raised a fund of 100000 to contest it.
In conclusion, Mr.. Sinclair said we had met not
only to take counsel together in convention, but
to resolve to go to work at home, and carry out
our own protested principles
Rev. Mr.. Adams, from the Business Commit
tee, then reported the following resolutions,
which were read and laid on the table for discus
sion:
ResoUed, That the past history of the temperance
cause, and of all other great moral Efforts teaches us
that real permanent depend upon deeper
and more practical feeling vi personal responsibility, and
individual exerton
RssoiUed, That have reason thank God for the
encouragement afforded in the history of the temper.
ance cause, and especially that prohbory legislation
has been sustained by courts and has illustrated
its power for good, wherever it has been fully used,
ReSofUed, That having now law which places in our
hands the means of SURPRISING the open traffic. it
Is the duty Of all friends of order virtue, and humanity
to see that it is enforced.
ReSotved, That while thus express continued
faa inhe law and the necessity of its USE believed
that special demands made for the revival moral
insrumenalities, and for efforts to educate the young
tee. ''E '''' "''''1'1'' anu pi"0
RESOLVED That the increase of drinking habits among
the young the melancholy fact in the present condition
Of cause and is the subject towards which especial
attention and eifoIt should be directed
Rescued, That to the permanent advancement
Of the temperance it is essential that the social
wne-drnking eustoms Of people should be dispensed
with not only because OF the wrong of these but
on the ancient apostolic ground-tIf mt at cause my
brother to cHend, will eat no more while the world
standeth y
Rev George Trask of Fitchburg made some
extended remarks, in reference to thatpa of the
resolutions which relates to the education of the
young, counselling thorough training, in bring
ing them up, against every kind of improper in
dulgenco, including tobacco, &C., as well as in
toxcating drinks. He said we might legislate,
till time be more, on intemperance, but we
could have no success, unless we take more radi
cal ground.
Mr. Trask here introduced to the notice of the
audience his g comprehensive pledge promising
"total abstinence from the use of all intoxicating
drinks, from the use of tobacco in all its forms,
and from profane swearing &c.
The manner in which the cause of temperance
has been generally advocated, thus far, he com.
pared to cutting off the tops of old trees, &c.
nv RI of AT;lford ,,oJa fo,r.
going in for union and effort, for the sake of the
cause, in the county. He illustrated his idea OF
the manner in which the cause should be advanced,
by introducing a homely smile on the hoeing of
corn. &c. His suggestions were well received
Mr.. Weston of Boston introduced resolution
on the duty of temperance men to sustain a tenn
perance press, as the organ of the temperance re-
form, and as such he introduced to the notice of
the meeting the Boston Temperance Visitor,
weekly paper, the fourth number of which is Just
issued and Of which himself was agent
Rev. Mr.. Adams favored the idea of the last
speaker. He was in favor of having the resolu.
tons freely and thoroughly discussed, and for that
reason wished to hear from some of the delega-
tons from abroad
Rev. Mr. Thompson of Walpole said what we
wanted was good temperance organization in
the county. Mr. Thompson went on to show
from statistics, the progress made towards the
suppression of intemperance and crime, in yari-
GUS sections of the State, by the enforcement of
the liquor law, and counselled more thorough
persistence for still better results, which he
thought would naturally ensue from proper ex-
ertions. There was, he said, no place where the
law has been carried out, where crime and drunk
enness have not diminished in proportion.
After few further remarks from Rev. Mr.. Ad-
ANS and George NJ. Rice, Esq, the Convention
adjourned to meet at Mechanics Hall, in the az
ternoon, with the children.
Chiidren's Festival,
In the afternoon, the children Of the several