Lewistown gazette. [volume] (Lewistown, Pa.) 1843-1944, 1867-03-06
M I s . 4 IL a N Y.
SPEECH OF
GGV. JOHN w. GEARY.

On Assuming the Duties Of President of
the State Temperance Convention.
Governor Geary OF accepting the posi-
ton of Temporary President of the Tenn
perance Convention, held at Harrisburg,
on Tuesday of last week, delivered the fol-
lowing well timed address:
Ladies and gentlemen ofthe Convention:
Fellow citizens: | rise not for the purpose
of addressing you ut length on this occa-
sion. | Will not insult the distinguished
and brilliant minds around me, by at
tempting to address you unprepared. But
as you have seen proper TO select me as
your temporary presiding officer, I rise
more to thank you than make speech.
When | look upon this assemblage and
contemplate its object, many thoughts
rush upon my mind. | see here minis
ters of the Gospe', members of the legal
profession, intellectual men-tutors OF the
popular mind, from every section of the
State, and | am happy to greetyou. Shall
we inquire why You have come here? 1t
has certainly been for no selfish Object
Some noble impulse has doubtless guided
you, and [ feel that our cause is truly
noble one.
You come not with arms and martial
weapons. You come in time of peace to
set a grand example for the young men of
the country. You come in the cause of
temperance. (Applause.) You do not
propose to gain your object by forcibIe
means, but to snatch our brethren from
the dangers that surround them and that
by reason and example.
Why, my friends, we have just passed
through five years Of war. Several humid
red thousand of our friends have laid down
their lives, and hundreds Of thousands are
MANNED for life. They met the foe in the
field and conquered him, and we now per-
ceive q vast army engaged in another war
fare. More than half Il million of our fell
loW-cOuntrYmen are engaged i'll 1T, and
the enemies they are fighting are them
selves. Now, we have come here to-day
to rescue them from so baleful fight-to
aid and assist them against the fell de-
stroyer King Alcohol. Applause. y
Whey we see so many Of our fellow citi-
Zens daily going down to a grave as igno-
bic as it is horrible, it is noble impulse
which prompts us to rescue them from
themselves.
We are daily doing our duty to our
manned and crippled braves and devising
plans for their maintenance and comfort,
but those gallant men would gladly see
their friends and protectors distributing a
portion of their sympathies and attentions
among the millions who are injuring
their health, prospects and reputation by
the excessive use Of liquor.
What is it that fills our asylums! What
is it that fills our prisons? Our aims
houses? Intemperance! Three-fourths
of the inmates OF our institutions for fee
ble-minded children owe their sad condi-
ton to inebriate parents, thus verifying
the Divine sentence, saying that the sins
of the father shall be visited upon the
children.
For my part, do not deserve much
credit for being temperance man. l have
been temperate from my youth up. ZAP
plause.) In all my life [ think | have
never used, medicine or otherwise, quart
in all, of spirituous liquors. Cheers. }
When a boy ] saw the effects of drunken
ness. At seven years | resolved that |
never would be a drunkard, and / never
have been one. [ never acquired an ap-
petite for drinking; but | have a heart
full of sympathy and compassion for those
who do drink.
| will tell you more: Having passed
through very exciting scenes and periods
in my life, l have been able to 90 through
an extended experience without even an
apparent necessity for an alcoholic stimu-
lus. (Applause.) Called to govern a large
and wild district upon the Pacific coast, /
found no necessity there for the use of ar
dent spirits. / passed through the war of
Mexico and of the Rebellion without it.
/ was nominated land you will pardon me
for this personal digression) to fill the gu
bernatorial chair of the keystone State;
but did not, thank God buy my nomi-
nation by giving men that which destroys
the body and soul. (Cheers.) Though
the canvass was exciting it was conducted
on temperance principles, strict and pure,
and at my Inauguration, am happy to
say no whiskey was used. (Cheers.) A