Rutland weekly herald. [volume] (Rutland, Vt.) 1859-1877, 1867-04-25

TEMPERANCE OVATION TO SENATOR
WusoN.-The temperance men of Boston
gave a public reception to Senator Will
son, in fremont Temple, Monday even
ing, in honor of his recent successful ef-
forts at Washington in their cause. The
audience was large and enthusiastic.
William B. Spooner began dull speech,
but was compelled to cut it short by
unpleasant demonstrations of impatience
from the crowd, and the Senator was
then received with great applause, and
delivered q stirring speech. He was
very emphatic in his support of prohi-
bition and against license and expressed
strong confidence that the prohibitory
law of Massachusetts will be sustained
and enforced. In sllusion to the recent
temperance movement in Congress, he
| said
"Let me say to you, sir, that claim
no honor for that. That is not the first
| congressional temperance society in
our history. Many years ago Congress.
sional temperance society was organized,
but it soon died. In the language Of
! Gov. Briggs, it held the pledge in one
hand and a bottle of wine in the other,
and it died OF drunkenness. There was
organized, at the time Of the Washing
ton movement, another Congressional
temperance society, embracing nearly all
the first members of the two houses, in
spired by the devotion Of Gov. Briggs,
whose name will ever be cherished by
the christian people OF Massachusetts,,
(Applause.) That society tlourished for
a time. and then went the way of the
other: not by intOXiCatiOn, but by indif.
ference. For fifteen or twenty years
there has been no such organization, tut
at the last session Of Congress we Orga.
nized a Congressional temperance soci.
ety. composed of some OF our aNlest
truest and best men and L thank God
tonight that it lives in the strength Of
its purpose and its power. Applause.
And Judging from the words that come
to us from all parts of the country, il
has contributed something to advance
the holy cause of temperance through
ont the land. | say to you tonight
what | believe to be true, that there il
no city of the Union where there are, II
nronortion to the numbers, more true
earnest and devoted temperance meL
than in the city OF Washington. Gap
nIauseN There are tonight over siz
thousand members of temperance or
oanizatiOns in that city. applause.
And such men as Gen. Howard, zap
plause.l one of our noblest, bravest ant
best. are giving their influence to ad
vance the cause. More than 700 liquo
ehons have been closed In that city, no
nv law but starved out by he people
f (spnlause,) and there are hundreds o
other LIQUOR shops tonight that are elk
ing ont a merely precarous existence
Onr temperance friends there, in tn
t nride and strength of power, are abou
9 ssking Congress to abandon the licens
Q law and establish law of prohibition
I,oud applause.) They have licens
law, and they have had enough OF ii
(Applause.) They know that a llcens
2 law does not shut up ram shops, ant
q thew hone the law of prohibition will
lam a Yankee, and on my native sol
On I have a right to guess, daughter
u and Guess that they will get prohib
y itorv law in Washington before they &c
8 license law in Massachusetts. Ire
|, nawed laughter and applsuse,) The
let me say to you, ladies and gentlemen
. tonight, for your encouragement-Ior
9 Know that it will be sncoursgemens
t vou"tbst from sill portions of tbs Ian
/ tber. comes up to Washington the inte
d ligencs that there has not, for the las
y sftss. or twsaty years. ssss 80 deep 3