Rutland weekly herald. [volume] (Rutland, Vt.) 1859-1877, 1869-04-29
Temuerance Lecture.


Mills before the Ladies Temperance So
ciety of Rutland. We regret that we
cannot publish the entire discourse, as the
lecture was an able production, delivered
in Mr. Ms happiest manner, and produced
a very marked effect upon the large
audience who listened to its burning
words. We give as lengthy an abstract
az the crowded state of our columns will
admit of, with consciousness that we
are but feebly rejecting the occasion and
the effort of the speaker
Mr.. Mills being introduced, said We
live in an age Of progress, progress IN
science, in religion, in art and in social
reform. More improvements have been
made in the lart fifty years, than III 3oO
years previous to that time.
The people, previous to the last NIFTY
years, were strangers 10 the improvements
Of the age. Fifty years ago steam was
not nubDrdinate 10 tho uhes of man the
ocean wa not plpwcd with steamers;
the sewing machine, the cotton gin and
power loom were not invented the light
ming was uniamcd and had not been har-
messed TO the wire 10 carry the messages
Of man But all - changed now, and
these things are all fxcd realities Of life
A. in art, 40 has science progressed. Sci
entitic men travel among the stars, count
their numbers, give their names, and
weigh them in the balances OF science.
They 90 into the bowels Of the earth, and
from the record OF the rocks tell w the
-,
tive periods Education has covered the
land with its common schools, and to-day
ignorance Is a crime.
In politics great advances have been
made Fifty years ago there were no
laws protecting the working man from
the avariee of capital, and the laborer was
at the mercy of capital In religion still
greater progress has been made. Fifty
years ago. except the little Moravian
Church, no christian church had mission
aries in foreign lands Now every chris
1iun denomination has its missionaries Ill
every country where u heather remains
To be converted In social and moral re-
form. and especially in temperance, great
advances have been made: within the last
30 wears, to the knowledge of the speaker,
the question has been much agitated. The
The Wa~hingtonians, Conventions, and
varies secret societies, have kept the sub
ect agitated in every community. The
subject has been legi-lated upon, but still
the ravages of intemperance are more
fearful to-day. There is no evil so great
as that of intemperance The speaker
here dweit at length upon the evils of in
Temperance, and recounted the many places
where in mis- own experience he had seen its
ravages, and went on to say that the demon
was no respcctor OF persons,
bur seized the working man, the brilliant
intellect. the promising youth. and even
Young ladies' That four ffths of all the
in all our States were made
such iii consequence of using Intoxicating
liquors that tour-tifths of the inmates of
our poor-hou.es and aims houses were
brought there through the use of intoxic-
ating liquors, and that vast amount of
all the poverty in the world was result
of the sam. cause. Our land Is the rich
est aud mest prosperous Of any, and i,
capable Of thn highest development, and
there need not he poor man In the whole
country except through the knavery and
dishonesty OF capitalist, or the effects of
and still multitudes of
families are reduced To poverty through
Sometimes church members complain
Of tile amount asked, for religious and
purposes, >ill all the money
ever spent bg christians throughout the
world fnr religious and benevolent pur-
poses i not tquIl to the sums spent for
liquor III our country alone i'll single
year
Now in this crisis. in view of the evils
'e~ultiug from incompetence, what is our
luty Ia the view of the speaker, list.
t is the duty OF every man and woman to
.bstaiD from the use OF intoxicating
thinks ~ a beverage
Many raises objections t. signing the
temperance pledge, a. il j. signing away
heir liberty but 1t l. no more a signing
away Of liberty than 10 promise to do no
,ther wrong. Man has no right to do a
wrong he has no liberty to commit evil,
md it Is no infringement of his liberty 10
.bstnin from wrong. 1t is the duty OF
very man aud woman to sign the total
lbstinanoe pledge.
And the more respectable a person Is.
he more necess ty for him to sign the
)ledge Responsibility adds to the re-
respectable people in this town keep and
lse their wine, as long as this is 30 we
must expect the ravages of intemperance
II our midst Respectable people must
bstain entirely from all liquors as
leverage, or their influence is in favor OF
nteInperance instead of against it. 1t is
mt Il very short time since | have heard
he remark by business man in Rutland
hat there are many mothers III Rutland
Who would rather drink little wine oc-
asionally than to save their sons. Until
hat is changed we must have drunkards.
ret every man and woman determined
ot to touch, taste or handle intoxicating
liquors at all.
2d. 1t it the duty OF every man and
-oman 10 give active cooperation to the
.nperance cause. And this Is particu-
,rly so in regard to christians. Church
lembers often act like passengers III a
abroad ear, who buy their ticket and
Ike their seats to be carried through
} everlasting bliss An active cooper
ton must be had or no person
of any value as rcfJrmer.
Vhtn the alarm of fire rings out III the
light. he who looks around his own
reInises and finding no fire or smoke,
les his head on his pillow in thankful
ess again, Is of no benefit to society. To
lake himself OF benefit on that occasion,
e must seek to preserve his neighbor-'
roperty as well as to see that his own is
ite.
The Temperance question must have
pnstaut remorseless agitation. The pub
c sentiment of the people must be ac
We. The Prohibitory Law cannot ac-
)mplish any good without its enforce
tent, and it cannot be enforced unless it
sustained by an active public sentiment.
cannot be reformed by yitu-
Grafton. You must enforce the law
gainst the rum-dealer, as against the
lief and the murderer. Be not harsh |
nd abusive; treat all men kindly, but |
lforce the law.
The Prohibitory law is the only law
'hich will do good. 4 license law can
OF be OF any public benefit. We may as
ell try to reform all crime nv lieepsino I