The Richmond palladium. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1855-1875, 1869-11-02
MEErlNls--sPEECHO OF
WIN. n. BICKLE.

our yorng friends who were present. for notice OF
the meeting and outline Of Mr.. BIcKLE's remarks:
Those of our citiztns who were favor
ed rs we were, on Friday evening last,
in hearing the address Of William A.
Bickle, on Temperance, will not soon
forget the thoughts advanced with such
fervid eloquence by the speaker. We
know Of no man in our community ca
pable Of exercising more influence for
good, than Mr.. Bickle-of great person
al attainments and popularity-as
public speaker. he is equaled by few
and excelled by none. We wish Mr..
B. success, and are confident he will
never regret the path he has chosen
and that both he and his hearers will be
benefited by his efforts for the advance
ment of the good cause he SO ably sup
ports. The meeting was held in Pearl
Street NJ. E. Church. Mr.. b. preceded
his address by reading Chapter Of Ho-
ly Writ, and leading the audience in
heart felt prayer-for guidance from
above. After little delay, an extern
pore Temperance choir was organized
which favored the audience with what
we should call an ''extempore Hymn
at the close of which Mr.. B. commenced
his address, and for over an hour held
unclaimed his large, attentive, and or
derby audience. Mr.. Bickle said sub
s.antially as follows:
He had come to talk Of matters in
which we are all interested. He had no
novel ideas to present, but wished to
thus publicly identify himself with
Christian people, in every department Of
their labor. and to throw his influence
for, and labor in, every Christian effort.
He recognized the Temperance Reform
as q part Of Religion, and in no other
part is there such display as in Tenn
perance. Intemperance has assumed
gigantic Importance, and enters into ev
cry department Of life. 1t demands and
receives much attention now. An evil
dence Of the spread of the Gospel, is
that people are more sensitive t, crime
and wickedness crimes formerly toll
Grated and winked at, are now being
scorned by all who make any claim to
be pure people. It is fact that we
have. all observed, that vices grow great
er and greater, until they correct them
selves by their enormity. For instance,
Slavery grew and increased in its en-
croachments, until, in it's audacity it as
sailed the life of the Nation; then the
people were compelled to arise in their
might and crush it forever. So will it
he with intemperance.
l arraign the society of the land as
being responsible in this evil! It coun-
tenances aid encourages incompetence.
The class who represent incompetence,
| is a host; but it is not the one to strike
Society is at fault. and must un dergo an
| upheaval, before the sin will be cast out.
Party-spirit rules in this land, and for
party considerations, temperance and
| all other moral objects, and even relig-
ion, are put aside. We must become
free of this partisanship, and act more
for principle.
A young man who never drinks liquor,
don't want it. Doctors create an appe-
tite, by administering liquors as .medi-
cine but they are only yielding to the
behests Of that lash,-society. Believe
me, if you could stand where 1 do and
look back, you would no more drink
liquor than you would put your hand in
the fire. 1t is poison, and damns the
best in few years. It destroys the
mind, units its victims for the duties of
life, and hurls them into early and dis
honored graves Look around GU for
| examples. lntemperance is the greatest
foe to morality; and blasphemy, de-
bauchery and all other vices follow in
its train /! Society is responsible for a
compromise with this evil practice.
There are some men who believe in a
glass or two occasionally, and we are
called upon to make concession in be-
half of their responsibility. If conces-
sions have to be made, who should make
them? We, who warn against q danger
Gus habit, or they, who give respectable
ity to wrong? Another fault of society
is in political action Our Offices are
filled.-how 7 BY men disregarding
morals and religion-by men who say
Temperance is all right-and if you
want to drink, why that's all right, too.
! This, the people must correct. You
can't, on e one hand encourage an
, evil, and on the other hand denounce it.
and expect it to dwindle away. Legs
latures are peitioned again and again,
but every time the money of the ''ring,"
induces them to sell out the rights Of
the people.
| s.In the corrupted currents Of this world,
Offences gilded hand may shove by justice;
And Oft tits seen, the wicked prize itself
Buys out the law. But It's not above 81