Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1870-06-10
N lNEBRIArEs, HOME. N
Meeting or citizens in Nashville


Meeting OF Citizens in Nashville.
We learn from the Nashville Union
and American of yesterday that meet
ing Of citizens Of that place was held on
Wednesday night to establish State In
ebriates Home, under the provisions of
charter obtained from the Legislature.
REMARKS OF DIR. BOWLING.
DR.. Bowling, on taking the chair made
some brief remarks very pertinent to
the occasion He explained the object
of the meeting to be to promote
higher civilization, inauguratiug vigor-
Gus temperance movement that was to
save class of citizens otherwise ire
vocably gone. He admitted that in an
individual instance an ounce of prevent
| i've was worth a pound of cure, but
where numbers had not been prevented
then il was the reverse There was a
class of persons upon whose physical
organizations drunkenness had deleteri-
ously operated until the mind had no
psychological power to resist Such per
sons had claims upon us and should re-
ceive our sympathy.
STATEMENT or PROFESSOR MofFIT.
Professor Motif stated that he had felt
lindisposed during the day. and was
tempted to ask to be excused, but under
| the circumstances he would venture a
few remarks He was proud to be iden-
tilted with the temperance reform. The
utterances of those who were advocating
| it were as the voice of God saying,
Prepare We the ways of the Lord; make
His paths straight" He pictured the
ldrunkard, with lettering steps, an un-
controlled will, emasculated energies,
hollow cheek, sunken eye and blistering
lips; but said that he was entitled to
protection, and that he was glad that an
| organization had been effected in Ten
nessee to reclaim such. Was it his fault
that the crimson life-tide had been dried
Iup? No! He had fallen into the exam
pies and fashions of others. Nine cases
out of every ten of those who had be-
come inebriates, the cause could be traced
to the indulgence of the social glass,
thinking all the while that he could con-
troll himself. For this class of unfor-
Inmates he claimed that it was prac-
ticable to establish method of pre-
servation in an institution of the
kind referred to. He claimed that such
| an institution would go far toward the
development of the resources of the State.
These resources, in so far as develop
ment was concerned, lay as vitality in
the bosom of the people as they do in the
bosom of the earth. He had been
traversing the State for several weeks,
and never in all his travels had he seen
so glorious country, where all the pro-
duets of the soil grew in such exuberant
profusion. In the efforts to save the vic
tins to intemperance through the me-
dunn Of an Inebriate's Home, most salu
tary influences would operate to prevent
the spreading of the evil. The remarks
of the speaker with reference to the foul
fend of drink and his victim was gush-
| ing outburst of eloquence and true ex-
| hibition of oratory. We regret that
want of space prevents the full use of the
copious notes we had made Of the adj
mirable address. He closed by saying
that he was going to locate with US and
become a citizen of Tennessee, and his
heart and energies were in this move
ment, and that he hoped to see Tonnes
see the first of all the Southern States to
establish an Inebriates Home.
OBSERVATIONS OF DIR. OSBORNE.
Rev. Il. H. Osborne referred to the
many bright intellects of the State who
would have been ornaments to their day
and their generation but for the effect of
the fell destroyer He felt cheered in the
movement that so many of the best citi-
zens of Nashville were present, and told
his hearers that while there were homes
for the blind, homes for the insane, homes
for the deaf and dumb, and homes for
the criminal, the poor unfortunate inc
briate had not in all the broad limits of
the State place whereon to lay his head;
he was moral leper with the finger of
scorn pointed at him even by the. hand
that seductively raised the sparkling
glass to his lips. Such men had claims
upon us and he felt sure that protection
would be extended. His remarks were
well received and listened to with pro
found attention.
The clergymen and ladies of Nashville
are exhibiting great interest in this
movement. Shall we have meeting in
favor of the Inebriates' Home in Mem
phis2