Rutland weekly herald. [volume] (Rutland, Vt.) 1859-1877, 1870-09-29

Please make my excuses and regrets to
vour committee of invitation and believe
me, yours sincerely, @. W. WILLARD.
Gov. Page followed with short intro
ductory address, of which the following is
synopsis:
My Friesads-It might have been well,
perhaps, for our pleasures, had we have
been favored on this occasion by soft
breezes and sunny skies, but had we had
such day our faith in the cause OF tenn
perance being able to take care OF itself
might have been strengthened thereby
and we would not have accomplished the
purpose for which the meeting has been
called. I believe it is right that we should
interest ourselves in every cause which
has for its object the enrolling of man,
and work with zeal for the accomplish
ment of such an end. Had it been fair
day we might have departed with the
idea that the work had bsen done, while
as it is not, it may serve to remind us
that the work is but begun, and that each
one has something to do as his or her
share to stay the curse of intemperance in
his immediate vicinity. The prohibitory
law is we'll and wise provision, but it
won't execute itself And there should
be something done to bring the sratficers
| in s.rong drinks to believe that there is
power behind to enforce the law. know
of no better way to accomplish this than
by the holding of such meetings al this,
tending as they must to create feeling
with every member of it that they have
responsibility themselves in this mstter.
VIII en- all have become inbued with this
feeling the law will be enforced, the rum
sellers become law abiding citizens and
the rum drinkers respectable members OF
society.
The President next introduced the Ora
tor of the Day, Rev. S. McChesney Of AL
bany, who made telling and pleasant
speech on the subject of Temperance, his
remarks being interspersed with anec-
dotes, which were told in such strain as
to at times convulse his hearers with
laughter, while throughout the Grafton
the strictest attention was paid to him,
the style of delivery and generally truth
fal strain OF his remarks being such rs to
win the favor of the audience and COM
mand attention. Indeed, the only fault
which could be found with it at all, if it
was fault, was hie diversion from the
thread of his argument to make sect.
arian thrust at religious denomination
which has its own temperance societies
and "A far greater number of Jealous work
ers in advocacy Of the cause of temperance
than has the denomination of whose doc
trines be is an expounder. At least in
point viewed by he who on this occasion
acted as reporter for the HERALD.
He said among other things that he
had come from the capital of the Empire
State to this meeting; that lie WAS not d
stranger to Vermont, as he, had resided
here long enough 10 learn some of the hos !
pitable generosity of her people and take
one of her fair daughters for his compan-
ion in life That residence was when came
the summons to arms to defend the integ
rity of the nations standard against in
testine foes, and [ remember well the
enthusiasm and ardor with which came
the response to the call from among the
sturdy men Of your State, and through
the conflict which ensued I remember
watching with pride the noble onduct of
her citizen soldiers. The State has a |
bright record in the Temperance oa11se.
and the temperance people of adjoining
States have looked on and rejoiced in your
successes, and are still watching you, The
idea Of temperance is not modern one, |
for I believe the principles of sound NOR
ality are as old as humanity, and there
fore the idea is not q new one. Over 400I
years ago temperance societies existed
in Europe, and 800 years before that Mo,
hamet labored with his followers to alb
stain from wine, while 1000 years prior
to that period, or 1900 years ago, one
Daniel, Hebrew captive, organized, with
three of his followers, temperance So
ciety in the court of the king, and ere the
lapse of ten days demonstrated to the
court It's utility. Three thousand years
ago Solomon protested against strong
drink. and at the same time little tribe
in Arabia, known as Rechabites carried |
out the principles of total abstinence, and |
so pleased was the Almighty with their
course that he announced his determina-
tion to perpetuate the tribe forever, and |
to this day its defendants exist in Mecca,
a proof on record of the pledge of the i'm.
mutable God to perpetuate that people,
aud they are to-day 10000 strong in the
wilderness of Arabia. Good for the Recha-
bites Circumstances seem to combine to-
food our nation with intenperance. As
to the rise and progress of the temperance
NOV ement in this country the speaker
said At the close of the last century,
when the population of this country was
vastly inferior to that of the present time,
the census showed that 80, 900 people died
annually from the effecte Of intemperauce
About this time DR.. Benjamin Rush be-
gan to write articles for the press IN favor
of abstinence from intoxicating drinks
and in 1903 the first temperance society in
America was formed in the Town Of
Moreau, Washington County, N. Y,
through the concerted action of clergy
man and a physician--a strange coinei-
denc6 that temperance should be first
by one who ministered to the
ills of the body and by another who gave
consolation to the soul, This society WAS
not total abstinence society IN the sense
we now view it. Wine drinking was not
by it prohibited at the dinner table, and
the penalties it imposed were that if one
of its members was found drinking he was
fined % cents, while if he was found
Enthusiastically drunk he was fined so cents.
A