Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1871-11-16
LOCAL NEWS.

auspices vi the GRAND Lodge OF Good IemplarS
of Virginia, was held last night in the Metho-
dist Episcopal Church, large crowd being
present A delegation of one hundred mem
bers Of the Order from Washington was ex,
pected to be present; but owing to some untor-
seen circumstances two only were On hand.
At eight clock, the Grand Lodge (now in
session here) marched from their place of meet
ing to the Church, in regaia, and took the front
pews. when Rev. W. 1. Hemenway opened
the meeting with prayer; after which the choir
composed Of members of the Order) sang
beautiful and appropriate hymn.
|. G.. . Neal then introduced DIR. Peck, Of
Washington Dr. p. said he had expected to
meet one hundred members from Washington
OH this occasion but had been disappointed
there being but two on hand-niuety- eight
short He said he was an old Temperance
man, and remembered the cause when in its
mere infancy, and had noted its steady progress
from its ncpicnt beginning. He rejoiced to
he able to say that the Temperance cause was
not on the decline; but, on the contrary, was
everybody drank ardent spirits preachers and
a!l-in fact the best and most useful men III
the community; and, indeed, it was rare
thing to find man who was not addicted to
the habit The speakers father had been
Baptist preacher, and notwithstanding his high
calling. gave his children warm liquor to drink,
maintaining there was no harm IN such course.
His father had sent him to buy liquor with
which to entertain ministers who occasionally
visited him 1t was not SO now, however; for,
thank God, such course would at this time
meet with the greatest dSapprobatlon trom all.
There We're now 100000 pledged men, who
stood as u living monument of the good the
noble work had accomplished. At an early
age he had pledged himself to the Temperance
cause, and upon going home that night had re-
ceivcd a long lecture from his father, who
avelred that strong drink was one OF the bev-
erages Intended for our good. His father,
though saw his error ere he died, aud had re-
pudiated the Use of Intoxicating liquors IN any
manner The early advocates OF the cause had
had great deal to encounter; but GOd had
been on their side, and the license law was no
longer upon the statute books of some Of the
States. He lived in Maine at the time the
prohibition law was passed. and though such
action was condemned by many, he had noticed
the blessings which had emanated from it
That all the States would before long strike the
law from their books entirely was his firm be-
lief; prohibition WIS inevitable. 1t was GER
laiuiy an evil to license men to sell liquor III
the ninctccth century, when there are 100000
d!uukard>. who are in danger Of being ushered
into eternity at any moment, and to have that
passage of Scri pturc staring them in the face
No drunkard shall enter the Kingdom OF
Heaven Was it not a fatal error to license
men to ruin the vgor Of youth, to render child
rcn bcggarS, to make beasts and hcnds OF men,
Sc? The idea that licensing this curse
would have Il tendency to regulate it had been
advanced. Now, the idea of regulating an
irrcgularity; could any one regulate tornado,
or fire? 1t was a fact apparent to all that
some Of the tircmen of Chicago were incapacita
ted from duty at the late fire in that city by
reason Of Il previous nights debauch. They
undertook 10 regulate the evil i'll Washington
by licensing it: but it has long ago proved a
signal failure. 1t was high time the law had
hccn erased from the statute books of this State
time people had stopped making their children
sacrifices to Bacchus and Moloch Everybody
had heard of the Tammauy Ring in New York
that had only taken peoples money. But
there was ring that eclipscd everything in
that line: the Whiskey Ring-which not only
robbed man of his money. but Of his intellect,
his health. his character:and his eternal happl-
hess. 1t was a period when people should
commence 20 comprehend this great and I'M
rortant fact Probably, to hear him speak,
one would suppose he Fad nevcr tempered with
the vile stuff. Bat, to his shame, he had to
acknowledge he had. Under the direction OF
physician, during the war when, as he said,
everybody drank, he was prevailed upon to
Use Scotch ale and Bourbon whiSkey for his
health: would to God that he could blot it
from his memory He had now, however, put
his foot against it, and trusted in the all-wise
Creator to keep him aoof from the terrible
temptation. The speaker hoped all Temper
ance organizations would exert themselves in
bringing in as many converts as possible. he
told of Il bar keeper in Washington who had
quotation from the Bible printed on his bust
ness card 'Druk no longer water but use
little wine for thy stomach's sake and thine
other infirmatics. If she speaker had the
getting up of card he would put on it some
quotations after this order: Look not upon the
wine when it is red when it giveth its color
to the cup; for at last it bitcth like serpent
and Singcth like an adder" These men who
got up such cards seldom knew much about the
Bible They reminded him of an anecdote. a
school teacher had arrayed a class in the cen
tire of the room, and, commencing with the
first boy, Intercepted him as to who made him.
He answered God, and immediatc ) went from
the room, unobScrved, however, by the pre-
ceptor. who turning to the next youth put the
same query. The urchin said she was made
from the dust of the earth, and the boy whom
God made had gone home with the stomach
ache. Laughter. He then thanked those
present for their attention and took his seat
Thomas Havy. next arose and SAID the speak
or had forgotten to mention one important fact,
viz That bread was the staff of life but that
une-haif the corn raised in the country was con-
verified into whiskey. He also told some interest
ing facts concerning the evils resulting from the
free use Of liquors.
Rev. Mr.. ilemcnway then made some appro-
pirate remarks He said when bar keepers
threw out the quotation from Paul's eplStle to
Timothy referred to by Dr. Peck, they, should
receive the answer the IriShman made when
the same passage was quoted to induce him to
to drink My names not Timothy, and
there nothing the matter with my stomach.
Laughter. 80,
The choir then sang another beautiful ode,
after which Rev. Mr. Hemenway pronounced
the Bcnedcton. and the exercises were brought
t. conclusion aud the congregation dismissed.