Worcester daily spy. [volume] (Worcester [Mass.]) 1850-1888, 1871-05-29

The announcement that Mrs. Lvermore was
to speak at Mechanics hall, last evening, on
temperance, drew out an audience that filed
the body OF the hall, and left but few empty
seats in the gallery. Mayor Earle presided, and
the exercises opened with singing by the choir
of the Universalist church. Rev. Mr.. St. John
offered prayer, and the mayor then introduced
Mrs Livermore. Her address was, in many
points, a repetition of the one given in the Salem
street church last year, clothed in new Ian
guage and strengthened by new illustrations.
She spoke, in substance, as follows:
The subject that calls together tonight is one
that has been discussed and discussed, till it has
been truly said that it seems worn thread-bare.
Drunkenness, says Chicago paper, has reveled for
six thousand years, and will continue its power for
six thousand years to come And, perhaps, one
reason that it has thus held sway for SO many CEN
turtles, and Is still found existing in much of po-
teney, is found in the fact that those who have
essayed to help on the ark of temperance
have, like Uzziah Of old touched the sacred cause
with unconsecrated hands 1t is useless to ask aid
from political parties. The republican party dare
not risk the influence of the German vote and we
should be rdicued If we sought assistance from the
democrats for they stand in fear of losing the great
power OF the Irish vote; and SO, between lager and
Whiskey, the balance of power is held. An appeal
to the church, with its present influences and or
ganization seems almost equally useless So much
time is occupied in perfecting its cumbersome ma
chinery for saving souls that none seems left for
actual work.
Next Tuesday, music, oratory and flowers will be
laid under tribute, and the whole community will
give itself up to render fitting memorial service over
the graves of the nations dead heroes AS before
shall be told of the million souls that were
yielded up on the altar OF countrys honor; and we
de well to remember their deeds and strew their
graves with Aoral decorations. Yet there GENES
to our minds the thought that one hundred and
sixty thousand lives are yearly ssacridced at the
length OF time the war lasted, eight hum
dred Thousand men and women Of our
land go down into the yawning grave that
alarmed We read the terrible array Of figures, and
do not shudder. We meet perhaps, In spasmodiG
way to hear lecture or discussion on the subject,
and GO away and the fearful truths that are brought
to our consideration are forgotten And 1t seems
almost hopeless LABOR To try to influence the world
to turn to paths of temperance and purity.
vice; and as, from our Knglo-Saxon orefathers ~
as a nation, have inherited love of country and
ether national characteristics, have inherited
q love for strong drink To control such passion,
we know how useless are laws, when relied on
alone The community viii laugh at laws on such
subject, The c,ty pr Chicago has for years, had
Sunday law, intended to stop the sale Of liquor on
fine Sabbath, yet more intoxicating beverages are
drank on Sunday in that city than any
| other day, Ghurch-goers are greeted on every
| hand BY scenes Of drunkenness and wee. At
last, the ministers Of the Gospel made appeal to
the city government to enforce The Sunday law.
The answer was that it would require more force
than eoud be brought to bear and more troops than
he ely had at its command. This, however, was
not the reason, but the reason lay in the TACT al.
ready stated, that the irish and the German votes
e b y x tns reRe efs
In Worcester and Massachusetts, bears no such aeeB
disgrace Yet in this, the most eplighted and The
best educated state in all the land, six THOUSAND
men and women yearly go down to drunkardsi
deaths 9pd drunkards graves.
Yet these and similar startling truths do not ap-
pal us; they produce no lasting impression upon
our minds. As, during the war, a hospital full o.
| wounded suffering, dying men would poteven affect
the beholder SO much as the sight Of man run ege'
and dangerously injured in the streets d. Worcester
so the terrible array pf statistics does not affect tht
listener 50 mnea as single case Of drunkenness
These figures, 50 startling, aBd the truths, &
fraught with dread interest," do not contain pne.ha
the real trRth Of all the sorrow and suariilq and
woe that unheard and unseen by the world, are fel
In ruined homes, broken hearts and blasted homes