The Republican journal. [volume] (Belfast, Me.) 1829-current, 1872-05-02
The Temperance Reform Meetinn.


for several days previously, q meeting was held
at Haytord Hall, on Monday evening, in the in
terest of the new temperance reform move
ment, and with the view of initiating move
ment OF the kind in this locality Mr.. Osgood .
Of Gardiner. and DIR. Brickett, OF Augusta, who
have been prominent in the movement on the
kennebec, We're present. The hall was we'll
filled with an audience Of ladies and gentlemen,
a considerable portion Of whom were from
neighboring towns. Shortly before S O'Clock
Hon. A. G. Jewett called the meeting to order,
and nominated to the chair. Hon. Axel Hay
ford. MIR. Hayford said the call was an uneX-
pected on, but considering the great public in
! terest in the subject and the universal desire
that the movement should succeed, he would
aid IN any manner possible. Cassius c. Roberts
was made Secretary. Mr.. Jewett moved that
twenty-five Vice Presidents he appointed by the
| Chair, and list of that number of gentlemen
was read. MIR. ,Iewett then moved that the
tWentv-four iurymen serving at the present
| term OF the Court be added to the roll of Vice
Presidents. So with one President, one Secre-
tary, and 49, Vice Presidents, the meeting was
considered to be organized.
Hon. n. @. Hichborn remarked that there
seemed to he zoo much time taken uD " it'll
| needless formaties-that he and others were
| ten miles from home, and wanted to get at the
| pith OF the occasion without needless detention
The President then introduced J, K. Osgood.
Esq. OF Gardiner, as one OF the speakers Of the
OCCASION He SAID II gave him great pleasure
TO be present, and to speak on the subject of re-
form. Those who had come expecting f1owery
defamation would h. disappointed He had
come 10 tell the simple truth about the evils OF
drinking, and the blessings of abstinence. He
had just aWoke from ten Years drunk. But
short time ago he had gone lone nightly Ill
toXcated. IN len Years he had seen " nice
property melt away, and MS wife grow thin,
detected ana prematurely old When he began,
he did not expect TO get drunk, and drank only
cider, ale and wine. Last August found him
poor--in poverty, distress and want BIT; he
could always command enough to buy whiskey.
He often went without needed clothes that he
might buy Wh>key, and for ten years never
saw a sober day. How and by " hat degrees
he got 10 such q condition. SOD only knows
But he wished 10 raise warning voice to the
giues Of cider i taken IN hand, better drop il
and fee. On the .th Of August last he As lis
couraged dlshealtened, degraded. He went
home that night intoxicated, to bis miserable
home, and found his W life waiting and in tears
The spectacle moved his heart, and he then an(
there resolved never again to drink, and TO thi,
day he had Kept the pledge. He had been otter
sorey tempted. but had been able to resist
Brighter days had come for him aAd his fanil.
his aged mother, his wife and TWO daughters
They had forgotten his degradation and thei
sorrow soon he began to labor among hi
friends and boon companions. They combined
to spread the good work Meetings were held
to which were invited reformed drinkers, mod
crate drinkers and hard drinkers. He told hi
SIMPLE story, and one Of his friends follow ed
From that small beginning the reform spread
They discarded every method except mora
suasion. In Gardiner there are now $40 re
formers. We have $1,000 on pledges ID th
State, and by July will have 30 ,000.
DIR. Brickett, of Augusta was next introduced
HI said he was President OF the Augusta Reform
Club. had come TO organize one here, and Il
give some history of the movement elsew here
While the reform that had been described wa
gong on in Gardiner, the only Temperance
meetings in Augusta were those OF the ColC
Water Temp'ars, an organization of children
by Joshua Nye. gentleman whom he hat
learned greatly TO respect and esteem. His ow,
little boy was member, and one day brough
home pledge and asked his father 10 sign ii
That set hif1i % thinking. He resolved to sign
q pledge at The first public opportunity, an,
when the reform club started in Augusta b
did sign. His friend said I, him that he wa
chasing himself with drunkar Us He replied
thai all who drank were on the same road Ii
one evening sixty old drinkers came forward
and signed. II spread through the citv-one
Augusta Is not " hat it was eight weeks ago
There Is not an open rum shop in its limits, anC
there are It's sl9ners of the pledge Wiye
and mothers are shedding tears Of ioy over Ri
reclaimed There are no politics, no hobbies
no schemt $ in this. Il says that the only safety
70 abstain. The effect Of drinking is Gestructiy,
Of body, mind and morals He had been
drinker for = years, snd The habit grew upo,
him. The Doctor here related some OF his ex
perlences with drinkers who had been his "a
tents There is no safety in anything axeep
total abstinence. III conclusion the speaker re-
cited some poetry entitled Fine wine IL red"
The pledge WAS here read, and signatures ia.
vited.
Hon. Nehemiah Abbott made brief remark,
fayoring the reform movement and signed the
pledge. Gen. Nickerson followed as did alsc
Joseph Williamson, Esq. Hon. A. G Jewet
announced that he had taken his last drink, ans
put his name down. He called by name seyera
members vi the bar 70 come forward, who die
rot respond.
The pledge was then carried about the Hall
and names solicited. When the meeting hrok.
up, tWentV-six names had been obtained I
was announced that the pledge would he lei
with NJ. 2 Woodcock, where those desiring Il
sign could find it.
During The speech Of Mr.. Osgood, At alarm
Of fire thinned the aiilence, many Of whom die
not return.
Before ADJOURNMENT, another meeting was
appointed for the same place 90 Friday eve
Ming and general attendance invited.
Letter from Charles Francis Adams.
As MIR. Adams was about 10 sail fo,
Europe, last week, Hon David A. Wells
wrote to him, suggesting that as his name
would come before the Convention at
Cincinnati, it was desirable to know his
views Of the movemer land that some one
at the Convention should have authority
to speak for him. To this Mr.. Adams
replied US follows
Boston, April IS 1872.
NV Dear Mr.. Wells:
l have received your letter and will answer if