Lamoille newsdealer. [volume] (Hyde Park, Vt.) 1860-1877, 1873-12-24
Reported ~ ne Pre- Pres snd rias''
VI. State Temperance Society.

was held NJ waterbury on hN@sSS-'s
Dee. IL 1873. The meeting vas called
TO order at 10, An. ~ the SECRETARY
and Rev. J. q. W. CoHe elected Chair
man pro TEN. Prayer vas offered BY Rev.
n. A. Spencer. A. n. Selleck and Rev.
Mr.. Traax Of Waterbury. were app 'inied
a committee to arrange Tor the exercises
of the evening; ADD, GU motion. Il was
voted that the afternoon session commence
at hal.-pasi one.
The .eports being called for. Col. Knapp
Chairm.n of the Executive Committee,
presented the following:
asroEr on rnE Ex.ouuvE COMMITTEE.
To fAs gsrmsaf STATE Ts-,ysraNes seoisfgi -,
The Executive Committee, in msking this
bri,f renott for the year 1873. fnd much cause
for rejoicing aud encouragement, as well rs &C.
cnsion for regret, aud cert.iGly very much rca-
son for renewed and more vigorous effort ON the
part Of the Society and friends Of temperance IN
our State.
Some Of the causes Of congratulation arc. the
knowledge that our work is one which has the
approval Of God and all the wisest and best men
in the State; that il IL recognized by the public
conscience or moral sense and sentiment Of the
peoplc a. Just; that the laws Of our common
wealth which relate TO the subject, are IN our
favor; that for twenty years the prohibition Of
the run traffic has been the settled policy OF the
State; that to-day we are stronger than ever De-
fore, for the accomplishment Of any project
which the best judgment Of the people shall dc
tate, for the suppression Of the vice OF ntoAFs,-
ton, and the crime Of selling intoxicating "
auors; and finally the agencies Of moral suasion
are happily combined with the elective use oil
legal enactInents, in the methods now most EN-
ployed and approved in the endea'or to suppress
this giant evil And there is another eneoursg-
ing sign that the temperance reform Is progress
ing, and securing hrmer hold upon the hearts
and conscience Of men, to which We viii only
refer. II werightly read the signs OF the times,
that powerful agency, the constabulary or pohce
systesn, which has. for several years, been used
with great success in sister State, is growing
in favor among our staunch temperance men,
and is likely soon to become incorporated IN our
laws.
The numerous and in many places enthusiast
tic gatherings Of earnest temperance men ana
women, during the past years, have Icen oil
great service in arousing the public attention,
and in bringing the people into sympathy VITA
our object and work. Many Of these meetings
have been held under the direction OF Good
Templars. and especially in connection with
their county meetings large and enthusiastic
gatherings have been secured by which healthy
sentiment has always been promoted and some
times, perhaps, created. In some places the
Temperance people have been doing very eiiec-
tive work through Good Samaritan and other
open Town and village organizations. In few
places the ladies have organized distinctiNely,
4 A. 4 - ~ hsaf
of temperance effort. We only wish we had
more Of this form Of work to report. County
Societies have, in some instances at least, made
their power felt for good, by meetings. resou-
tons, the action of committees, and in various
wsys. The remplars Of Honor and Sons Of
Temperance have also, VIC are informed. done
very good work in some places. The members
of all these organizations are recognized by our
constitution as members Of our common State
Society
In prosecuting the work specially pertaining
to this Society, it seemed TO your Executive
Committee, proper that an agent should be EN-
ployed, as has been the custom in former years.
to lecture aud organize local societies and do all
the appropriate work Of his office, provided a
suitable person cCuld he found who would be
willing to engage in the work Oh such terms as
we were able to offer. Accordingly in January
last. Rev P. n. Granger was elected and duly
commissioned as General Agent for the Society
for the ensuing year. Since the time Of his ac-
ceptance Of the arduous work thus imposed up
on him, he has been laboring with zeal and fl
deity which must have been born OF high
sense OF responsibility and n clear recognition Of
great need, And we desire at this time, to ex-
press our appreciation of the efficient service
which he has rendered in laboring for the cause
Of reform, everywhere and in all circumstances,
even when annoyed and sometimes almost
thwarted by the embarrassnents arising from
the unfortunate relations to the society Of a
former agent. lhIlis own report will show the ma
ture and extent Of his labors.
One of the chief embarrassments in our work
has been the want of financial basis of action.
Having no money in the treasury and no pledges
on which reliance could be placed for future need +,
the agent employed could have no assurance of
compensation from any other source than out of
the collections he should make for the Society
which, with any solicitor of our present Agents
characteristic modesty must be inadequate.
This together with the circumstances under
which he took the field, subjected him 10 annoy
ances which the Society should seek to remedy
hereafter if this form Of labor is to be employed
If some financial basis could be devised, we think
the efficiency Of the Society would he greatly in
creased.
Among the agencies for carrying on our work
Of reform, the press, when its influence srightly
directed, must be acknowledged rs among the
most important; and we take this opportunity
to make this public acknowledgement of the
valuable services to the cause of temperance
which has been contributed by many of the
newspapers of the State. And especially do We
commend to the favorable consideration OF the
temperance people of the State, the permon
Witness, published at Burlington by the Secre-
tary Of the Society, which makes speciality o.
the subject in oil Of its departments and is fear.
less in advocating all right and opposing al
wrong.
With such means in operation, we have reason
to thank God and take courage. The cause il
His and He will bring II to sure and final tri
umph. We know the cause for which we labo
is just, and the right must prevail. In thi
confidence we appeal to all friends Of the grea
reform to do all in their power to aid in tn
| overthrow Of the monster evil Let us strive b,
moral and Christian influence and legal power
not by prayers alone--but by money and worl
and votes! The rum demon will not die easil.
or willingly. The drinking customs of societ,
can be reformed only by long, patient and earn
est effort, ana the use Of all the agencies at GU
command. That intolerable nuisance-that hell
born agency of destruction, the rum traffic. will
yield to nothing else than the crushing ma
chine" of human law, or divine judgments
But its day Of doom approaches. Let US lear
to labor while we wait.
For the Committee,
LYMAN Il. KNAPP, Chairman.
W. W. ArwArER, Secretary.
The report was, on motion, accepted
j. r. Forest moved to strike out the word
which refer to "forner agent" o. s
Bliss moved to lay the motion aud tn
further consideration Of the repor, on thu
t.hIa All aFtar m sim ,hn rano,t - III