Staunton vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1860-1896, 1873-04-25
local.
THE FRIENDS OF TEMPERANCE.


THE FRIENDS OF TEMPERANCE.
MEETING OF THE STATE CoUNcL-LARGE ATrEN-
pANoE-LADY MEMBERS PREsENT-REpoRTs ON
THE CONDITION OF THE ORDER-THE "FUs1oN"
AGREED ro-A LIQUOR LAW FOR "CoNsEqUEN-
DAMAGES" ADvocATED-THE CAUSE FLOUR
1sn1Nc-LAsr NMENT--
&C., &C., &c,
The 9Th semi annual meeting of the State
Council, Friends of Temperance, commenced
here on Tuesday evening in the handsome hall
of Staunton Council, No. At, on Augusta
street. The attendance was larger than at any
first night of State Council since The formation
of the order, and the delegates represented al
most every protest. on in life, minister's editors,
clerks, mechanics, farmers, physicians. mer-
chants and lawyers. There were SO delegates
who had before represented their constituents
in State Councils, and 80 new delegates were
initiated The questions which are most PROM
inent for consideration in this session were the
fusion with the other temperance orders, and
organized action on legal regulations for the Ii
quor traffic In both matters there are advo-
Gates on both sides within the body. The Pres
ident, Dr.. j. Lewis Leitch, of Collierstown,
Rockbridge Co., took his seat about O'Clock,
and called the body to order. The officers pres
ent were J Lewis Lei;ch, of Rockbridge, Presi-
dent; W 4 Wellons of Suffolk, Secretary
g. W Thurman, of Gordonsville, Conductor
and w. J Kidd. OF Nelson, S=ntnel. Rev. j.
A. Jefferson of Petersburg, was appointed chap
lain, pro tim, and opened the session with pray
err President Letch then read
TIE PRESIDENTS ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS IN THE
soUTH-FUsIoN
The report congra tulates the Cou neil upon
the success the order has met with ''from the
Potomac TO the Gulf of Mexico which is rever-
emily attributed to Him who was on our SIDE"
Reports for the last six months have only been
received from Is out of 20 district viz. Nos 2,
5, 9, 10, II, 10, Is, Is, Is, 10, 20. 20, "a, 26,
II and 30, but from them sufficient is known to
show the order in the State to be in a.prosper-
our condition except in the Farmville and Chris
tiansburg districts which are 'languishing p
In one, Fairfield in Rockbridge, 'seven Of the
members have professed religion and are now ac-
tive members of the church, With regard to the
proposed fusion of all the Temperance orders in
the South, the President says the convention of
delegates from all which assembled at Chattanoo-
ga Tenn "resulted in nothing practical" but at
one held there jim. 223, '73, a new organiza-
ton was formed called the United Friends of
Temperance intended to include all, the most
important difference in its ritual being the
omission in the pledge Of til words Irvine or
cider" and the substitution therefor of the
words or any thing that will intoxicate." He
does not think, so far at present advised that
the Sons of Temperance in Virginia or the
Good Templars in North Carolina will unite
with the new order which, with apprehended
similar difference in other States, will prevent
the averting of the diversity of organizations
which was hoped for. The President thinks too
that even if the Southern organizations combin-
ed the various "National' organic atoms in
the Northern States would send South and in
augurate new orders. He urges steps by which
the female members may be given room to be
more efficient instead of their membership being
as it is now in many cases, mere nominal affairs.
He calls attention to the fast that several coun-
ellis have ceased to exist, whose charters DC have
not been returned. He suggests, allowing the
D. P's a sufficient sum for recognizing
councils to pay their travelling expenses, as they
are now allowed for organizing new ones. The
President while not adv coating or opposing
any of the proposed plans Of fusion, earnestly
and eoquently urges that the organization
should work nov and actively and not be deter
red by waiting for some probable new organiza-
ton.
REPORT OF THE sECRETARY-THE ORDER IN yIR-
GINA.
The report of Rev. W. B. Wellons, Secretary,
for the six months ending April 10th, '73, shows
the receipts to be $780, 6 and the expenses $404-
e. but there is sufficient amount remaining
in bank to his credit to meet the deficit. H re-
ports the cause increasing in interest in Rich
mond, Petersburg and Norfolk and many other
places, but from every part of the State there
come up distressing accounts of the increase of
intemperance also, and the increase of liquor
traffic. and he recommends these facts to the
serious consideration of the body. Since the
last meeting of the State Council at Gordons-
vile last October IL new councils have been Or
ganized including Mt. Scion, No. 30, in Au-
gusta, and during the same period, six have
been discontinued including Cold Water, No. 81
at Harrisonburg. Reports have been received
from SIS councils and no reports were received
from II lodges, the following being the unre-
ported Nos. Is, IA, %, e. 49, 40, SO, SO, 90,
90, 81, 100, lol, los, lis, ia, 127, 1873, l29,
49, 1873, l4l, IA, l4S and $50.
THE SCENES AT THE HALL.
There have rarely been seen together better
looking representative body than these temper
ance men. The hall was crowded, to the extent
of having to bring in additional seats, with
we'll dressed gentlemen representing all profess
sions, large proportion of whom were bright
fresh looking young men who seemed to have
turned their attention from toddies to careful
and tasty adornment of the outward man, such
stylish ''city" looking set of men as they were.
To this scene was added that other, even more
agreeable, of q number of lady visiting associ-
ate members of the order, who were fobligated"
and took their seats--the first time la les have
taken seats in State Council of the order.
A NATIONAL INVITATION.
Aninvitaton was read from the National
Temperance Convention to all Temperance and
Religious bodies to send delegates to the Ma
tional Convention, to meet at Saratoga Springs,
N. Y, August 26th.
TIL QUESTION OF FUSION SETTLED
On Wednesday night, the committee appoint
ed to report on the subject of fusion, Messrs. j.
A. jefferson, W. A. McCue, Geo. A. Bruce, R.
G. Iveson and J. T. Wilson, made its report