Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1873-06-04
sunday Evening Temperance Meeting.

Wells, who called upon Mr. j. b. scoyi for
prayer, after which ho named "rhe Duty Of
Employers to Employees " as the subject Of
discussion for the evening In answer to calls
from our chairman, Professor Coke, Dr. Hull
and Mr.. @. II. Heath responded, in a very
earnest and interesting manner.
Mr. Coke said he did not speak to define his
position on temperance II was not equivocal,
and never had been. lie did not speak to re
tract, or to modify and soiten--to tone up or
down anything he had ever said on this sub.
iect. His convictions were decp-rooted, and
not subject to change By varying circumstances
Intempcranco is n monstrous evil, and the
source Of incalculable misery. It is sin, and |
therefore hateful in the sight of God and every
Christian Is only true to his profession when
he arrays himself against IL, and fights man
fully for the right. Right and wrong arc radi- |
cal principles and arrayed against each other, as
temperance and intemperauce, and a man in |
espousing either cause becomes q radical. |
Mr. Coke said he knew that ministers Of his |
denomination had a reputation for wandering
from their texts, but he hoped the chairman
would excuse his wandering on this occasion,
for he had Just heard the text for the first time
lie said he had under his charge over four
hundred young ladies and gentlemen. One
evening, a few months since, be was informed
that a couple Of his boys needed looking after.
lie sought and found them. One was in
stupor Of bcasty ntoxication the other. for
the time, driyelng idiot They had visited
one Of our respectable GU eating saloons and
this was the result lie said, in his heart he
could but curse the accarsed stuff, and the
traffic in the same.
| II has been estimated that in this country
there arc two hundred millions Of dollars ex-
pended annually for breadstufTs, two hundred
and fifty for tobacco, and five hundred millions
for alcoholic drinks. Can any one look these
| figures in the face and doubt the doctrine Of
total deprayiiy2 The monster We have to CON
tend with is unreasoning. His eyes are blind
10 all the misery, ruin and death he brings
into the world lie is deaf to the groans Of his
victims, deaf 70 the plants and appeals OF the
innocent sufferers who are ground to the dust
by no act Of their own. lie is heartle-s and
cruel to death itself. In place Of reason he is
supplied with the cunning Of the willy serpent,
which, with bis other powers for evil, make
him our monstrous antagonist to day. OF
your present movement against this foe, some
say =" 1t is nothing but talk - others They
dare 60 no further
In all reforms there are different stages.
First, the agitation Of the subject by discussions
where mind meets mindand the brain is sharp
ened and quickcncd, opinions and methods are
compared and approved or disapproyed, hearts
are drawn together by sympathy in a cause
that has for its object the good Of our fellow
man. Then comes the stage for experiment
lr action. In this movement you have reached
this stage, although you have been met by many
prophesies to the contrary. Your cause is the
cause Of justice AMI humanity. You have
every argument on your side, and behind all
are the Indies ready to help ard sustain you.
Adam Clark says One woman in moral
power is equal to seven mem With this great
power failure is impossible.
Dr. Hull spoke Of the day as being Whit
Sunday, day celebrated all over the Christian
world as the day on which the Holy Spirit was
poured out upon His disciples lie said we
had come together to spend an hour Of holy
4 time to consider the evils Of intemperance.
lie believed it an evil, not Of recent origin,
for it could be traced back to diluyian times.
How should we treat it was a question that
every man should ask with seriou. earnestness.
In Christ's time he wrought miracles for the
cure Of the blind, the deaf, the lame and the
D t.l b,t 10 IA - f,t, -,
that way. 1t was treated as other sins by Him
Of Whom all should learn. We should be
loving and forFiying towards our fallen brother
Throw our arm around him and help him in
his weakness to reformation Of his habits
Harsh measures will arouse all the depravity
in mans nature and provoke bitter struggle
When the mother sees her little son playing
with a knife, she takes it from him, bu
gives him in place some plaything that will
amuse him and cause him to forget the danger
Gus one she has Withdrawn from his hand
So we should supply the tempted with some
thing tina, will take bic time and mind. VIVA
can we do for class who are not attracted b,
reading room, to keep them from our salooDi
and other places Of temptation?
> Dr. Hull thought employers could protec
themselves by engaging none who came to then
with tainted breath, but would hardly he abb,
to enforce any arbitrary rules 1t was due t
the employers that in all arrangements
Christian consideration for their welfare be no
3 forgotten. Apprentices and clerks away from
home influences have a still greater claim upor
the consideration Of their employers
4
his earnest heartfelt manner--his noble fac
n gave expression to the deepest feeling. lie re
GREETED that we could not entirely agree viii
him. or that he did not agree with us WI
j remembered that the dear Christ whose Low,
u and forgiveness arc 80 great we can hardl,
comprehend them, and because they were s.
great, lie spared not the truth 10 those h
wished to save, but the hypocrite was a hypo
,. critic, the liar liar. The fornicator and adul
c terer, he knew them, and called them by thei
n names. Christ's treatment Of evil doors arous
ed spirit which was the instrument Of lii
> death on the crOSs--yet lie was able 10 say
d Father, forgive them, they know not wha
$ they do There are many who suffer wors
r than death from the sin of which they are a
innocent as the dear Saviour was Of ours, bu
j can they say Of the rumseers in 1873, "For
give them, they kHOir not phGf they do ~
Mr. Heath said the gentlemen who had pre-
coded him had given their basis for temper
ance work. lie agreed with them that mora
e suasion built the foundation Of reform, AM
e clergymen were leaders in that department
D. lie said represent law, another arm Of powe
N "a lever working in the same direction, 70
the same purpose, but reachinga little farther
. IL is in reality the result Of these fifty year
ID Of agitation. So while agree with DR.. Hui
e in the treatment of the victim of intemperance
4. and would throw around the lost one all tn
=, sweet influences, as OF mothers love, exer
ie cising also her protecting care in removing tn
te knife which exposed him to bodily harm, bu
,e should s0me fend in human shape suppl
- the child with the weapon as often a. it wa
~ removed from his hand, then would | lay tn
IN forcihle hand Of law upon him and remove hiI
q from that particular occupation, however wei
ne adapted he might be to it. tits not the objec
of law to regulate drinking habits, but IN PR
teet society from lawless constituencies prey
ers upon his life.
nj Mr. Heath said he thought it was for III
At benefit of the employee as well as employer
Y that regulations and restrictions be made
the use of strong drink. That the workma
W should be industrious and sober was necessar
es TO a comfortable maintenance of his iamil,
i., and certainly TO any savings he might hope
or have, if sickness or death Oyertake hin
4. Mr.. Heath referred to the Farbankses of )
y Johnshury to their splendid library, and the
ed influence Tor doing good 10 their employees an
a ! the whole town Mr. Heath had time only