Rutland weekly herald. [volume] (Rutland, Vt.) 1859-1877, 1873-12-25
ZEN. peranee ueeting.


The temperance meeting at the Town
Hall, last night, was well attended.
The proceedings opened with prayer by
Rev. E. Mills Mr. Haven then intro
duced as the first speaker,
- REV. j. g. JOHNSON, u ~ 5.-
who considered that this temperance
question gained all its power because it
involved the question of human suffer
ing. There were two classes of people
to whom this question was to be pre-
sented; those who had no personal ex-
perience. in the matter, and those who
had had a personal experience and who
had felt the depths of sorrow and deg
radiation invading their homes. It was
difficult for one of these classes to adj
dress words that would go home with
power to the other class. He consider
ed that there was great danger in the
American custom of social drinking, and
that no man could even begin drinking,
no matter how slightly, without entering
into the very realms of danger. This
question warred directly on the health
We should aim as temperance men and
women to break up this custom. The
first blow should be struck at the Gus
tom of social drinking, and as q means,
we should exert all our moral strength
against it, and if that was not sufficient,
resort to the legal method. If It could
not be controlled with the moral, he
would use all the legal power that legis-
lation allowed We should make war
upon these social customs and do what
we could to make it impossible for orr
young men to. indulge. He considered
it our duty to see the day arrive when q
man could not buy a glass of liquor and
drink it where he buys it. and when we
should see every bar in Rutlasd closed. +.
The next speaker was
NON. d. R. NICHOLSON
who said that if we were threatened
with an infectious disease we would
most likely speedily cast about for a
means of relief and not waste time in
considering the devastations of the dis
ease in the past. If the wolves troubled
the farmers sheepfold they would be
likely to go to the root of the evil by
trying to discover the wolves burrow,
and after they had found it, they would
make certain that that particular one
did not return to prey on the sheep. So
he thought we should deal with the
temperance question.
The next speaker was
Mr.. GRoGAN,
who made an explanation in relation to
his connection with the temperance
movement in Rutland. He had not
come TO institute a prosecution, but was
ever ready to do temperance work with
out fear or favor He stood there with
charity to all and malice toward none.
"The liquor traffic we are determined to
annihilate at all hazards" He then
read a severe indictment against it, charg-
ing it with all the crimes known to hu-
mainly. He then gave an account of
the temperance work done in other plac-
es, where he had been, where even the
agents of the government were opposed
to the enforcement of the law, and still
they forced the rumsellers to succumb
and had them fined and imprisoned, in
some cases. He wished to have the
rumsellers of Rutland understand from
past successes, that they meant business
now. He believed in moral suasion,
but also legal suasion. He then made
a personal, persuasive, touching appeal
to the rumseller to forsake his hellish
business, and asked that this work OF
death stop, and stop now. He wanted
the enforcement of our just and hui
name laws, and God would sustain US
in the right.
The next speaker was
REV. K. MILLS,
who heartily endorsed all that had been
said. He thought public sentiment
would sustain the movement. He wish
to see more business men on the plat
form, by word and work carrying for
ward the movement. When discussed
for its love, temperance would receive a
firm hold and the rum seller would feel
its power. Some thought that the facts
did not justify the strong language
sometimes used, but if they could know
the facts they would themselves use
language stronger and more forcible in
condemnation of the traffic. He be-
sought every one to 'Touch not, taste
not, handle not"
The meeting was then adjourned for
two weeks.
During the address it was almost i'm
possible at times to hear the speakers
owing to the frequent moving of chairs,
whistling, etc. In fact there appeared
to be an organized effort to disturb the
meeting. Such actions not suppressed
are disgrace to our town.