The Portland daily press., 1874-05-14
The Temperance Movement.

The Executive Committee reported that they
had districted the city into wards and assigned
| the following committees to secure names to
| the pledge Ward 1, H. H. Burgess;2, Cyrus
Sturdivant; 3, j. M. Palmer; 4, j. Il. Coffin; 5,
B. F. Whitney;6, J. E. Haseltine; z, ID. A.
Hart.
G. C. TYLER was elected Treasurer of the As
sociation.
After prayer by several gentlemen the meet
ing adjourned until Friday morning.
The ladies' committee met at Chestnut street
church at three o'clock in the afternoon. After
prayer the President called for the reports of
the committees The committees all reported
except one, the chairman being unable to visit
since the last meeting The others reported
that they had been met very cordially at each
place. They had visited number of families
and one or two shops. The dealers told them
that they would willingly leave the business if
they could get any other business that would
pay as we'll One young man told them that if
he could get situation which would pay him
fifteen dollars week he would stop tending
bar. At the close of the reports the ladies
spent few moments in earnest and fervent
prayer, and then started on their visits The
following is the pledge that they will present:
"We pledge ourselves to neither Jas bev-
erage, to buy or sell any intoxicating drinks,
including wine, ale beer, and cider, during our
lives; and to do all that we can to pre- vent their
use or manufacture in the community humbly
relying upon our God to sustain US in the keep
ing of this solemn pledge.
The meetings will continue to be held in this
vestry.
a rInin tam avyap
meeting was held at the vestry of the Chestnut
street church. The hall was we'll filled, land
there was a great representation of city pastors.
Apparently the meeting was looked upon BY
many as eminently safe, there being-atout n
no SAVIOR of the crusade. E,carefully aPstained
from passing any vote eoWmendassry of the
women's movement n y
The Rev. Mr. Hincks, of Ssees Street church,
presided. The Rev. Burke F. 4ssvitt. of Will
iston church, offered the opening prayer. The
prayer was followed by singing.
The Rev. Mr.. Hincks re ad >ff0h the fourth
chapter of Acts, describing the imprissihent
for doing healing. He then said God hds given
us an example in the history of eHh early
church. We are met together ta..ssftto take
measures to arrest great and growing evil
the sin of intemperance The I6map legion
was won't when it went into battle, to station
at the front cohort of picked d7men. .Intem-
pernnce is at present the vanguard, the6Preto-
rian cohort of sin. As the early disciples uni
ted in supplcaton ''as one man. let usdnits.
Let us as they did call for the immediate de-
scent of the Holy Spirit into our hearts, Then
power will be given. Whatever is to be done
must be done with hearts baptized with the
Holy Ghost.
At the conclusion of Mr. Hincks' remarks
the audience joined in singing the hymn now
identified with the temperance movement
''Nearer, My God, to Thee" The Rev. Mr..
Wright of the St. Lawrence street churc b, fol-
lowed in prayer. Prayer was also offered by
Mr.. G. L. Kimball, and another hymn was
sung, followed by prayer from Rev. Mr.
Thwing and Capt. Sturdivant
The Rev. Mr.. Dalton of St. Stephens, made
some interesting remarks IN the line of thought
suggested by the leader of the meeting. In the
days of the older church the great evil to fight
was paganism. and so the Christians fought it.
The evil of to-day, the crying evil of the Anglo
| Saxon race, is intemperance, end it is our duty
to fight it. The present movement is conduct
ed in the right spirit. No harsh words are
used, no harsh measures ars taken. But for all
that opposition will be encountered and must
be overcome. These liquor dealers are not so
bad as they are painted. An instance in point
was related. A Christian creditor, hard press
ed, had tagging debtor and forced him out of
house and home. In his dire extremity liquor
seller came to his rescue, advanced him money
and gave him shelter Words of encourage
ment were given to the women, and the open
ing figure given with change, the visiting
committees being likened to the Pretorian CO.
bort.
The Rev. DIR. Smaller then took the chair,
and the meeting proceeded to consider practi cal
| measures for the suppression of the evil OF in
| temperance.
| The Rev. Burke F. Leavitt remarked that
the problem had changed since the last meet
| ing. Two organizations have been formed to
combat the evil, and these have our hearty
sympathy. The committee of churches have
no additional measures to suggest. Perhap:
the other organizations are broad enough to
embrace all the churches. Still it looks az
though something ought to be done to enforce
/ ldW3 duu ~ has oOCh phOuSho
well to have women of influence canvass the
city with petitions to the Governor and city au-
thorties to enforce the law.
Capt Cyrus Sturdivant followed with earn
est words in support of the women's movement
and the spirit of Christian charity in which it
was conducted He related an affecting incl
dent of a man who signed the pledge at the
Mission and then came to the prayer-meeting
| where his wife and children were.
| Mr. Strickland thought it necessary to de-
| something more than to call on the authorities,
| That had been done many times. The other
day he was in the liquor agency,a man came in
and asked for liquor. He was told to go tc
McGlinchy's, where the largest and best stock
| of liquors in the State was kept. e
Mr. Little, President of the Christian Tenn
perance Association, thought public opinio n
must be educated uplto the enforcement of the
law before any appeal can be effectual. If every
man and woman in the churches should sign
petition to the Mayor showing their sentiment
it woul undoubtedly have effect. The objec
of the Christian Association is to discourage
the use and sale of intoxicating liquors.
Mr.. Job Sanford said there were 5000 names
| Ou tuC UOOhS VI CuulCu uCihUCiouip III tuiS Cl1y
Let these 5000 sign petition and then roll i
through the streets to the feet of the proper au
tborities. ~ as.
Rev. Mr.. Thwing offered a resolution to the
effect that the churches heartily support the
movement of the Christian Association.
Mr.. NJ. G. Palmer supported the project o
circulating pledge. The resolution was thei
| unanimously adOpted
Rev. Mr.. Thwing announced the happy re
suit of large meetings in Bangor, Hallowell
Gardiner and Augusta. The full accounts o
the Portland meetings published in the PRES
had given great satisfaction, and had been rea,
at these meetings. He regretted to announce
that DR.. Lewis had been suddenly summone
home by the alarming illness of two of his pa
tients.
| Rev. B. f. Leavitt announced that tn
next Union prayer meeting would be held at
the vestry of State street church next Wednes
day evening, and Capt, Sturdivant gave motto
of a temperance meeting at the Allen Mission
next Friday evening, to which all were cordial
ly invited. The meeting then adjourned.