Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1874-07-03
Sunday Evening Temperance Meeting.

Sunday Evening Temperance Meeting.
The meeting, last evening, was held in
the Methodist Church, which was filled, in
D spite of the heat of the evening. Samuel
Huntington presided, and after reading of
the Scriptures and prayer by Rev. l.. O..
Brastow, introduced Dr.Samuel Worcester,
of this city, who delivered an interesting
address. Rev. &. 3. Stafford followed.
DR.. WORCESTER S ADDRESS.
DIR. Worcester said that though as a
general rule it might be unadvisable for the
physician, whose services bring him in con-
tact with all shades of opinions, to take
sides publicly on political or social ques-
tons dividing the community, yet it was
rule to which there were exceptions. 1t
was not outside of the sphere of the physi-
clan to endeayor to raise the standard Of
public health, and public morality by
raising n warning voice against dangerous
vices. Intemperance is the giant vice of
our age. Its name is legion, for it is the
source of endless crimes and vices. In 1860
the retail value of the alcoholic drinks,
fermented and distilled, sold was $40, 000,-
600, while the retail value of all the -four,
dry goods and groceries sold was only $780,
600 900, while in 1870 the sales of the retail
liq n dealers had increased to 81, 400
O0u 900. That the sale of drugged and
manufactured liquors was a crime, all
agreed. Good and wise men were divided
however, on the question Ofthe moderate use
ofpure liquors. letall, however disagreed
as to means. could unite in REFRESHING intern
perance. The Scriptural license to give wine
to the weak and heavy ofheart, gives no per-
mission to or excuse for drunkenness. DR..
Worcester considered the medical attitude
Of the question. The use OF alcohol, it is
well settled, reduces the power to resist dis
ease. The alarming frequency of paralysis
is doubtless largely due to the use Of strong
drink. drunkard can never be cured, if
attacked by cholera. The speaker quoted
from such eminent authorities as DIR. Kline
and DR.. Lee. in support OF his views, and as
showing that alcohol weakcns instead of
strengthens, produces disease and reduces the
power to resist contagl0n. The National In
stitute of Homeopathy, the largest medical
body in the country at recent sessions adopted
resolutions expressing alarm at the increase
of intemperance, urging that alcohol should
be used as medicine with as much caution
Is any active poison warning physicians
against prescribing it, especially in eases Of
/ !ncipient consumption, and declaring that
| it should be accompanied, when used, by
Instructions which would guard the patient
against excess and against permitting the
use to become habit.
The speaker mentioned that while 0c-
/ caSlOnal drunkenness was crime, and
| should be punished, habitual drunkenness
! Is disease and should be treated
not in prisons bat in asylums and
| hospitals. lie thought moral sudsion
/ the most potent instrument of reform. The
/ prevalence of int0xicatiOn the world over
I and ever since man had n history shows
/ it to be 4 deeply seated procliyIty OF human
nature. lie thought that not enough was
done TO provide harmless recreati0n- ami
resorts. lie would close every bar. and
would. as far As possible, induce every man
/ 10 seek his recreation with his family
/ Woman can do more than laws. In this
/ State, the prOhibtory law, which Is not.
| strictly speaking, prohibitory, bat which
| restricts the sale of liquors to proper pur-
| poses. is the only barrier against the uni
/ ycr~al sale of intOXicants. Sach laws arc
/ opposed by bio Lewis and Others; bat it
/ they are failures why are the liquor sell
I er- 80 universally de>IouS OF their repeal
/ The law j. the only existing safeguard
against free rum. Ii Is the right OF any 70
argue for its repeal: bat there Is no pros
/ pcct OF repeal without a very extensive
Z charge of public opinion, and till repealed
all rieht-minded men should obey and ,u--
tain 1t. Ii Is an evil day for our country
when the rising generation Is taught tha'
| hc who nullihe> the law. i most entitled
[ ID promotion and success. We must 90
into the fight with King Alcohol 10 tine
/ spirit with which David met Goliath, and
Sd warning We shall conquer.
REV. Mr.. sAfroRD's ADDRESS
/ Mr.. Stafford. after a brief opening, asked.
/ Are We not giving too much prominence tn
/ the subject OF Temperance by these mcetlng-3
/ Temperance Is not everything. bat it is
/ ,.HGiu!g. IL is o good thing for the church
/ to take hold OF q reform ike rhis. Ii i, the
| best answer 90 those who tel. Us that there
l Is no bone and ~inew in our religion. Quot
ing from Mr.. Curtis's culogv on sumner,
that the great Senator was horn-warri3r
/ for justice and equal right, he said thatw
I too. as Christians should be h0rn-warrl0rS
7 against every vice. The church cannot Lex
this work of resistance 70 a giant wee pass,
[ il Ii Is to maintain the name of a working
/ church This reform binders no other. We
are told tina, IL Is long contest 80 all the
/ battles Of the church are for all time. bu;
the smoke and dust of battles pas; detcrs no
good and true soldier from new hat
tie, and new victories. some may
think the course os this movement in this
community not a career of triumph. There
have been events regarded by some Is DC
icats. The women of Burlington, some
weeks since. pcttioned the Board of Alic:-
men not % permit their authority o. be a
cover for violation of law. The treatment
accorded to that petition was no; q defeat.
The Aldermen did no: deny the request. They
threw up a slender hreastwork OF technical
ltics. SO slender that any school boy Ot ave
rage intelligence could riddle it. aad ~kulked
behind that thinking it safer to atiront the
intelligence than the moral sense oi the
community.
% the women OF Chittenlcn County app
/ pcaiei % the nominating convention On S1;-
urday, Offering no suggestion as to the max
ing OF the law. but simply asking, what
| every citizen has a right 10 demand. tlat
| the law shall be honestly enforced By the Of
| ticer who j. entrusted under cath with Its
/ execution. The petition did honor o. the
/ heads and hearts OF the women. The con-
vention received the petition with honor
/ There was not q syllable uttered against it.
/ Ii was undcrstO0d-and if hc stated any
| thing incorrectly there were those present
| who could correct him. and be desired 10
| be corrected then and there,-that a man,
regarded a. the leader of the rum interest
/ Of this city. not a member OF the Republic
/ can party, had solicited the votes OF dele
/ gates whom he could approach, Tor Mr..
| Mr. Hewitt. for States Attorney. Another
man. known as a bitter opponent of the
| prohibitory law, and who had in the SPEAK
/ crs hearing denounced the law more severe
| Is than any one he had ever heard. rose IN
/ that convention and said. in behalf of the
/ chief part OF the Burlington delegation,
/ and as reason for nominating Mr.. Hewitt,
/ that he believed he, Hewitt. would comply
with the request of the ladies, and would
/ faithfully execute the law against all GRIM
mails. Now either there had been some
/ extraordinary conversions either these men
! had changed their attitude on this que--
ton either the majority Of the Darlington
| delegation held different views from what
the mcn whose votes elected them supposed.
or it was not necessary 10 mention the
/ alternative. These were not defeats. bnt II
they had been. what Is our faith good FOX if
1t cannot stand defeat? Mr.. Stafford proceed
ed to allude to some pertinent facts and sta
tiSticS in reference to the repression of drunk
onneSs in the prohibitory States, and To
indicate himself from any charge of malice
| or unchriStian severity
lie had nothing TO say in disparagemcnt
OF moral suasiJn, in this. reform. lie
would have all possible done in that dircc
ton. Yet he had noticed that You could
push moral SuaSiOn to all lengths. and
men who drink and who sell liquor would
applaud it; bnt apply also the law, and
they will not applaud that, for very OBJ
vious reason. The law is an educator up
wards a. well as downwards Temperance
sentiment Is higher in the States that have
prohibitory laws. Statistics show that in
the States that have the law. but one-third
as much liquor is sold, As in other States of
equal or less population. California uses
six times as much liquor, per capita, As
Massachusetts and nine times as much as
Maine Referring to Mrs. Prof. Pierce 5 letter
on substitution of beer for spirits. the speaker
alluded to the working of the bcer-law of
England. It was passed to encourage the
nsc Of beer in place of stronger stimnlants.