, 1874-09-24
Rnget Sound 9ispatel1.


TEMPERANCE LECTURE. We have had
the pleasure of listening to nearly all
the distinguished temperance lecturers
Of the country. but, with the exception
of the famous Tom Marshall. were never
so we'll entertained by one Of them as
BY DR.. J. 8. Haskell, the old circus
man. who addressed our citizens at the
Pavilion on Monday evening. The DR..
has been there himself; he knows where
of he speaks. and relates his experience
and observations of the evils Of intem-
perance in q manner which takes hold
of the sympathies of his hearers in a
remarkable degree; particularly of those
who are engaged in the sale or indulge
in the use of intoxicating drinks; class
seldom reached by proscriptive temper
ance organizations and denunciatory
lectures. DR.. Haskell expects to return
here in few days to deliver course OF
lectures, in view of which we take the
liberty of calling his attention to two
glaring faults calculated to impair his
usefulness. 1st, He don't keep his en-
gagements. His meeting on Wednesday
evening was called for O'Clock. An
hundred and fifty persons were there
at that time to meet him, and we're kept
waiting half an hour before he appeared.
For having robbed his audience of rs
hours of time, he offered neither excuse
nor apology. and OF course had none to
offer. To disturb an audience by enter
ing late, is mark of ill-breeding; to de-
tain an audience by wilful or careless
neglect of time, betrays lax sentiment
of moral obligation to others unbecom-
ing an apostle of reform and detrimen-
tai to his cause. I'd, The unnecessary
repetitions of the name of Deity in his
lecture, seemed to us not only irrever-
cnt, but offensive to good taste. The
command to take not Gods holy name
in vain, is violated in letter and spirit,
when used as an exclamation, as an or
nament to rhetorical flourish, to give
force to phrase, to round a period or
point jest, though not, perhaps, in de-
gree, as much as when associated with
vulgar explosives and blasphemous RIB
aldry. Profanity is one Of the lowest,
most useless and inexcusable, as we'll as
most common vices. The very air il
noxious, and the sensibilities of all de-
cent people are shocked by it, not only
from the mouths of the low and degrad-
ed disciples of the devil, but from those
who rank high in the social scale. For
a Christian lecturer to intersperse all his
sentences with the unnecessarily and
inappropriate use of the sacred name, is
to weaken the sentiment OF. veneration
which is the foundation of all correct
moral principle. and pander to the most
depraved habit of the times.
If we ever assume the role of moral
reformer. it will be to organize crusade
again that moral sentiment which SCOTS
at everything sacred or venerable. The
lack of veneration is the lack of every
moral. social and filial virtue. A man
without it, can not be dutiful son. a
faithful husband, good father, a loyal
Christian, or a true patriot. He who
does not venerate the name of God,
holds nothing sacred in bis relations
with man. He is merely the creature
of association, cast upon the waves
without compass, chart or anchor How
careful, then, should all G hristian teach
ers be, to avoid all modes of expression
calculated to impair the popular rever-
ence for sacred things.