Staunton vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1860-1896, 1875-02-05
THE TEMPERANCE MOVEMENT.

.APrENlsaNCE OF THE GRAND LECTURER
THE TEMPERANCE CAUsE-PRAYER
MEETINGS TOR ITS sUCCEss-A SUNDAY
LIQUOR LAW ADOPTED BY THE CITY
COUNCIL OF Sta UNToN--No LIQUOR TO
BE SOLD TO MINORs,
&C., &C.. &C.
A very large audience assembled at the
Methodist church ON Tuesday night to
hear an address on Temperance from Maj
Jas. F. Divine of Loudon CO., the Grand
Lecturer of the Good Templars, of Vir-
ginia. By the time the Telaplsrs who
came in body arrived, y o'clock, the
body of the church had already been well
filed, save sufficient number Of seats for
members Of the order. The procession
coming into the church was new to many
of the audience, especially the sight OF the
handsome female members marching in in
elegant regalia. The Templars' regalia is
AS handsome as that of any secret order we
know of. and worn on the pretty shoulders
.of lady becomes doubly attractive. The
chair was taken 5y Maj. J. w. Newton,
who said that though the call to preside
was unexpected be had determined eight
wears ago, when lee espoused the cause OF
Temperance, to decline no duty, public or
uuiyate, which the good OF the order en-
tasEad. and he should not do SO now. The
,ssliteg was opened by the singing OF q
es;aaae hymn, lift High the Tenn
-enl gssaqsz4H.er," followed by PRAYER by
pel"i1e Seszel, ~ which he invoked a
, nes. ~ : &Sse engaged in 1.-THE Godlike
piesslns on y tlheir fellow men," Then
e muln " ss't fn W practical words from
DR.. Points, Grand " f Saa3, ,he aTndad r.
Of Harrisonburg, in WI n a. 400 400 ho-
DR.. Ruffner's statement O. r.. I;o,,ore
ing spent annually in Virgin ~
He then introduced
THE GRAND LECTURER,
Maj. Divine. He is man Of small soa-
ture. long gray hair and beard, and about
so years of age, but with all the fire an1
vim of boy. He had not gone far before
the audience found out that they had got
ten hold Of the right man. He has some
tory, telling his sad stories with pathos
that often filled the eyes of his hearers
with tears, and giving, his humorous anec-
dotes with that junction of fun that car
ried his hearers with him in hearty laugh
ter. Many of the illustrations of the evils
of intemperance literally came home to his
audience, for he gave localities and dates
in the Valley Of Virginia. The recent ira
gedy in Loudon, ending with the drunken
murderer being sentenced to eighteen
years in the State prison, was told, and
the lecturer added that while that man was
being sentenced. another man who had
lust murdered man while under the In
ffussnce of liquor in a village near by, was
ibrought to the Jail. He told the sad story
of a prominent minister OF the Gospel,
whose name would once have filled any
church in the State. who, through liquor
had fallen, and now was drunkard and
gambler, whose divorced wife now resides
in Loudon. The story was wildly told,
and the rapid interchange OF whispers
among the audience showed that they
identified the man as former Methodist
minister of distinction in Virginia, who
was a brave soldier during the war.
THE BIBLE
sauthority'' for liquor drinking received
passing whack, the lecturer holding up In
his hand the advertisement of the proprle-
tor Of large restaurant in Washington
city, which bore the quotation from the
Scriptures, "Give strong drink to him that
is about to perish, that he may forget his
troubles and remember them no more y
He ridiculed the idea of quoting Paul's ad-
vice to Timothy as an excuse for drinking,
and said it reminded him of the Irishman
who was asked to drink, and said he
wouldn't. "But,'' said the man who in
vited him, "Don't you remember Paul
says to Timothy, take little for thy sto-
mach's sake?''' eyes," said the Irish
man, ssbut me name isn't Timothy, and
there's nothing the matter wild me sto-
mach.n The lecturer could not see how
anv Christian man could sell liquor. He
was very severe on those who thought they
could drink, and had minds strong enough
to keep them from falling. The greates
intellect was no guarantee against falling
Daniel Webster, who was one OF the frs
intellects in America, was no exception
One night at Faneuil Hall he was speak
ing. when it became clear that his mine
was clouded, and Rufus Chcate, his friend
,,h;snorad tn him familiar subject tina