Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1875-02-25
The Temperance and Literary
Society.
CON VI UNICATED.

On Monday evening the audience
was large, filling almost to sufocdti6r
the entire basement of the Church ex
cept the kitchen The exercises were
varied, and very interesting. So much
so thst more than a score Of people en-
dured q standing spositi0n for hour;
without conscious WEAKNESS.
This Society has grown steadily from
an almost unnoticgablc beginning up tc
its present proportions. The influence
that it exerts over its members, and
those who attend its meetings is said,
by close observers, to be salutary and
good. and We have fully believed that
the desire of all friends of morality
was for the good work to so on. But
at the last meeting surprise" played
in tableau, took the audience by
storm, and was loudly applauded for
the pere fiction of its execution. But
the danger was not in the tableau, for
after it came another surprise in the
form Of a resolution, the purport of
which was to exclude all persons from
attending these meetings, except the
members, and those going there for the
purpose of becoming members. Had
the resolution been gotten up and pre-
scented (supposing the presenter to be
the originator) by some one else, it
might have been regarded as an error
Of good man; but for the local ed
itor Of the Grand Rapids Tribune to
present such a resolution, looks as
though there might be mischief lurk-
ing somewhere When VIC remember
the position taken by the Tribune less
than a year ago in regard TO temper
ance, We shall do well to ponder with
due care before adopting anything COM
ing from that source. For did not
leading editorials in that sheet uphold
to its utmost strength the License
System and the Rum Traffic 2"
Did not the editor assail in beliger-
ant manner everything of a temperance
character Has he not published ev-
erything Of slangy nature that his
space would admit Of, FOR the purpose
Of bringing odlum upon the temper
ance cause? Has he not cracked his
low vulgar jokes time and again for
the purpose weakening the courage of
the advocates of right? In narrating
current facts Of circ umstances where
liquor has accomplished its hellish
work, has he not studiously eliminated
everything that would throw the least
reflection upon Intoxicating drinks?
And then, without any repentance, come
into a temperance organization and in
troduce a resolution touching so nearly
its life blood 1t may be replied
" Why, he is a member.' What of
that? Judas was a disciple, but that
stood not in the way of his selling his
Lord. 1t may be said that "there is
not room enough for the members AID
all who come" We reply, there are
larger rooms in the city that can be OBJ
tanned. "But some of the members
had to stand" What if they did II
[ have not chairs enough in my house
to accommodate myself and all my in
vited guests, will either secure more,
or do the standing myself. Good man.
ners require that the host rather than
the guests do the standing.
No. rather than curtail it's influence
one iota, We Will throw wide open the
doors of the largest hall in the city,
and invite the people to come en- masse.
Meanwhile we will in fuse into our ex-
ercises all the energy and spirit posi-
bic, that shall set on fire the multitudes,
creating thereby such a terrific tenn
ance influence, that it shall sweep like
a mighty tidal wave, every rum inter-
est and rum supporter into the fathom-
less depths Of eternal obloquy.
FAIR PLAY.
AUGUST FLOWER The most mis-
cradle beings III the rorlt are those
suffering from Dyspepsia and Liver