The Rutland daily globe. [volume] (Rutland, Vt.) 1873-1877, 1875-01-27
TEMPERANCE MASS MEETING
Mrs. svvanson,s address.


at the parlors of the Baptist church last
evening was not largely attended, the au.
dience consisting of about seventy-fve per-
sons mostly ladies'.
The exercises were opened by singing,
after which prayer was offered by Rev. II.
+. Austin of the Methodist church. The
speaker was introduced by Mrs. J. M.
Haven, president of the Ladies' temper
ance society.
Mrs. Swanson is medium sized, fine
appearing lady, who speaks pleasantly
without notes. Her story is told in sim
pie manner which from the first fixes the
attention of her audience and secures their
sympathy.
Mrs. Swanson spoke substantially as
follows She commenced by a bret his
tory of the new temperance movement in
Brooklyn. Less than year ago--in March,
1S74-the old temperance society Of
Brooklyn had invited the women of the
city to meet for the purpose Of seeing
what could be done in the interests Of
temperance. 1t was found that the old
machinery of the society did not work
effectively and the need of something
more potent was felt. There were two
women who believed implicitly in the
power of prayer to stay the evil, and at
was held in an upper room in which sixty
women joined and the result was
such pentacostal shower as to convince
those present that the right starting point
had at last been found. Before that meet
ing closed a committee had been appointed
and the preliminary steps taken which bad
resulted so gloriously III Brooklyn. The
work OF visiting saloons was commenced,
and the very first saloon they visited was
now temperance lodge house. This work
of visiting saloons was all new to us, then.
as new as it is now to you. At the first
meeting in n saloon, notice had been sent
and there was great crowd, so great that
the police had to clear the way for the wo-
men. Boxes and barrels had to be used as
seats-the Bible was read, hymns sung and
PRAYERS offered, and as result about
dozen were converted Committees were
then sent through the city begging owners
of buildings not to rent their property to
rumscllers. and other measures taken to
check the evil The effect had been mar
Vicious.
This work was not solely temperance
work, it was Gods work. Men had arisen
in these meetings saying, 81 heard you say
that the Lord Jesus could take away the
appetite for whisky; it cannot be possible
my appetite is so strong it cannot be
taken away
The consequence was, in many cases,
these same victims of strong drink had
been released from their thraldom by the
power of prayer, had become hopefully
converted and were now living consistent
Christian lives. When the women of Brook
Ign first began this work the prospect was
Il dismal one. The speaker herself had al
ways been temperance woman, but had
never been brought into actual contact with
the evil and only saw its baleful effects as
in a dream. But when bro lght face to face
with it, unmasked, she felt it her duty to
become an active worker in the cause, and
this she had found to be the case in many
other instances. To see the effects of the
evil was equivalent to become an earnest
believer in temperance principles.
The amount of pauperism, crime, suf-
fering, expense entaied upon society by the
vice OF intemperance were here wildly
portrayed by the speaker. WASN'T not time
for every christian man and woman to
come out as temperance workers If this
evil could be banished from the land surely
the millennium would dawn upon us. A
wall must be built up around the gigantic
evil for the protection of society. God had
committed the building of this wall to the
christian church, both men and women
There was work here for all. The re-
suit aimed at by this work was the saliva
ton of one hundred and fifty thousand vic
Tins who were on the road to drunkenness
and ruin, and not only of these but of the
myriads who were preparing to join tho
throng. One of the strongest helps in thu
good work, the Brooklyn women found Il
be singing. They sing everywhere, in thu
saloons, on the streets and in the prayer
meetings. Much good could also be don,
by the distribution of temperance literature
Prayer meetings, too, should not be for
gotten. If any doubts were encountered
we should ask Gods counsel. There wa
something about this temperance worl
which intensified the religious zeal and fer
vor of those who engaged in it.
Formerly, she herself had been in tn
habit of praying because she thought
right-shc made il matter of duty, bu
since engaging in thework, she prayed be
cause she felt she must pray and becaus
she loved to pray. We should in prayin
put implicit faith in God that lie will an
swer prayer in some way-this must b
left to Him. Oftentimes He opened ia
different way from what was anticipated.
In Brooklyn they met on Tuesdays o
their lunch room where they had a praye
meeting, after which the saloons were vii
tied. They found the saloon keepers to b
gentlemen as a class, always having som
warm spots in their hearts, somewhere
which could be reached in some way
they went to him kindly, assuming ths
they would be kindly treated in return
, they distributed tracts, and asked permi.
sion to talk about temperance which wa
almost invariably granted. Many of thes
saloon keepers say they wish they were OF
f of business. A wonderful change in NOR,
, sentiment. Gentlemen no longer consid
cred 1t reputable to go INTO saloons to g
, | their ole ON Inst New Years' day In maj