Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1876-12-13
Temperance
Once n Month.

"Do you have temperance meetings z
asked q lady of the writer She had como
to me with shadow on her life. the awful
rum-shadow. She knew what 1t was TO have
a home darkened by the curse Of anothers
love for strong drink. " DO you have tenn
peranco meetings 2" she asked. They do
SO much good, and there is so much need OF
it," 1t would have been rather uucomtor.
table question to answer, If temperance had
been ravaging all about us like beast gone
mad, and still no specific notice in our meet
ings had been taken of those ravages. But
thank God, could say did have temper
ance meetings We did bring the batteries
of prayer and Christian appeal TO bear di-
rectly and heavily on the evil
And is there not need Of such attention to
it. attention as specific and stated as that
which we give 70 the heather abroad Are
we putting money aud prayers into macnin-
ery for raising souls out Of the mirc OF
heathenism abroad, when souls just as pre-
cious are stranded in the next street gutter
| It is hard 10 account for that Indifference 10
the evils of intemperance sometimes found
among Christian people The gigantic ma
ture of an evil may overwhelm US. IL
strikes us specchless. The idea of effort
against it seems futile. a paralysis be-
numbs the will Here Is an avalanche,
men say. " We can't press II back Let H.
crash" If any one talks that way about IN
/ temperance let our answer be, Never
| That means paralysis OF the moral senti-
ments as well "a wiil-power. We must use
| every possible instrumentalitv, and most oil
| all. the strongest known force among men,
/ the Christian conscience Ii upon the evil
we can bring TO bear this ordnance with ITS
sure aim. deadly discharge, aud persistent
| firing, we shall batter down the evil. Inat
right conscience we find in the church OF
] Christ. Into the church Of Christ, then,
we must take this subject, and give it care
full, praurful, and methodical attention.
Musi, say: the church must take hold OF
il. The peril is too deadly TO be sighted
The monster is Brareus, and no other force
is equal to him. The church must take
hold Of this evil worse than slavery. The
church must slay it, or it will slay the church
Aud we ought to grip the evil IN our meet
ngs at stated and frequent seasons. Once
a month is not too often. II one thinks II
is. then let it come once in two months, but
at whatever intervals the subject comes up
let it come Hp statedly and as often as pos
sible Stately; that ensures some atten
ton to the subject lntemperance then Is
sure 10 receive one volley, at least, in It,
I 4
ticinr the subject, the up-and-at-itwheny
feeLike-it method, may not get of a single
shot. Let the subject come up often thai
keeps up aud develops the interest II is q
stick on the fire every now and then, sure e
keep up steady heat, aud give the rum
traffic. aud rum-seller also, a scorchlng.
Let a church have its temperance meeting
as regularly as its mission concert. No on'
can fully measure the influence Tor good OF
the community as whole. No one can tel
how much good one minister. all on fire, car
do in this work. simply as a centre OF lnhu
ence in the community. Multiply ona maj
hy a church as earnest as he and you can
stake in the results and measure them. IL IL
this work on public sentiment that sumu
lates the community to demand right legis
iatiou and then insists ON Its enforcement
Every temperance meeting is force TO b
felt for the prohibition Of the rum-traih
some day. not simply as pen upon pape
writing a law. but as strong hand welding
that law and crushing evil with 1t. We ar
making right sentiment In our yestries, an'
RIGHT sentiment is sure through the work
ing Of our American institutions, 70 be fel
o at the polls some day. 1t is not sentlmen
: simply; it is lightning striking somewhere
I Go on manufacturing electricity for the da
J. Of thunderbolts.
{ But there is work in detail. Wher
the writer's home is, the loathsomeuess O
- iutemperance is continually thrusting itsel
, upon HIM in. individual cases. 1t stagger
up to, reel against him Extensively. som
county communities may not have much q
O. this evil to be cured in the indiyidua
E. If not. there is then work of prevention
!, Every church iu the country sends out en-
3 grants. There IS a rush toward the ciue
o Give q temperance armor TO your boy to-da,
brea,tplate' helmet sword, shield. lie vi
' need il in the city when the red squadron
Of temptation bear down upon him to tran
pie him IN the gutter This imPortar
work to-day rests upon MS, that OF the pr
occupancy OF the minds of our youth, secu
(, ing them for temperance and SO preventm
rs intemperance. Happy is the general wi
' in the day of battle can first occupy wit
his forces some rising ground, and the
mass his stubborn batteries. Fortuna
will be the church II 10 can secure the ne
To- generation for temperance 10y occupyli
ls the vantage ground of childhood to-da
II the church don't occupy, the devil vi