Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1876-03-24
TEMPERANCE COLUMN.
lCoSTElEuTEDB By THK WoHEs's TEMPERANCE USI3N.

Hampshire. In Maine, the Reform club
have been very active during the past win
ter, and new ones have been established i
many places. They are doing great work
" freeport has been shaken 10 its yer,
centre by temperance revival" " Th
members of these clubs go out into neigh
boring towns where the interest has not We
been awakened, and hold meetings. Som
one in giving an account of such an effort
in a small town in Maine. says that tn
meetings q once aroused great interest
At one of them over a thousand person
were present. The result was the estab
lishment OF club. These clubs are com
posed of reformed men solely. and they la
Dor to reach those who are just where they
have been."
In Essex county, Massachusetts, Wash.
ington 's-birth day was celebrated by granC
temperance demonstrations, of which the
Boston Erening Journal gives an extended
account. from which we borrow.
In Charlestown public meetings were
held afternoon and evening. both OF which
were largely attended. In the evening
the spacious edifce was thronged by .
congregation, who. for two hours and q
half, gave their earnest attsetiOn 10 the ad.
dresses made by some ofthe foremost work
ers in the cause.
In the afternoon the speakers were for
the most part reformed men who have
abandoned their drinking habits through
the instrumentality of reform clubs, and a.
they recounted their experiences. some Of
them of the most thrilling description.
many were affected to tears The effect OF
the meetings cannot fail Of giving new in
petus TO the work, and inspiring all engag-
cd in 1t witt freshr sal.
AT the opening exercises in the afternoon. !.
some eight hundred persons were present.
including some fifty delegates from many of
tho Reform clubs of New England, who
were in attendance as guests OF the club
In the course of the meeting the audience
was addressed by Mr.. j. X. Osgood. of
Gardiner Ne, the father OF the club, " who
gave an interesting account Of the progress
of the reform movement in New England
He related many affecting incidents coz
nected with his life before and since sign
ing the pledge, and in closing urged upon
every member the importance Of earnest
and persistent efforts in behalf Of the cause
Many other speakers followed, and the
meeting did not adjourn till nearly six
O'Clock.
The club Lad made ample arrangements
for entertaining the visiting delegates, who
proceeded 10 the vestry, where a fine cola
tion had been provided ty the .ady friends
Of tie club.
During the evening session President
0akmen gave en account Of tie history of
the club (the Bunker Hill Club which dur
ing the two years Of lis existence has grown
from 30 TO SGT, Of whom upward Of 800
were hsbituel drinkers & few short months
ago lie recognized the assistance furnish
cd the Club by the Nonen's Temperance
] s,.I 4Vfvr
rally
Rev. II ". C0naJt, ot Providence Z. | ,
! spoke earnestly of the WORK, which should
/ receive the support OF every Christian man
/ and woman The interests OF Christianity
! are involved il tie question, and he had
no doubt tut that the spirit OF { ist would
| IN the future develop 10 such telling in
| opposition to the tIathc in intoxicating IL
| quors as would cl0-e up every greg shop in
the land
Rev Mr.. Williams. Of Haverhill, spoke
| earnestly against the use OF light wines or
/ cider and Rev Henry \ Cooke spoke words
/ OF hearty encouragement ui the workers in
/ the Reform clubs
Rev. \ \. Miner Congratulated the mem
/ ber- Of the club upon thur work. The 800
reformed men had glorious body guard to
sustain them, and the prerogerIve Of the
/ 500 Wa hy no means light. The iniurl
| Gus effects Of alcohol upon the system were
| alluded to, and he believed thar the medi-
| cal profession are to-day administering al
| cohOlic preparations bllnd.y. Immense
| sums OF money are expended IN the trsihc-
the sum Of S735. eco coo aunually-being
I double tie receipts OF all the railways Of
the country. lie hoped to see the work of
/ the churches, reiJrm clubs and temperance
| organizations supplemented by prohibition
| ballots 1t next NcTembsr's 5 election. After
! other addresses the interesting meeting
/ came 70 . close at half-Dast ten O'clOck with
/ singing and the benedic;ion.
At salem q procession OF over eight hun
/ drcd reformed men marched through the
| city during the afternoon, ard in the eve
ming a torchlight parade was held. The
] residences Of many citizens and 4 number
/ of business establishments were decorated
with Aaes and bunting. and in the evening
/ 4 general Illumination Of the city took
| place.
At the conclusion Of tee afternoon pa
rade the procession marched into tho Tow \
( Hall at SIX O'Clock. where s. supper was
served which had been prepared by the
| ladies Of the V oman Temperance Union.
| The divine blessing was invoked by Rev.
/ Mr. Ilambleton, and the supper being con
cludei brief addresses were mado.
At clock the procession was formed
again, AID, escorted By bands si music.
marched through many e the streets ,t the
| city, bearing torch lights.
/ At Merblehead, 10 one battling was
| found large enough to contain the great
G-semblage of people, Tho came in crowds
/ from cities and towns in the vicinity. At
| one O'Clock p. IN. the line was formed on
/ Pleasant street. and moved ty short routes
/ to four different churchts. Inere were SIX
temperance societies represented in the pro-
tession. among them the MsTb,ehead Re
/ form Club, numbering six hundred men,
the SWampscJtt Temperance Cadets, num-
bering 40 ard the Marb.ehead Temperance
cadets numbering 400. The Methodist
4 church - was occupied ~ the boys OF the
/ Teuurrluco Cadets, and they seemed - en-
ter into the spirit Of the occasion with as
much intelligence and enthusiasm as their
fathers and brothers cf the Reform Clnb. 3"
After the church services - the clubs were
dismissed until the evening AT p. 10 ,
when the toTchlight parade was to take
place. Plates were laid AZ AtheIton Hail
for l .000, and the tables were loaded with
the contributions OF the citizens ct the
I town
The reporter adds the order was per
feet. and although there xas e large crowd
upon the street up 10 the tine ot writing
this leport no arrest had been made Every
rum shCp had been ordered closed by the
! Selectmen and Instructions given TO the
police t. rigidly enforce the order.
Extensive preparations were made by the
citizens for Illuminating. and appearances
at the present writing indicate such 4 blaze
of ligh. and such general enthusiasm as
the town has seldom Witnessed"
AT Peabody there was a parade Of the
Reform Club. numbering abou. l25 men,
who marched through the principal streets
of the town carly in the afternoon. partOok
of collation. at Upt0n's Hall at 3 o'clock.
and held a grand temperance mass meeting
in the evening at Peabody destitute
Through :he liberality Of the citizens Of
Danyers the Temperance Reform Club has
been able to aeca:e fine hall and reading
room, which was dedicated with appropri-
ate exercises on Monday evening.
Says the Boston EueHing Journal: We
hail with delight the spread of the temper
snco reform mjvement throughout the
Commonwealth. a movement which must
meet with the hearty appreciation of all or
der loving people. The reform was inau-
guTated ia such quiet, unosteDtatlous
manner, that it might be as difficult to tell
how and when it commenced as to predict
wheu it will end. Ii was not ushered in by
any pretentious display, but has seemed 70
rise and spread from the real necessities
which demanded is existence. The cele-
bIatioas in Essex county and elsewhere yes
tc-day were enthusiastic, ard augutei well
for tie stnrdy and rapid growth OF the
movement"
AT WASHINGTON
Tbs annual meeting CT the Congressional
Temperance Society was held at Washing
ton On Sunday evening, February Goth, and
was .. well attended and fall of interest
An address was made by Hon. Prof. Julius
II. Seelye, which is spoken of as having
been rich treat. ''clear enGHciation choice
language, convincing argument garnished
and set off, the substance of the speech,
while il YVES supported aad made effective
by the character and influence of the man.
After depicting the evils and the sin Of
drunkenness, 10 spoke OF the remedies tina.