The Morning herald., 1877-02-19
Temperance Meeting.

Temperance Meeting.
A Temperance meeting was held in the
Institute Hall yesterday afternoD, about
700 persons were present. Mr.. Lee being
appointed President, the meeting was open
ed with prayer by Rev. Mr.. Pennell Combs
Mr.. Wells then moved that collection
be taken up, while Mr.. Pickles sang hymn;
and also stated, that the money collected
last Sunday amounted to $500.
Mr.. Lee stated that another meeting
would be held next Sunday tor the reior-
nation of young men.
The Rev. Mr.. Coombs was then intro.
duced and said THAT tho sale of liquor
In community was great evil, and ought
to be stopped by law rumshops abound
everywhere, tempting the young into des-
struction. The speaker regretted to say.
that the law instead Of preventing intem-
perance, protected 1t by permitting liquor
to be sold. The speaker further said, he
was informed that persons were selling
liquor under the United States Govern
ment license. The United States have no
more right to grant such license than the
man in the moon. A correct and chaste
public opinion, If properly directed, would
sweep the whole business from tho face of
the earth. We have used the license sys-
TEN over 100 years, and during that time 1t
has ruined myriads of men of every class
and order of societies. The court records
show that 10 of all the crimes are pro-
duced by grogshops. The present license
system satisfies nobody, not even its friends
or the friends of temperance. The liquor
men have already asked for repeal of the
present license law and intend to fight until
they accomplish their design.
The legislature In their endeavor to
please everybody please nobody. All intem-
perance has grown up under the license
law, and has become 50 prevalent that
thousands Of drunkards can be seen every
day. The temperance reform has already
prevented more men from becoming intem-
perate, than it has cured drunkards. The
enemies of Local Option say, that there is
as much drunkenness now as there ever
was. The Speaker than read bill which
was to be presented to tho legislature in re-
gard to liquor traffic. That 1t has been the
fashion of our legislature to change the
| liquor law every few years. The entire re-
sponsibility of continuing legalized liquor
traffic rests upon our democratic legislature
there are norepublicans in that body to d.
vide the responsibility of the evil. The leg
islature must do one of two things, 1t must
either oblige the liquor men and modify the
law or the Local Option party by repeating
all liquor laws and leave its sale to be de-
termined by the vote of the people. If the
Democratic party refuse to pass q Local Op-
tion law, they become the patrons of the
liquor men and the enemies of the Prohibi-
tion men. If the Democratic party intend
to carry the load of the license system on
their shoulders, they will find themselves
very short of votes at the next election. I
don't think tho party will put itself in that
position, therefore he thought there was
some chance Of success.
Thea the Rev. gentleman gave sketch of
his work in this State; saying, l made
bargain to canvass this State, my native
State; that would preach sermon on
Sunday and during the week, with the un-
derstanding that the Finance Committee
would give $lOO per month, for my time
and work, and that I would pay my own
travelling expenses: these terms were agreed
upon and commenced my work.
For the first and second month no money
was raised, preached and lectured seventy
seven times, During the fourth month l
was present at ninety temperance meetings
which were all we'll attended. decided not
to commence my work until after the elec-
tion as the men were busy coDversing about
Tllden and Hayes, and called one and
another hard names. On the first Sunday
after the election commenced my work
holding meetings at Lewes, Frederick,
Smyrna, Middletown, which were attended
by best of people, but only for the ladies, we
could have done nothing.
During this time distributed 800 petition
and also 300 L. O. tracts, Up to last Wed-
nesday received sos, no more beirg raised,
but as I was wanted to 20 to Dover, the
ladies Immediately set to work to raise
necessary funds. Your canvassing is no
good If no person goes to the Legislature to
arrange petitions and present them to the
respective representatives. The speaker
gave a statement of the number of persons
who signed the various petitions, and upon
presenting them to Legislature, on motion
q Local Option COMMITTEE of five was ap-
pointed as follows: Messrs. Nicholson,
Ware, Brown, Messick and DR.. Mustard;
Messrs. Brown and Messick being straight
out temperance men.
A hymn being sung by Mr., Pickles and
after prayer by Rev. Mr.. Coombs, meeting
adjourned.
Arrivals at the Clayton House.