Daily Republican., 1877-04-16
The Temperance Meeting.

AT the time appointed yesterday Sunday
every part Of the Opera House was filed
with an apprecistive audience. George W.
Wells presided VT. Tull opened with pray
er and the choir Of st. Paul's M. f. Church,
led In the music. Rev. T, B. Killiam n ade
an earnest address until the arrival of Mr.
butcher.
The President then introduced Mr.. George
M. butcher who proceeded as follows to ad-
dress the audiences:
I feel highly gratiaed that have been
called to speak before this large congrega-
zion, ! can say in ny heart "Glory, .Halleiu-
Sajahn shat God has put 1t into the hearts Of
men and women to come to this meeting;,
and we want this to be gloreous success
We ss'fr It not un4y to IJs soccsss iu'nulr-r
bers and intelligence here, but q success 8 as
well in ternity, when God shall mako up
his jewels. ...
When Dante walked the streets of Flor
ence, passers by would stop and say of him,
There goes man who has been in torment.
Like him, 1 can also say, that have been
In torment, that have passed through the
burning furnace OF atfiiction; and my heart
goes out to every poor brother who is q slave
to drink, and everything that shall say here
shall be in the spirit OF love and kindness,
using no hard words, but praying that God
may 80 touch the hearts Of men that this
meeting may gather souls to Him and Heaven
and eternal life.
The spa aker continued that he was going
to preach a sermon on this occasion, and
would take for his -" Wine is a mocker
etc. and whoever is deceived thereby Is not
wise" 1t matters not how we'll educated q
man might be, If he tampered with strong
drink, the Bible declared he was not wise.
He instanced the case Of o Learned profess
sor in western college who had learned to
drink wine and went from wine to brandy,
and down, step by step, until he became
wretched sot, What we want is for men to
seek the true wisdem which teaches,-Taste
not, touch not, handle not, that which ruins
soul and body in the end
We were pulling up stream and fighting
battle for God, Ia this cause, and that IL
true christianity. A man may say lie loves
God and shout "Glory Hallelujah," andt
then 60 and sign petition for the sale
rum.
This may be very easy way to 60 into
Gods Kingdom, but certainly q very poor
way. The speaker belonged to the Metho-
dist church, and they generally made great
deal Of noise, they howled fearfully some
times and you would almost think they would
take the roof off of the building; but the rea-
| question after all was, what are you doing
| tor God? and sometimes brother would ac-
know ledge that he spent his time in shouting
instead of going to work in his vineyard.
There were many who always had some ex-
cuse when called upon to work. 1t was the
same in tho days Of old, when Christ was in
the world; one had this to do and anoth or
that to do, another had married wife and
could not come.
Why didn't he como and bring his wife with
him? The fact IS the wives were often
more willing to do good than their husbands .
II was noble woman that subdued the iron
will Of the mighty chiettain when he stood
knocking at the gates Of Rome. 1t WAS a
brave Kentucky woman who bro ught cold
water to the wounded soldiers on the battle
field. 1t was little peasant girl that placed
the crown upon the brow Of Charles VII,
and drove the enemies Of France forever from
the soil other native land; and he believed
that 1t was the God-fearing christian women
of this republic, who are destined to plant
the snow-white banner Of temperance upon
the stronghold Of rum.
IfAngels ever wept over fallen mortal,
it aver the man who fills drunkard's
gravd, and had he the gold of California, the
dianJpnds of Peru or the wealth Of Goconda,
he Vi uld give it all as freely as S glass Of
watch, if he could bring these poor victim.
back again 10 life and get them to seek God