Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1877-06-08
Grand Reform Club OF Vermont.
FIRST ANNITAI MEETING

THE Blu +
+ Grand Reform Club of Vermont.
!. FIRST ANNUAL MEETING.
$ The Grand State Temperance Reform
= Club of Vermont, met pursuant to the call
: of the President, at Good Tempars Hall,
7 in this city, Yesterday tuesday at 10
, O'Clock a. m.
, Under article 3 OF the constitution the
Grand Reform Club consists of the Presi-
f dent-or past President-of each Reform
Club in the State. and one other delegate,
, and an additional delegate for every two
hundred members or fractional part thereof
of each club. Fifteen clubs were repre-
sented by some forty delegates, the clubs
being those of Bellows Falls. Worcester,
Montpelier, Brandon, Hardwick, st. Al
bans, Underhill, ilinesburgh, Rutland,
North Wolcott, Jericho, Essex Junction,
Fairfax, Cambridge and Burlington.
The club was called to order by l.. l..
Durant, President, and opened with prayer
by Rev. |. d. Burwel, of Hinesburgh.
The chair appointed az committee on
credentials C. $. Palmer. Jericho; Perry
Miles. IIinesburgh F. C. Burbanks, st.
Adams.
The chair read a letter from the State
Temperance Reform Club of Rhode Island,
signed by Arlington ID. WEIGH, Secretary.
saying "Rhode Island sends congratula-
| 20 al ~
and wishes her God speed in the noble work
of Reform
l.. NJ. Read. of Bellows Falls, moved the
appointment of a committee to audit all
bills and claims against the club, which was
carried 4; and the chair appointed as such
committee E. p Brainerd, of st. Albans.
| c. p. Currier of Burlington. p. 7. Gibbs,
of Brandon.
The committee on badge. reported recon-
mending that the Dare to do right" badge
being a silver shield bearing those words,
with blue ribbon already adopted by the
Rutland and other clubs, be adopted as the
badge of the Grand Club and recommended
to the local clubs.
On motion OF Mr.. Read, tho report was
laid on the table to give members an oppor-
tunity to examine the badge
c. p. Currer offered a resolution, which
was adopted, directing the Secretary to en-
ter on the roll, members of Reform Clubs
present as delegates without credentials.
AFTERNOON.
Tx LIB N tLo bo,r Tba Troorprnr
Samuel Huntington, reported dues received
from various clubs. certain bills paid, and
500 in the treasury. The Committee on
Credentials reported the following Roll of
Delegates, which was adopted as the roll
of the Convention.
Burlington-J. j. Flanagan. President,
&. A. Austin, S. Humphrey, Z. A. Towsley,
Peter Smith, VIM. ii. Mead.
Brandon-P. p Gibbs, President. Ii. NJ.
Mott, E. j. McKenny.
Essex Junction-H. lauscom, Past Presi-
dent, |. W. Truax
Hinesburgh-P. R. Miles, President, N.
r. Miles. l., d. Burwell.
St Albans-E. p Brainard. President,
Luther A. Green. DR.. F. c. Burbank.
Underhill-S. NJ Mead, President, D. S.
Sharpley, A. C. Dixon. I. B. Burney.
Montpelier Poland, p. Ii. Ilnkley,
Jos. Galaise, VIM. Hunt, James Burns,
Alternates.
North wolcott-L. o. Andrews. Presi-
dent. C. c. Fisher, |. A. Little.
Worcester. f. Wheeler, President, r.
D. Metcalf. Geo. Stone.
Fairfax-Geo. G. Bently
Bellows Fals-L. NJ. Read, Past Pres-
NJ
Farrar.
Rutland-H. C. Morris, F. ii. Kimball,
W. IL. johnson.
Hardwick W. Aiken. Jr.
Jericho-C. S. Palmer.
Cambridgo-C. W. Turner.
DISCUSSION.
A general discussion being in order. Mr..
Read, of Bellows Falls, said one object of
this meeting was to compare views and to
profit by each other 5 experience. This is a
comparatively new experiment. 1t is a
little over year since the first Reform
CLUB was organized in Vermont. Of the
clubs since established some we see in vigo- |
rous life while others are almost lifeless.
The Brattleboro club with 1000 members,
is not alive enoughto DO represented here.
and on recent visit there he learned that
they could hardly raise funds to pay their
hall rent. This club came up suddenly
under considerable excitement and seemed
to have subsidized almost suddenly. In
Bellows Falls the club comprised about half {
the people of the village; and they could
still give lecturer good audience. They ,
were still adding recruits including some
previously hard drinkers. There had not
been much prosecuting but the sale Of
liquor at the bars had been reduced from
$50 OO0 a year to $4,000. Agar ago there
were eight places in the village where liquor
was openly sold, now there was but one. the
hotel, which used to take $50 week for
drinks and now took but $50. The women
were most efficient helpers, attending their
meetings and raising money for them. The )
churches, labOring men and business men G
were with them, and all worked together ,
tremendously.
Mr.. Durant, taking the floor, said
rely on the men who have been a
most benefited by it. Not that the
men who have stood in the front for years
are to be discarded-they are now reaping
their reward, in the sight OF men like US,
lifted from the gutter and restored to man
hood-but the reformed man has this cause
at heart, as no one can have it, without his =
experience. We must go right on. temper
ate in word and act, looking solely at our ,
great object In Montpelier their club had
seemed at one time to be in danger of dis ,
banding: but a good lady came and
warmed tn EN- up and the dssensions had
ceased. Public statement was on their
side Montpelier has been called, and per a
haps Justly, the worst rum-hole in the 9
State. A year ago there were thirty three
rum holes there, now there were but five or
six remaining, through the neglect OF duty a
on the part of temperance men. lie did r
not know as he wanted the club as such to
prosecute them but he wished each man
would take his private club and go at them. e
Let US go straight OF in our cause, remem- l.
bering that We are working not only for
ourselves, but for the rising generation.
No halfway course or tender-toed policy
will answer. Total abstinence is the only @
course for US. The appetite for rum can be
formed and revived By ale and cider For
his part he could say that since he signed Il
the pledge, not a drop of alcoholic beverage
had passed his lips. Let us stand by our '
colors and be true to our pledge. Ap- !,
plause.
A c. Dixon, Esq. said it was the exam @
pie of Mr.. Durant that led him to under
take reform in his own case. He feared We ,
were handling this thing too much with
gloves on. The club of which he was a Q
member was trying TO create an atmosphere a
in which a rum-hole could not exist and :
he thanked God that We have States At
torncy willing to do his duty and to identity
himself with temperance work. His heart |
went out to every reformed man. but he I
trusted he had higher than human help. and
that Gods grace would be sufficient for
him.
States Attorney Palmer, being called on. t
said he had hardly got over a chill received
last Friday, from the empty seats OF
church, in one of the strongest temperance
towns in Vermont, where our president was 7
announced to speak on temperance. lie i
was getting warmed AMI strengthened in ,
this meeting, and would say that it is not
always the rumseller that first needs to be
set right. lie thought it was hard that the t