Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1878-05-17
The Temperance Movement.

| platform were the Rev. Messrs Z. r. Atwill,
7. A. Griffin, G. B. Stafford, l.. 0. Brastow,
NJ. A. Wilcox and A. l.. Therrien. Warren
Gibbs, Esq, presided the singing was led
by Mr.. E. p. Shaw. and Mr.. c. W. Davis
presided at the organ. The meeting
was opened with the reading of an appro
pirate selection from Proverbs by the Rev.
Mr. Stafford, alter which prayer was offered
by Rev. Mr.. Brastow. The first speaker
was the Rev. Mr.. Atwil, who said be was
glad to be present, to show his sympathy
| with the great work of temperance reform.
He was glad to applaud the persistency
shown in it. lie was glad to bid the workers
God speed. The fight against intemperance
has been long one. for it is fifty-two
years ago that the first public declara-
ton of the principle of total abstinence
was made, at the convention at Saratoga.
In 1874 came the "womer's crusade, when
the women worked by prayer. summoning
the aid Of the Almighty and the legions of
Heaven. Only through the conscience can
the temperance work be successfully carried
on. The nobility of human nature and the
Creators lore for US should make US tenn
perance men.
The hymn ''The Gates Aiar," was then
sung, after which Mr.. Gibbs intro
duced to the audience Mr. Maxwell,
who. in opening, disclaimed all ora
torical pretensiOns and said he was
only hrmble worker in tho temperance
cause. 1t seems as though, he continued,
it was impossible to arouse the American
There are four classes of drinkers-social
drinkers, moderate drinkers, tipplers, and
drunkards. Sixty thousand drunkards die
annually in this country. Their places are
filled by the tipplers, their places in turn
by the moderate drinkers, theirs by the
social drinkers, and theirs by our fair
haired, bright-eyed boys. There is no
such thing as moderate drinking. Men
are drunkards before they know it. 1t is
| the duty of every Christian to sign the
pledge. The speaker then fervently ap-
pealed to the Christians for aid in the tenn
perance work to the rumsellers. to cease
their dreadful traffc to tho young men, to
come into the total abstinence ranks to
drinking men, for the sake OF their wives,
of their children, of everything that is dear
to them TO abandon the degrading habit All
these appeals were urged in the language
Of enthusiastic sincerity. not infrequent-
ly rising 20 real eloquence and the princi-
pal points were illustrated by life-stor-
les OF thrilling pathOs. Mr.. Maxwell
held the close attention Of the audience
from beginning to end, and his address
| (Which from its very nature was absolute
ly unreportable) was very convincing and
| powerful one.
At the close of the address. the signing
of the pledge began-the pledge used being
the Francis Murphy one, as follows:
With Malice towards none. and Charity
for all. Gospel Temperance Meetings. |.
the undersigned, do pledge my word and
| honor, God helping me. to abstain from all
intoxicating liquors as a beverage, and that
| will. by all honorable means, encourage
| others to abstain
The names of signers were taken at four
tables in the front part of the hall by as
many secretaries and the good work was
greatly forwarded by a number of young
ladies who pinned blue ribbon on the coat
of each signer. a large number signed the
pledge "a. j. Howard, ED, being, We be-
lieve. tine frst). and the work starts ofyery
encouragingly.
SECOND MEETING-A CROW DED HOUSE AND AN
INTERESTING OCCASION.
The second of Mr.. Maxwell : series of tenn
perance meetings attracted to City Hall,
last night, an audience considerably larger
than on the previous evening, the body of
the hall being filled to its utmost capacity,
and the interest is undoubtedly increasing.
The first speaker was the Rev. Mr.. Wilcox.
(Rev. Mr.. Griffin having first read some ap-
propriate selections from the Bible and hay
ing also asked the Divine blessing upon the
meeting aud the work. who expressed his
interest in the temperance movement. 1t
has for its end, he continued, the affecting
of the will and the heart and conscience of
men. We have more interest in movements
like this than IN those which take the form
of law. One reason for this is that there is
involved in it the principle of life. There
is in it an clement OF reality. These men
come to US and tell Us, not theories they
have thought out, but facts they have hred
out The man who has felt out thing
knows it more thoroughly than he who has
thought it out. Hence We are glad to
welcome these men who come to US by times
and listen to the facts they give. Young
mon, you who hear the words OF the earnest
men telling US what they have found out
and experienced. why may you not sign the
pledgef BE true hero and conquer sell.
God give you grace to hear and accept the
words OF gracious invitation extended to
you tonight and the coming nights
MIR. Maxwell was then introduced, and
opened his remarks by expressing his
pleasure at seeing the interest in the
meetings kept up 1t shows that the people
arc terribly IN earnest. lhere Is hardly
family anywhere Dut mas l's' al ieas' one
Oh It's members py the rum power. we oi'en
near urihkiog men say their MONIES are nor
attractive well, then, stop urlnxlng ana
mdAe them attractive "euon appreciate
woman ue'o'loh anu care anu uhehane-
ing uhuYing love. Men, DC klnuef 10 your
wives. Tell them you have quit drinking.
anu call 'ne roses 10 their CHECKS Hgain'
lie ths' eohqueretn himself IS greater
than he that taketh city. We ask your
aiu anu sympathy. Lehu these men htlp-
ing hand. Queenly wives and mothers
stalWart men, go to these uniortunates'
your brothers, and give them your hand. A
kind word costs nothing, but 1t Is as
welcome to the drunkards heart as