Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1878-12-20
Temperance In ESSEX,
EssEx, VI, Dec. 18th, 1873.
lie the Editor OF the Free Press and Times

EssEx, VI, Dec. 18th, 1873.
lie the Editor OF the Free Press and Times
Some months since l saw by the reports of
| the Womans Christian Temperance Union,
that there were but few responses to the cir
culars they had sent out to the pastors about
| forming Unions, and / Thought perhaps the
Pastors had so much to do they could not at
tend to it, and wrote Mrs. Perkins, Presi-
| dent of the Society, that | would try and
help them. | had some circulars struck off
and called a meeting at my own expense and
tried to tell the people what curse this
wine, beer and cider drinking had been to
me and mine. The week previous | had
| spent two days going from house to house to
| get the ladies interested and they had chosen
| officers ready tor work. From some misun-
| Outstanding the chairman Of the meeting said
nobody need come up to sign the pledge but
those who had been hard drinkers. got up
and said thought all professors ought to
| sign for example. | couldn't see why man
should be drunk half lifetime before he
came out on the side of temperance. Out of
the $50 present only four church members
came forward and signed, OF course after
| the above remark no drinkers came forward
with but one exception, and didn't blame
| them. At other meetings in our school
house have got nearly every person TO sign
an antl-tobacco pledge too, away from the
| Centre. sent in to the Secretary of the
| Union forty odd names from the outside
meetings. and we have quite large Union
| formed on Stevens Hill, Essex. The young
men OF the Institute wanted to form Good
| Templars' Lodge. | sent for and got Sir
Bryant here, a week ago. We had n splendid
| lecture and formed Lodge and appointed
another meeting for tonight, where we had
| held the other one. Las. Sunday notice was
| given IN the churches and l supposed we
were going to have the meeting until We
could get Lodge room at the same place
the Methodist yestrv. At the close of the
class meeting a man said he wanted to bring
this matter before the church about holding
Good Templar meetings in the church. lie
said that some years ago there had been one
held there and it made a great deal of talk,
etc, etc, and that he saw young man going
out of there smoking. | found ont We could
not have the Town Hall from Mr.. Butler,
VINO has charge, unless had written per-
mission from. the selectmen. | drove nearly
over to Jericho, got Mr. Williams consent
verbal, then to Mr.. Halbert. He said it was
all right, TO tell Mr. Butler that we could
have the hail, | understood him for n few
meetings, until We could get n permanent
place | reported TO Mr.. Butler, supposed
all was right. He said he would have the
place open and lighted. l was willing to pay
SAl'tuSt bt ECSpOnhlOlc lOI
any damage | live some distance from the
Centre, could not get there until time Tor the
meeting to open tonight, found the hall was
not lighted. Went to Bntlers Office and his
excuse was that the Methodist people had
softened and we could have it there. Neither
place was lighted and the people had mostly |
gone home. Butler said that unless We had |
u lecturer We could not have the hall | had |
sent for Mr. Currier, of Burlington, but he |
could not come. SO it appears We cannot |
have the Town Hall for Good Templars meet !
ings, not even when l am personally re- |
sponsible. The trouble is Just here few |
old fossils about the church have been so /
long in those old ruts that they will object to |
anything that don't suit them | want the |
friends of temperance in. Essex (and there |
are plenty of them outside the church, to |
know what opposition there is in trying to
do something for the young people. have
got 70 or 50 names outside to the iron-clad
pledge, tobacco included. | don't believe in
this kind OF religion that requires long face;
let the dear young people have fun and be
Jolly. Win them by kindness. help them,
not by long prayers, but JOIN in with them.
and let them see that We who profess to love
the Master are glad homeward bound
am in hopes of getting the Masonic hall
for permanent Lodge room. As for me |
have no excuse to offer. Call me radical or
what they please don't believe in any half
way work.
Yours e. MoRTON