The Democratic press. [volume] (Ravenna, O. [Ohio]) 1868-1901, 1879-01-30

At the solicitation of Rev. Mr.. Brock
way, Rev. DIR. Brown, Rector Of Trim
ity Church, Cleveland, delivered re-
markable discourse to a very large
audience at the Opera House last
Thursday evening. His subject, Tenn
perance, being one, as he said, the ar
guments upon which. had become
stereotyped. He proposed TO treat the
subject in practical point of view, the
substance of his arguments being as
follows: First, The Divine injunc-
ton against drunkenness, its fearful
penalty rs delineated in st. Matthew's
Gospel. He said that man, being Gre
atcd in the likeness of his Creator, had
no right to deform and make hideous
that likeness, that oure eyes were given
us to see, our limbs to walk not to halt,
and our mental and physical energies
for self-preservation, not self-destruc-
ton. Second, The relation of this
question in its social point of view.
After reciting many of the reforms
that had already taken place in this di-
rection through the manifest change
in public opinion caused by continued
discussions. He read an extract from
Harper's Magazine, in which the ed
itor of the Easy Chair" descanting
upon the many devices, including
Fairs, Festivals, ETC., annually gotten
up in the furtherance of the cause of
temperance, inquiries: "After all what
steps in a practical way have been taken
toward the suppression of the traffic?
DIR. Brown then proceeded to discuss
the remedy, as he viewed it. Premis-
ing that the manufacture and sale of
alcohol could not be abolished, he was
in favor of ameliorating the condition
of our body polite, by controlling its
sale. He advocated the passage of what
is known as the Local Option law,
giving each corporation its choice by
ballot whether liquor should be dis
pensed within its borders or not. Then,
if, for instance, Ravenna should vote
for its sale, it was for the constituted
authority to decide in how many and
what kind of places it should be sold.
The speaker advocated the appoint
ment, of say half dozen citizens in
whom the people would have explicit
confidence, the same to be sort of
Board of Excise and who would re-
quire the applicant for license to be
man Of character and responsibility
and who should be required to furnish
a suitable bond for his faithful compli-
ance with the law. The mode, said
the Doctor, would annihilate the dog
geries, and would make the owner of
licensed establishment an efficient po-
lice for the suppression of unlicensed
places. The speaker suggested that
the law should prohibit gilded mirrors,
cut-glass bottles, screnes, and all the
fancy paraphernalia incident to grog
ticing lhe unwary.
After fine peroration, which dis
played the splendid oratorlcal ability
of the speaker, he closed. 1t was evil
dent that the effort was a success, and
the people had something to think
about.
Mrs. M. A. Woodbridge announced
that Mr.. Mike Tanning would occu-
py their attention the three succeeding
nights, at Citizens Hall. Without any
introduction the man alluded to came
forward and harrangued the audience
in the stereotyped way, and succeeded
in disgusting the intelligent people
who had just listened to so able an adj
dress as DIR. Browns. Fanning's re-
marks, under the circumstances, eeHld
be considered scarcely less than an in
suit, and it is to be hoped that the good
seed sown by the eminent clergyman
will not be cOunteracted c.