Mexico weekly ledger., 1879-08-07
TEMPERANCE.
Last Monday Nights Meeting.

Monday night next there would be
speaking by DR.. Brooks in connection
with reading by Miss Sweeney. Presi-
dent Gooch remarked that he did not
wish to detain the meeting, but thought
it would be proper to suggest that
some work outside these meetings
might be accomplished. He hoped
the suggestion would meet with ap-
probation. He felt that good could
be done by prudent effort. Some
thing might he done for those breth-
rem that have given way to adverse
influences. All such are not lost. If
that were SO, there would be no hope
for any, as all are constantly doing
something that ought not to be done.
He would also suggest that private
appeal be made to those that have
never signed the pledge and never at
tended these MEETINGS. If these sug-
gestions meet with appreciation he
would be glad to hear some motion.
Judge Forrist remarked that all
this was already provided for in the
constitution which contemplated
''shake up and reclamation commit
tees. He moved that they be ap-
pointed by the President who placed
on the ''shake up committee four
gentleman and three ladies'. Messrs.
Forrist, Gordon, Wright and Rod
man and Mrs. Clark, HUMPHREYS and
Sims. The President said that he
would announce the Reclamation Com
mittee on next Monday night after
consultation with members.
Rev. Mr.. Carson not being present,
Rev. Mr.. Whitman, a Baptist minis
ter, in the city for the purpose of
l~ecturing On the prophecies, was in
vited by the President to the stand.
Mr.. w. said that he had not expected
to speak, but felt interested in tenn
perance as being next to religion the
most important matter that can be
discussed. Temperance had been a
question of that character during all
ages and also one difficult OF being
fully understood. AS at present agi-
tated it was confined to refraining
from those intoxicating drinks, that
ruin both body and soul. He had
Joined in boyhood what he regarded
as the first temperance organization
in this country, and since then had
always held himself ready as oppor-
tunity offered to advocate temperance.
The best men in the country have
been engaged in that way, and yet,
it battles the wisest. No doubt the
same thing is observed here in Mexi-
co. The question is, how to keep
even with its enemies and how to
subdue them? This is more impor-
tant than the management of politics,
and has occasioned more distraction
than all political questions. 1t has
been estimated that sixty thousand
inebriates die annually, and as it unu-
sually takes ten years to graduate in
drunkenness that would give in that
I time six hundred thousand, enough
men if sober to compose an army
that could conquer any nation. And
who make up that fearful array, faith
ers, husbands, brothers and sons
Who now is going to start out on
such a candidature? 1t may be some
noble boy enticed into saloon. They
do that sometimes with the friend Of
Temperatures son and send him home
drank to implant a sting in his
mothers heart. Besides this multi
tude of men intemperance demands
immensely of contribution. 1t is cal
culated that over six hundred mil.
lions of dollars are spent annually in
intemperance, and what sorrows? what
woes! Who can estimate them? can
a mother put value on her heart strains
over q drunken son? A man had
never engaged in mtemperance until
g O had fallen, but when drunkards
are reformed sons are snatched from
the grave, converted into sober men
and saved. What wonder then that
fathers and mothers and grandfathers
and grandmothers are earnest tenn.
perance workers bent on saving their
own and other peoples children, Do
you wonder that fathers or mothers
are anxious tor sons capable of great
ness, that they work day and night,
and that ladies are engaged in bring
ing children back? The wonder is,
there is not more zeal, more work,
more success. He had said amen to
the prayer invoking blessing upon the
officers and members and labors OF
f! this association. There would be
great Joy if sixty thousand of the six
hundred thousand could be rescued.
What a happy day would that be
when the last dram had been taken,
the last crime committed, the last
sorrow endured! What a triumph !!
What q joy! would there be in this
nation if the whole six hundred thou
sand could be gaved. This is the
great work this association is gagged
in. In such a cause what is labor!
What is money? He had once heard
it asked if the missionaries expected
10 be paid for efforts to save the
heather. The answer to that was
that if all of the army and all the navy
of the country were engaged in that