Mexico weekly ledger., 1879-06-05
TEMPERANCE.
The Meeting oss Monday Night.

W. VIVIAN "
ward and sing, but did not respond.
The meeting was opened with read
ing and prayer by the DIR. Grasty.
After the minutes of the last meeting
had been read, Judge Forrist aunnunc-
ed the resignation of himself and Mr..
Rodman of the positions held by them
on the executive committee. The
reason given for this was not dis
tinctly heard. but the Judge was I'M
derssood TO say, that it was not the
only or even the main one. He trust.
ed enough had been said to sustain
the course that had been determined
on.
At this point the Rev. DR.. Grasty
came forward and obtained permis.
sion to address the meeting. He ex-
pressed great surprise. He had been
away amid scenes of joy, but on his
return he had encountered q shadow
and felt sad. He had heretofore re-
garded this association with exulta-
ton and wherever he hal gone he
had spoken of 1t with pride. That
in a city OF 5000 there should be a
temperance association numbering
5000 was indeed a wonder. He
perceived, however, that a crisis had
been reached and asked If the society
was prepared to meet it. My friends,
continued he, it had been better that
we had never begun than that we
should make an ignominious failure
now. IApplause.] That would en-
tail on our members and their fami-
lies a misfortune from the effects of
which they could never fully recover
How could another association be
organized in the future. Would not
the enemies of temperance point in
triumph and with scorn at the failure
of a past effort. They would say
there had been a commencement to
build, but how did the mighty fall.
Lknow not what has occurred. Some
thing of q merely personal character
l opine, but empty chairs tell their
tale. appeal to any that may feel
injured, if they love the aus to
arise and come forward and take
their usual place and participate in
the exercises. [Great applause. L
thanh God that he put it into my
head to come here tonight. 1 beg
my friends to consider that in urg-
ing them to come forward 1 do but
give expression to prevailing public
sentiment. Renewed applause :.
The evil one is at work IN Il midst.
Let us stand together and go forward.
Let our motto be ''sink or swim,
survive or perish we give our hands
and our hearts to the cause " Amid
much applause the CHI ir came for
ward and sung Don't give up the
ship"
Rev. Mr.. Wheat then addressed
the meeting, endorsing what DIR.
Grasty had advanced. He had been
thinking that just such a crisis would
come. 1t is easy to forget that phi
losophy obtains in temperance and
turn aside to advocate something else
amid parties, striies and COMMISSIONS.
IIe was glad to see reunion and
hoped the mistake that had been
:aade would not be repeated. What
ever succeeds is good. The sole OBJ
ject of temperance is to save men.
He remembered when Mr.. Murphy,
the founder of our order, was in pris-
on for selling liquor illegally. At a
prayer meeting conducted in the dark
within his cell by Dr.. Sturdevant with
the prisoner and his wife, MIR. MUIR
ply was converted and made n tenn
perance man. B%eholding God in the
light that penetrated his dungeon
through a ray from the moon, he
ever after followed that light as he
saw it in the grace of God and preach
ed conversion as the foundation OF
every good work. Temperance must
be advocated as we'll as p%racticed.
He hoped everybody would favor thai
resolution and that the executive
committee would withdraw their res
ignation. There was no cause for
it. They had done we'll and success
is the hes. test Of merit.
The choir then suLg "Send the
Proclamation Forth! Whosoever
will, let him Come"
Rev. DR.. Grasty then made the
following motion which al second
ed: Resolved, That the executive
committee be requested to withdraw
their designations.
Judge Forrist then addressed the
meeting. He spoke with feeling
and under evident restraint upon his
emotions. He said that only Mr.
Rodman and he had resigned. No
one knew better than he, that the
executive committee had been a har-
monious body. For more than q
year and six months during which he
had served in it, there had been no
dlscord and though two of Its body
resign, you have still left a perfectly
reliable committee. Besides my
place can be easily filed. l speak
for myself only. MIR. Rodman is
present.
10 no member of this order have
1 any but the kindest feelings. 1 am
--.l~l A. Ixz A. o- -.o