Mexico weekly ledger., 1879-06-12
!. TEMPERANCE.
III. n1eeting Goasay Might.

Rev. Mr.. Brooks, president, presid-
ed. After song Rev. DR.. Grasty led
in prayer. Mr.. Carroll read the
minutes and as the expected orator
ofthe night had not arrived, the
president announced 3 "shake up"
and invited several citizens to the
platform.
In response to suchsan invitation,
Col. Reddington began by saying,
that he was not prepared. Almost
any one, not anticipating to be call
ed would be better prepared than he,
even a drunkard, or s drunkard's
father, or a drunkard's son. Such
an one would have his experience
with intemperance to fab back upon.
He had had none personally, and
although he had a large connection,
there had net been a drurikard among
them. HIS father had not permitted
even cider in his house. What
should he say then to interest this
audience? He would glance at some
of the causes of lntempermce. Idle
ness is one of them. He denounced
that vice as the bane of society. 1t
begets uneasiness, makes men rest
less and drives them to seek excite
ment. .Eanui is always unfortunate /;
it ever wants something to raise its
spirits. He then proceeded to warn
parents that wher they bring up fami-
lies in idleness, they fell as far short
of duty, as when they set before them
the example and habit of intemper-
ance. Idleness ever leads to vicious
amusement and the end of that is
degradation, the penitentiary and the
gallows.
The Colonel then adverted toopium-
eating as another cause of intemper-
ance. In regard to that he often
thought that teachers, ministers and
writer's stopped short of their duties.
Intemperance is not confined to IL
quor. 1t has a worse form. 1t is col
nected with the use of opinion. When
the drunkard betakes himself to 1t,
his condition is not thereby improv-
ed. That drug relaxes his system
and destroys his manhood. l adj
wise everybody to ask our druggists
about the use that is being made of
opium. Oh, there is a sermon in the
answer that will be given to inquiry.
Consumption of opinion is on the in
crease and that species of drunken
ness needs attention as we'll as intoxi-
cation by liquor. [Applause.
After a song Rev. Mr.. Wheat was
called to the platform and began by
alluding to a successful raising of the
devil by preacher Dow. When he
was asked to ''shake 'em up" was
it expected that he too should raise
the devil? 1t was not every preacher
could do that, besides he did not
wish to. There were other powers
besides noise. Music has power,
ard SO have words, Tut sometimes
silent observation, thought and COM
parison have most. We meet as
Murphies. AS Murphies we aim to
use moral forces. Do we thus con-
fine ourselves IN every day life? No.
When our chickens are stolen we cry
Jefferson City. Are Texas cattle
spreading disease among our stock ?
We stop them. If our houses are
invaded, depredators may be killed -.
If it is our duty to act thus in ordi-
nary affairs, how much more is il
our duty to protect our children by
force than our houses, cattle or chick
ems? These are my views. Tap
phase. Look around, friends. They
are being ruined. There are from
10 to Is saloons in our midst. They
are not safe. Before we are aware
of il, a reaction may set In. We
must awake and commence our work
anew.
After song and collection Mr.. Muslck
was called to the platform. He be-
gan by saying that he would recur to
a lew incidents of his experience. Al
a neighboring town he had seen
grand jurors visit q saloon hourly,
and hal been told that on another
occasion as many as nine jurors had
been known to gamble at the same
place. How a temperance laws be
inforced under such circumstances !
Was it not obvious that our laws were
ahead of prevailing sentiment? They
were as much so generally, as Mexl-
co was ahead in morals. While lee
turing an old man had come to him
and entreated him to get his son to
listen to what was said. The young
man had lost the confidence of his
employers and was falling lower and
Hover, and the father said he would
rather see him in prison than in his
present condition, and yet, while
there was a Murphy organization in
THAT town there were also saloons
and drug stores. Sentiment must be
manufactured. We come here regu-
larly, but don't go abroad and, there
fore, don't observe and don't think.
There is a great work to be done yet.
At many places badges have been
laid aside and it has become rare to
see the blue. Let US work then with
patience, with determination. Moth
ing can be gained by yielding to dis