Morning journal and courier., 1880-03-01
Temperance.

Address by Hon, R. Fs Bailey i'm the
 West Chapel Street M. E. Church--A
 Large Audience i'm Attendance.
 Hon. B. F. Bailey, Representative from Danbury in the Connecticut Legislature, de- ivered an address on the subject of temper ance at the West Chapel street M. E. church last evening. The church was filled to it's utmost capacity, it being necessary to place seats in the aisles to accommodate the people who attended. ThG. exercises were opened
 with singing from Gospel Hymns, followed with prayer by the venerable Deacon George F. Smith. On the conclusion of the prayer, MT. Bailey read the scripture lesson com- mencing, 'tHo, every one that thirsteth come ye to the waters," etc. Another hymn fol- lowed, and when it was concluded MT. Bailey delivered his address. He is very fluent speaker, his manner is pleasing and from the time of his first utterance to the close Of his remarks he holds the undivided attention of tiresome introduction to his address, but en- ters at once into the work before him and pours broadside after broadside of ''hot shot" into the ranks of his enemy.
 He commenced his address by saying: I have seen many of the most deadly serpents in foreign lands stealthily crawling among the beautiful green foliage, ready to strike with out warning; have travelled through the sunny South, noted for it's reptiles ever on the alert to give to man the sting of death, while in our fair North we have the deadly poisonous rattlesnake and copperheady yet worse than all of these is the serpent that forever Io:k S,,A Aa,, of oa1c nf ho1 scattered all over our land, serpent that seems to have some terrible fascination over all who place themselves within it's power. At first it sparkles and charms, at the last 1t maddens and crime follows in it's course. At first it stimulates the body, at last there is decay, disease and death. At first it is the wine of fellowship, at last the worm that never dies and the fire that is never quenched. O, intenperance, that habit of folly, what sorrow has it cost. Under this upas tree the fondest hopes have been blasted and only disease and death follow in it's train. The march of this deadly serpent is ever on- ward; it cuts down youth in it's beauty, manhood in it's wisdom and old age in it's weakness. It covers the land with povery and crime fills jails and prisons, incites fathers to parricide, defles the jury box, degrades our Government, brings despair and not hope, blights national honor, and leaves nothing but ruin in it's train. Hun
 
 quicksand of strong drink; but, young man, there is helper near. Charles Lamb was 8 victim of the great curse of intemperance, and in his despair he urges men to pause be- fore they become entangled in the coils of the serpent. He says: ''The waters have gone over me; bu, could I be heard would cry out to the youth of this land to look into my desolation." I talking to you might from experience, and the pity have for wives and mothers incites me as it should all good men to cut down this terrible and growing evil. The speaker re- ferred to what he called the various ''quack nostrums" found in the drug shops under the name of bitters, and warned his hearers not to be deceived by them. The devil is in them and the use of them leads to intemperance. A newspaper to- day said that was jolly good fellow, but that I was an enthusiast on the temperance question. Well, am an enthu- siast, and I hope to be as long as live, and hope to live until there is not 8 hair left on my head. Men who are and die suddenly, the doctors say that the cause of death was epilepsy or apoplexy or heart disease. If 8 man lives in a hovel and dies of the same disease as the rich man they call it the ''jim jams" Now, would be willing to offer ten dollars for pint of pure whisdey or brandy or port wine. But tell you there is not pure ar- ticle of either of them in any store or bar room in New Haven. The pure unadultera- ted liquor cannot be had at any price.
 In closing the speaker referred to the tenn perance work in Danbury, Norwalk and Bir- mingham. He said that there were six hun dred men reformed in Danbury during battling nobly for the cause. On the conclu- sion of the address MT. Bailey spoke at the Seamen's reading room, and this evening he will speak in English Hall.