Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1880-08-06
GRAND TEMPERANCE DEMONSTRATION.
The Mass Meeting at Queen City
Park.


Christian Temperance Union and the Juve-
nile Tcmplars, opened at Queen City Par!,
on Tuesday, August 3r.i, at O'Clock i'll the
afternoon. The grounds, rs our readers
know, have recently been Improved and
hcauiiicd and ROW make as fine park as
can he found anywhere. The exercises are
held in large tent which has been erected
for The occasion and which i, said 10 he cap;i-
hleof accommodates, eight thousand people.
In this platform has been erected for the
speakers and singers and the rest oil the
space is occupied by substantial wooden
bcnchcs Near at hand is another spacious
tent fitted Up for dining hail. This is under
the charge Of w +. Paige, the wcli-known
manager of the Bates House. iutland-a
sufficient guarantee of the excellence oil The
arrangements made for the feeding OF the
hungry. For the accommodation ot thoSa
wishing to stay ever night some 800 tents
have been put up; AMI all the deiaii IN
fact, are complete. nothing having been neg
lccted or overlooked.
The aulrGcc at the o2cnin, of the cNrr-
ci.;es WIS somewhat smaller than had been
expected, but was nevertheless of goodly pro
portions and everything that could he desired
as to interest and attention. 1t was est
mated to number seven hundred people.
After singing hy a choir of male and
female voices, unlcr tac lell of Rev. j. K.
Bartlett Of Williamstcwn Qhan whom no
more earnest and enthusiastic leader could
he desired, c. l.. MacOmbcr presiding at the
organ, the proceedings were opened with pray
or nv the Rev. Merritt IIulburd of Burlng-
ton The address of welcome was then deliver
ci by l.. l.. Durant Of Montpelier, chairman
of the executive committee Mr.. Durant
babe the gathering a cordial welcome and
said the object of the meeting wis to gather
new strength for the contest with inicmpcr-
ancc He hoped that much good would he ac-
complisileI and that resolution would he
strengthened AMI hope renewed. We ought
to enter upon AZ aggressive movement and
follow it up
-tlttl StifAllbh ny Na'ii
of welcome was responded 10 by Mr.. ii. :.
Woodwork, president Of the New England
Reform Club who expressed his qualification
at being present and al seeing the details of
the arrangements 81 well carried out. He
was pleased at the interest manifested on all
sides in the meeting. The Temperance issue
is the only one before the country of any ac-
count The New England Association is
composed wholly Of reformed men. We
stand up and thank God that we have been
delivered fiom the terrible curse of drunken
ness. We are trying 10 save others some
boiy's son or husband or father. Their only
safety is 10 stand where we stand Not the
Presidential cleciion-thc contest between
the two oldrarties the temperance issue
is the vital one for the American people Ia
question. Temperance comes next TO rcli-
gion. Let us act, not talk. Let us lay party
and all other things aside and work for tenn
pcrancc. In Rhode Island we are complete
ly ruled by rum. | am ashamed as an Amcri-
can citizen 10 say so, but it is a fact. We
must put Gown rImsolling for the rr"tec-
ton of our own homes and hearths;ones.
Tie choir then rendered another selection
after which Rev. George II. Vibhort of Bos-
ton was introduced to the audience. Mr..
Nibber. opened his address with reference
TO the widespread use of Intoxicating drinks
in the first fifty years of the Nations history.
1t was not then thought possible to build a
church or hold an ordination or conduct a
funeral or do any work, secular or reli-
sious without invoking the spirit of New
England rJgt, Has not, then, something
been accomplished III iii. way oi temperance
reform? We have accomplished marvellous
~ for sobriciy and Righteousness. Steadily
in all these years public sentiment has been
strengthened III opposition to the use of al
coholic beverages. As to the current saying
that that olt-timc liquor was better than that
of to-day, nothing worse than alcohol could
be put into wliskcy. There was SO much
drinking years ago that it is very doubtful
whether any one was qualified To pronounce
on any other persons inebrieiy or sobriety.
There is Il great difference in habits, since
scvcnty-iivc years ago. If We were as rcg'i-
lar in our habits as our ancestors we might
possibly live to drink longcr-that is all.
There is no difference in the liquor.
We lave gnncl immensely in these years
cr PRAYER and effort and self-lcnial We
have almost an infinitude of work yet TO do.
Looking over the bill of fare at my hotel at
Eurlin"lon | counted ihrty-six different
kinds Of Intoxicating wines and liquors ,
Shame 10 the people of Burlington-s shame
In iI,e prorle of the county who permit sucl,
a ibine. The harvest of intempcrance is
gathered ,lnv lv LAY, week hy week, year by
wear. As L. cur duty. we must first show
the people that intcmpcrancc is an
evil. 1t is one thing to acknowledge
lin, iuitu,,.eiarrt. j.; m evil and uuite anoth-
rr ,hinr TO r..ali2c il. The people acknow
ledge ia, truth If our statement but do not
realize it. 1t WIS the sane with slavery.
Slavery r.i.li have continued forging lis
Chains to the present day had not the people
realized i, iniurilv. We have never bcrun
to discuss the tcmrcrancc question as its i'm.
pcrtaucc demands. First of all a public
opinion must lie crcaie,l-which does not
vet exist even in favored New England that
iutpmp,rancc is the most dreadful sin since
the primal sin. What recognition do the
politicians ever give this question? Do the
platforms Of the two great parties recognize
i, The Republican party has Il glorious re-
cord We are asked To vote for its candi-
da,,s to protcc, Ike oolortd people at the
South whom the Democrats are shooting at
the rate Of about six month. But there
are six hundred thousand people in this
country. the victims of strong drink, WHO
first claim my sympaihirs. The present DO
li,ical question is simply a struggle between
the ms and the ou,s.
The temperance cause demands such IN