Staunton vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1860-1896, 1881-09-02
|sM .!!s Minhttater.
FRIDAY MORNING. SEPT. 2. 1881.
Local
TEMPERANCE IN DRINKING

ADDRESS BY REV. DIR. NJ kim, MONDAY
NIGHT-THE NEW PLAN TO CHECK
p DRUNKENEss-ITs RESULTS IN ENG
LAND AND AMERICA.
&C., &C., &C.
On Monday night, large audience as
sembled at Trinity Episcopal church, to
listen to an address from Rev. Randolph
McKim, D. D., of New York. Mr.. Nc
Kim IS gentleman of fine presence and
easy and agreeable delivery. He is SON.
in-law of Rev. R. H. Phillips, of this city.
His lecture was an hour in length and was
deeply interesting, dealing as it did with
new plan for curing the evil of the immod
crate use of Intoxicating liquors. Mr..
McKim said it was the first instance be
had stood before the congregation in his
present character, that of a representative
of the Protestant Episcopal Church
Temperance Society, of the United States,
an institution which six months ago
had no existence. 1t was voluntary So
ciety and formed no part of the organic
life of the Established church; still it is
church society, numbering among its
Vice Presidents thirty-four Bishops.
There had previously existed similar
society in England. Before 1861, the work
of temperance had been conducted apart
from any religious organization; in about
1868 the Church of England Temperance
Reformation Society was organized, and
it continued to struggle against many diff
ficulties, until 1867, the ''Convocation of
Canterbury" appointed committe to in
vestigate facts In relation to intemper-
ance. In 1859 that committee reported.
and the result of that examination was
such as to arouse the whole church to the
Importance of stemming the tide of in
Temperance.
PRACTICAL RESULTS OF INTEMPERANCE
IN ENGLAND.
It was fact chat could not be denied
that certain articles of manufacture were
being driven out of market, because the
hand and eyeof the operatives had becc me-
too unsteady from drink to perform the
labor. AS pride had been the national'sin
of Spain, sensuality the national sin of
Rome, and ldolatry the national sin OF
Judah, so drunkenness was the national sin
of Great Britain. In the city OF Manches-
ter out of total of $4,000 arrrss, 1000
persons had been arrested for drunkenness
in single year, and in London in the
same time $4,000 people had been taken
into custody for the same offence, and of
that number Is 900 were women.
1t was these facts that aroused the cler-
gy to knowledge of the situation, and
the society was formed. It was not ne
cessarily an organization of total abst ain
.ers.
TOTAL ABSTINENCE WAS OPTIONAL,
according to form of pledge taken, but
temperance was the leading idea of the
society. Another principle was that the
grace of God was the only remedy for the
disease and the reason that so many sec
nlar temperance societies had failed in
their object, was. that they relied solely
upon their own power of will, unassisted
by Divine Grace.
The society proceeded Systematically to
work. There was the Rescue-work, which
was distinct branch of labor and aimed
at the reformation of the drunkard.-
Special missionaries were appointed who
/. went through the crowded streets of
London gathering in the lost ones.
But the work of the society was not
merely to rescue dtunkards, but to pre-
vent drunkenness, and to this end coffee
nh ~, &c
large towns of Englahd-Liverpool to-day
having more than 40 and London upwards
If 800.
The result of this movement has been
great revolution in public opinion in Great
Britain. The speaker said that John B.
Cough after recent visit to England, re-
marked that the change wrought by the
Church Society had been wonderful; that
IS years ago it would have been difficult to
get a clergyman of the Established Church
to preside at temperance meeting, but
now many of the leading Bishops were
ready to cooperate with them; and $4,000
OF the clergy were members of the Church
Temperance Society. He at first was
somewhat suspicious Of the movement, be-
cause it did not require total abstinence
of all it's members, but since be had seen
its beneficial results his opinion had
changed
THE SOCIETY IN THIS COUNTRY.
On March 14th, 1881, society was es-
ablished in New York, which rests on
the same basis as the English organiza-
ton. The speaker then read from the
Manual of the Society and explained the
principles OF it's constitution. The speak
er next gave statistics to show that there
was almost as great need of such society
in America as in England.
The society desires to do it's work under
the influence of church teaching. The
Diocese of Virginia has formed a society
under its constitution, and others have
been formed in Pennsylvania Delaware
and West Virginia. The Bishops of these
Dioceses being Presidents of these socie-
ties. 1t is likely that very soon parochial
societies, similar to those existing in Eng
land, will be formed in our Dioceses,
under the presidency of the Rector, and
if the movement in this country meets
with the Same success that has attended
it in Great Britain, it will accomplish
great work for humanity.
At the close of Mr.. Mckim's address, a
hymn was sung and the audience dismiss
ed.
The following is the article in the con-
stitution of the society on total abstinence:
Total abstinence from all Intoxicating
beverages to be urged ON the Incorporate
(a) as measure of physical necessity,
science and experience uniting in the tes-
timony that the drink craving is kept alive |