The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1881-03-21
Mrs. Fosters Lecture.

Mrs. Ellen Foster delivered lecture ON
Temperance at Congress Hall last evening to
y highly pleased audience. The following is
an abstract of the lecture:
The sin and shame of drunkenness none
lash of appetite are loud in their denunciation
of him who drinks too much. There is iffer-
ence of opinion as to the real nature of alco-
holic drinks, and many persons are total alb
stainers, not because of their fears of the re-
suits of the moderate use of alcoholic bever-
ages, but because their own experience and
observation has taught them that moderation
does lead to drunkenness. But those who have
given the subject careful consid eration, aided
by the results of scientific investigation, know
that these beverages are always injurious even
when taken in quantities termed moderate.
The results to which medical science has come
concerning the use of distilled fermented and
brewed liquors may be summed up thus: That
they are not in any true sense food; that they
do not increase vital force or build up tissue;
that the arrest of waste, which it is claimed
follows their use, is not conducive to health or
long life; that the drinker even of wine or
beer is thereby rendered liable to disease and
death; that the habits of intemperance, in
which the people have INDUCED, are the cause
crime under which the State staggers and
Christian civilization groans, every careful
thinking man must admit. That the citizen
has duty to the State and to his age, no
Christian or philanthropist will deny. What
is the duty of the church towards the drinking
usages of society? Who are members Of
Christ's church? All who look up and say
"My Father, and put out the hand and say
my BROTHER what is the duty of those? Total
abstinence from all that can intoxicate, either
because alcohol is poison and defiles the body,
or because so many are offended and made
weak by it. For ones own sake and for 9TH
ers' sake. The essence of gospel morality is
self remuneration for the good of others.
The speaker then asked if any man or wo-
man, who claimed to be a Christian, dare in
dulge, even moderate degree, in that which
blasts the lives of so many of their kind,
when it gives aid to the drinking customs Of
society. The moderator drinker by his ex-
ample leads the young to think it is safe to
drink. He really places temptation in their
way. The church should make itself felt by
organized effort in this reform. No one can be
independent of his fellows. The existence of
society, the church, educational and philan-
thropic organizations proves this, and as every
interest of human life is autagonized by in
temperance good men and women should use
organized effort for its suppression.
What do the advocates of license claim?
That man ought to be allowed to drink in
toxcating liquor if he wants to. If reason
and conscience have not taught him better, he
may drink in his home, but he must be care
full as to quantity, lest he drink so much as to
become public nuisance.
Again is not the law enforced? Would a
license law b. any better enforced? What
guarantee is there that it wonld? The men
who want license, are the friends of the traffic
and the men who want their support are a
few who have so much moral inertia as to dis
like all energetic protest against wrong. The
best people in the State of Maine are to-day a
unit as to the principle Of prohibition and its
practical results.