Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1882-08-16

S5j.25 in the treasury. Some few bills
were not then paid but they hoped to leave
nearly $50 in the treasury. The association
then adopted a vote of thanks to railroads.
to the press and to the Good Templars
lodge of Iyndonville for favors received
The general opinion was that no one could
do more for the interests of the meeting
than had been done by II. f. Folsom.
superintendent of the Passumpsic railroad
He had acceded to every request in the
running of trains. in the granting of favors,
he had entirely changed the seats on the
ground, had greatly improved the stand,
and had done everything in his power to
make the meeting a success.
The regular meeting was presided over
by Rev. II. Lockhout, Rev. r. Morgan
offering prayer. Rev. Merit Hulburd OF
Burlington was the speaker and took
for his theme, practical work as the out.
come of this meeting We need enthu-
siasm and sentiment, but these are useless
unless they result in action. Ideas should
be made concrete We need to under
stand the enemy against which we have
to contend. If all the council of Pande-
monium were assembled to invent plan
by which they could best hinder the pro-
oress of tho rane they could lind noe.' r.
1uttcl adapted to their purpose than the
rum traffic. Viewed from financial
standpoint only, it is an enormous evil,
Last month we paid Sl3000,000 of our
national debt, but our drink traffic for n
year amounted to Sl,400, 900, 900, or ST.
24l,00O,0 900 than we should annually de,
crease our national debt, hence from a
financial standpoint only, it dwarfs every
thing else but money--onc of the least
considerations. 1t ruins our bodies and
destroys our minds. 1t is not local cpl
demic like the yellow fever, but there is
not a hamlet in all the land where its blast
ing influence is not felt; not family in all
our vast extent of territory into whose
kinship the destroyer has not come.
In the temperance work of to day there
are two spectres which hinder our pro-
gress. The first is that of general apathy
he is the greatest foe of the temperance
cause in this state. 1t is continually
thrown in our faces that prohibition does
not prohibit and many are Indifferent as
to whether the nsinuation is true or false
Many men in this state are willing tC
sacrifice for the cause if they can do it by
giving all their wite's relations to the war
The second spectre is public opinion
This is created (D by the pulpit. If mex
Sunday every pulpit would preach on the
subject the people would be set to thinking
aud some practical good would be the
outcome. If the Roman Catholic priest
hood could be induced to take decided
total abstinence standpoint much could bt
accomplished. While this meeting wa
being held there was Roman Catholic
total abstinence convention in session a
ST. Paul, MINI. We ought to all unite il
his and give the world the spectacle o
the union of every religious body for thi
common end. (2) Public opinion is ais,
nodded by the press. While the news
papers mold public opinion men o
influence can direct the tone of the pres
and thus that of public opinion. They cal
also create among the people a taste 70
temperance literature, and the press i
always quick to meet a demand. Ever,
paper taking the wrong side on this ques
ton should he boycotted. (3) Publi
opinion is nodded by the way in which tn
law is executed, hence we should elec
officers that will execute the law and Civ
it character in the eyes of the people
None but stauuch temperance men shoul
be elected to Office Ifothers are nominate
they should be bolted. The need o f sue
boiling was forcibly illustrated, Th
speaker said that he belonged to the part
of Martin Luther who said that God an
one man make majority. He thought
would be grand thing for every nomine
to give in his experience and testimon
on the subject of temperance, and h
would have been glad to make way for
Methodist class meeting if only the gran
statesman recently nominated for congres
on this side the Green Mountains could b
induced to give in his testimony. Th
speaker closed by an appeal for action.