Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1882-10-31
EN-. ETHERIDGE,
The Great Advocate Of Temperance,
Ridieules the Church and Treats
Her Efforts i'm That Direction
With Marked COntempt-A Rambling,
Stumbling, Wretehed Waste OF
Words, Words, Words.

L n.
address at the Greenlaw Opershouse last
nigh, according 10 previous announcement,
TO an audience composed of about $50 gen.
| tlemen and twenty or more l2dIes-among
the latter Mssdsmes Judge /. j. Latham and
Clarence Hall, both prominent officials and
workers OF the Women's Christian Associa-
| ton. The st1ge had been previously deco
rated with rare specimens OF troplca plants
callodiump, palms, cacti and foliage. The
distinguished orator was accompanied on the
stage bv the following prominent citizens:
GEN. 6. w. Gordon, Judge Harry NJ. Hill,
Judge T. J. Latham, the Hon. W. r. Moore,
Col. Z. Z. Galloway, Judge J. I. Moss, Col.
w. &. Gibson, Col. J. G. Johnson and Gen.
Luke E. Wright.
Gen. G. W. Gordon introduced Mr.. E h.
eridge 10 the audience "Tennessee's most
gifted and distinguished orator."
MIR. Etheridge,
after some Introductory remarks referring TO
his possible lack of ability to treat the subject but
asserting his sincerity ana earnestness in the work.
entered upon an old-fashioned temperance ora
usual statistical sources showing the fearful
ages intemperance has wrought upon mankind
from Adam to the present generation. In his in
troductory remarks he pointed four great evils
that had cursed the world-slayery, polygamy re-
tbsse he asserted had been sboiished-slavery
polygamy, and religious persecution. And now
fore Inc civilized world, and he confident
that it would be but matter of time when
il. too, would have TO suecumb before the same
power that had vanquished the other three. He
referred in detail to what had been accomplished
years then TOOK up the history OF the war against
polygamy, which had so long detied the power OF
crowned heads, but was now outlawed IN our own
country Allusion was next made to the third
section of his text-religious prosecutions
-noiutiug To the fact in substance, that
mankind could now worship God under mis- own
vine and fgtree, and that there was an entlre aD-
sence of that religious ignorance and superstition
txhip N
days of the crussdes. The subject OF the evening
discourse rohibiIion-was next taken up, and
the orator employed all of mis- acknowledged abil-
ity Ia defense of his cause. He charged all the
evils of this lie upon the traffic in and use of
LIQUOR and arraigned the male element of humani-
" as derec of duty in failing to employ every Ell
duced an array OF figures showing the amount o.
money employed in the trafic, ana the amount OF
ey gIoTng og5 70, 10 poitcs he declared
that every NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS. social or other
wise-tbat demanded assistance from the state
Legislature, is necessarily political body,
and that nothing short Of legislative enact
ment could with any ny snew oil Of 6eor
traffic. Moral suasion has played out. 1t would
be as well to try to persuade people not to steal,
try to persuade them not to traffic in liquor 1t
could only be reached By penalty enacted a, d
details of the production of liquors under the
present system of laws governing the traihc, SHOW
the Internal Revenue Bureau. MI. Etheridge
very ingeniously associated the Democratic
as the fellow of the other. He had pre-
dicted certain towns IN Ohio that would give
tioNs Among these he mentioned Cincinnati,
DAyt H. Columbus and others each OF which he
Democratic sweep" of that State, according to
Mr.. Elheridge's logic. was attributable solely TO
beverages in the sine category authors of all
the Ills OF this life. He made fearful
its ALLEGED opposition to prohibition. during
which he became quite amusing He con I-
a Republican in principle. The Republicans have
done some mighty mean things and he acknowl-
edged that there were good many thieves among
them He charged the Republican party with col
fusion with the Democratic party II securing the
passage of the river and haIbor bill by Congress- in
giving away the public lands, and in sanctioninG
the pational bank system by extending the charters
INTO Gen. Bate. He said he Republican party had
been guilty of many mean thines-among them,
they did not go Dragging about it. But day or
two ago Gen Bate made speech before a Bate
dearest memories OF his life were those in connec-
tioa with the last war. Now, said Mr: Ether1dge,
what would you think OF two men falling out ana
the olner takes out his opponents eye al
But after awhile one goes around among
his fr ends Boosting that the dearest memory
that ear, and the other Boosting in similar way
about ia ing out that eye. The speaker here
took up the temperance string, but soon drifted
into a criticism of the proceedings of the recent
conference of the Methodist Church, IeiAIlng 10
temperance He ridiculed the document aud re-
Elected severely upon the usage OF that
church 10 communicating members for induig-
ing in the innocent past-time of dancing, which a
voice in the audience contradicted but the speaker
paid no attention to him, and continued on his
trade against the church. history Of the causes
which led 10 the four-mile law was given, enume-
rating numbers of towns in the State which had
Abandoned its chs rters in order to secure its ben
Gifts Mr. Etheridge continued in this vein until
toward the close he took occasion to allpde to the
relative intelligence of the white and eolered
people of the South He sand mat the negro
POPULATION are not the equal of the whites in in
teIiectual attainmentS That not a colored child
born in freedom-which could not have occurred
previous 10 or during the war-can vote in
diligently, and those raised in slavery and ig-
norSnce can never bee )me the equals OF the
whites After cleaning out the negro, he pitched
into the foreign element as auxiliaries OF the
Democracy. He made an effort to justify the action
of the toIting element of the party by allud-
ing to Gov. Harris, whom he characterized
as bolter because after the war closed
he left the country, remained away four
'bolted'' into Congress with a salary OF $1,000 q
wear He characterized the founders of all the
churches as boilers" George Washington
'boitedH from King George, and I'VE are all glad
he bolted." He made brlef reference 10 the
State debt the substance of which was that be
The bonds Immediately after the war. Then
they were worth thirty cents on the dollar,
which at six ger cent. interest would have
doubled in sixteen years, by which arithmetical
progression they now become worth sixty cents on
the dollar He would be willing TO stand by
settlement at fly cents il it could be effected
Mr. Etheridee expressed his disgust at the present
gubernatorial canvass, and concluded his speech
with his idea of the importance OF legislative
actment against the liquor trade