Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1883-02-06
TzE rrMpERANCE LRCruRE.
Rev. Mr.. Cufr Assails the Great Alneri-
can Devil.


can Devil.
Another large audience greeted the dis
tinguished lecturer, Rev. A. Curr, at the
lecture room of the First Presbyterian
Church last evening. The temperance
workers, particularly the ladies, were out
i'm full force. and evidently meant
busiuess. Every seat in the spa
cious lecture room was filed, and the
lobby was also occupied by many gentle
men who could not be accommodated
in the body OF the hall. AT eight
O'Clock the exercises commenced oy
Power of Jesus Name" Mrs. Webb,
the President of the Woman's Chris
tian Temperance Union, presiding
at the organ, and assisted by the many
good female voices in the assembly, "Old
Coronation" made the walls echo with
good music. A fervent prayer by the
Rev. Richard Webb, followed, and Rev.
Mr.. Curr. the eloquent lecturer, then COM
menced one of the best, most logical and
convincing temperance talks we have
ever listened to. 1t was neither a SER
mon. or a discourse, or a lecture; but a
clear. plain. logical discussion Of the
financial question involved in the use OF
strong drink: its terrible drainage upon
the financial resources of the nation, as
well as the individual. A dreadful
arrayoffacts and figures was produced, and
illustrated by a well-conceived set
of charts constructed for the occasion,
showing stronger and more plainly
than figures could do the dread drain upon
the financial resources of the nation by
this great national evil. His topic was
the great American devil, and how TO
kill it. In introducing his subject he
allegorically described the power which
the nation was called to conquer, repeat
ing the story about the devils prime
minister having died, congress was
called to select his successor, and his
satanic majesty invited his principal imps
to present their claims for promotion.
Famine, War, Pestilence, Anarchy,
and all the imps appeared seria-
tim. until at the last AicOhol
came forward and pointed to his services
TO his King, when without dissenting
voice his claim was allowed ana ne
was instantly promoted to the high posi-
ton of the DEVILS Chief Primate. The
speaker then proceeded to view the ques-
ton in its relation to the financial inter-
ests of the country, and was aided in pre-
senting clear view of its enormity by
ingeniOusly devised charts which would
educate the youth by sight as well as rea-
son. Education is what is needed on this
subject-and by thus educating, the
temperance sentiment would be estab-
lished on a sure foundation OF right
and public policy thereby lnaugurated
which would. if not etfectually, at least TO
a great extent, abate the evil. We are
sorry we cannot reproduce the diagrams,
but the. figures they illustrated show that
the teachers in all our schools in this coun-
try number 10000. while the sellers OF
whisky number 100000. That the assessed
value of all the property of the United
States is about ten billions OF dollars,
and that the amount spent for drink
in the country every seven years
reaches the enormous sum of twelve
billion five hundred millions of
dollars. That the total valuation
/ of all the church property in the cOun-
/ try is roughly estimated at 1854, OOO, 900.
while the direct cost of Intoxicating liquor
| is $3.50, OOO. 900. With such figures and
I their explanation Mr.. Curr pursued the
/ thought he started out with, and with
plain illustration reached the conclusion
( that the traffic and manufacture was an
1 eternal drain upon the financial resources
/ of the nation and individuals: The talk
was listened to with marked attention,
! and created quite an impression upon the
I intelligent audience.
At the conclusion of the lecture, Mrs.
/ Curr. the accomplished wife OF the lectnr-
| er, gave two very fine recltatl0ns, ''fhe
| Saloon Keepers Story and Little Mary
/ Malone" which were received with APP
| plause.
A collection was taken up, and quite a
( nice sum was collected to aid the Woman
/ Christian Temperance Union in the work
| and labor of love.
/ This evering the Rev. Mr.. Curr will
/ conclude his temperance series by an
other lecture at the same place, to which
| all the friends of the cause are invited.