Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1883-02-14
Temperance.
Rev. DR.. Vedder's Address

AS CHAIRMAN OF AN EVENING MASS MEET
ING AT THE SOUTH CAROLINA CON-
VENTION OF THE W. c. 7. U.
Alexander Pope, the poet, looking upon
field of corn, said that he could make to
| it a pertinent and impressive speech.
Being challenged by friend to do so,
Pope stretched out his hand toward the
green and upright stalks, and said:
Gentlemen, only give US your ears, and
the people will not lack bread"
The address is at once so witty and wise,
that we hesitate whether to smile or be
serious. and end by doing and being both
in turn. The jocose side of the sentiment
provokes the answering pun that, if no
audible answer come TO such a speech, it
could hardly have been expected from an
audience SO "husky" from long exposure
to the air, and which must wait upon the
wind even to nod its assent. In the grave
aspect Of the thought, we cannot but argue
that if the growing corn had possessed
tongues rs well as cars. it would have
replied: 1--WE mean to give our fruit to
feed the people; see you TO it, o man, that
the people get it,"
We may be sure that this would have
been the response, for this is what every
field of the golden grain is saying to us
always. The good God has nourished it
in the sunshine and the rain and the dew,
to make glad the homes of men. See we
to 1t that it reaches those homes to bless
and nc to blast. He has given he wheat,
the rye, and the corn, that the people may
not lack bread, and not that it should
cease to be bread in itself whilst snatching
all bread else from craving mouths. God
has given it that widowhood and orphan
age may not s,arvc when bereaved of
their natural protector, and not that n
worse than widowhood and orphanage
may add degradation and grief and terror
TO haggard destitution
OF all who shall speak to you here and
now, even including my gentle friend of
the silver tongue and the golden heart, of
the winged step upon every path of duty,
and the unwearied hand in every work Of
mercy-the honored and beloved president
of the national union of all hese. none
shall speak more eloquenlly than the
fertile soil of our own great land, with it's
abundant food for all. yet forced to hear Il
malgn power commanding its bread to
be turned into stone; opening its tceming
burrows with the means of life, and yet
seeing that very means distilled into the
poison of death; rich with its harvest of
wealth, and yet reaping from it yeally
such harvest of woe as fifty thousand
graves over which no tear of dear
remembrance, regard and regret can fall.
and no flower of hope bloom. He who
will simply hear what earth has TO say to
nm IN the eXuberance of lis bounty,
whilst such dire want breathes upon II.
needs no other incentive TO range himself
definitely, resolutely, and uualterably bv
the side OF those who would summon the
majesty of human law to forbid the per-
version of Heavens blessing into earlh's
dircst curse.
1he cause of TEN perance only asks the
attention Of the kind and true. hearted
everywhere, and it will risk all the rest.
1t pleads, Only give me audience in your
serious Thoughts and the people will not
lack bread. Hear but the facts and the
arguments. and you will be ready to say,
Give me place and part in the work
which is so Christ. like that it multiplies
the five loaves which are now alone free
to feed the poor, into the food for five
thousand and The gathered fragments will
be more than the original provision, for
they will be unused gibbets and jails,
unoccupied almshouses, and asylums; yea,
they will be bright eyes, buoyant hearts,
happy homes, and undying hopes" Only
let him who hath ears to hear open them
to truth, and he cannot but heed.
And if there are any who are especially
entitled to speak upon this theme, they are
those upon whom directly, inescapably
and abidingly, the curse of the drink falls,
of whom it night be said that if they were
silent, the very stones of the street would
cry out
Place, then. for our mothers, wives,
sisters, daughters, under God The guardian
spirits of your households; place, where
they may plead for the peace, purity and
Sanctity of their homes; place, where they
can seek their Masters enconium, that
they have ''donc what they could to
make home what he meant it should be
Heavens sweet shadow upon lost earth.
Charleston, Jan. 16, 1888.