The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1883-06-11

At the conclusion OF the reading OF the
above papers Eli Jones remarked that he had
for a long time entertained the idea that the
world was growing better, but was 10 diem
ma after hearing the queries and answers and
statistics read In the past he was accustomed
to hear OF but one generally, Of but three cases
at the most, OF the use of intoxicants as bev-
erage in the entire New England Yearly Meet
ing. Now we have thirteen reported from one
quarterly meetinal There appear to be about
% in our Yearly Meeting who are accustomed
to the use Of intoxicsnts as beverage. Ie the
basement OF this building q company Of self
sacrificing women have instituted a temper
ance restarant where a reasonable meal may be
had for reasonable sum. Do you think
would like to admit to those women of the
womens Temperance Union that We have in
our New England Yearly Meeting, whose ses-
sion is being held in prohibitory Maine, as
nearly as we can estimate, some % habitual
users of intoxicants as beverage? There is
but ore way 10 believe that Friends are getting
better, and that Is by the conclusion that they
are becoming more honest and truthful mas
much as they are willing to admit that they do
indulge Ia liquors. / hold the manufacture OF
cider by Friends as largely responsible for this
deplorabe state Of things. Let US ponder on
these things.
Another subject demands your cor sderation.
l want to know II the Friends OF New England
have read up the early history OF the society.
How our fathers suffered through refusing to
take oaths, mindful OF the words OF the Mas
tea, Swear not all. II they have, how can
they ignore the principles Of the society aud
conform to the usages OF the world In this re-
Haa ii mi n N thia N al al
New England that Friends are not true Gas re-
ported in quarterly meeting after quarterly
meeting) 10 their principles? Some OF us young
Grand perhaps some OF us older ones, are coming
to think that the fathers were too fastidious IN
dress, etc, and then don't hesitate to make
oath where our temporal welfare is concerned.
My friends don't go 10 far. Let US stop in
time. 1t don't matter which side of the bridge
we 20 over, when We are over. / attribute
considerable to the ministers. It we preach
to-day just what the Metho1ists and other de-
nominations preach what inducements do we
offer to them to come over to US? The old
ministers did offer something new. We should
make these yearly meetings practical. In this
way we might discourage the use of iDtoxi-
cants, and our young men strengthened to de-
cline to take oaths.
/ don't wish to see the "plain language" die
out, but I do object to the garbled way in
which our young people use it, refer 10 the
use of thee in the nominative instead OF thou
| should less object almost to the use Of you in
the singular by the people Of the world, as that
at least has the excuse Of long usage. wish
to hear the use of the pure language Of the
Scripture instead Of this gaTbled English. /
believe there is really more life, more vim in
the society, but think it might do better.
think that the Friends would make the
most efficient eysngeists in the world IL they
but returned to the principles Of our fathers.
Some Of the young men may think that am
too conservative; that the old gentleman is
welded to the past. / leave that to be judged.
However, bad my life to live over again, as
missionary, should wish to be the same that
have been. / don't think that sitting an
hour in silence is the most effective, j believe
In the laborng minister. That call practical
Quakerism. We swami living Quakers, not
dead Quakers.