, 1884-05-02
TALKING ON TEMPERANCE.
A Visiting Clergyman Holds Forth on
Total Abstinence.

About two hundred persons assembled
in the Methodist church last evening to
hear Rev. +. G. Brooks discourse on the
subject of temperance. The Methodist
choir was in attendance, conducted by
Mrs. King, now well known in the city as
an o~rganist. Mrs. J. F. jenkins, presi-
dent of the Woman temperance Union,
presided.
After singing, scripture reading, and a
prayer by Rev. DR.. Chapman, Mrs.
jenkins introduced the speaker, Mr..
Brooks. He began by saying that for the
first time in hi. life he had the privilege
of addressing an audience composed en-
tirely OF overwhelming to the ladies, of
course. He said it had been the practice
heretofore to picture the woes of the
drunkard and the desolation caused by
strong drink; but the temperance work
had taken another form, that of working
against the evil politically; in other words
fighting it at the polls. He brought out
a vivid illustration of this. God, when
he told Adam that his race would be
reclaimed, did not reveal to him the
triune character of the Godhead. Not
until Christ came and lastly, the Holy
Ghost, did the Christian world make up
the grand plan of the Divinity. So it was
with the temperance work. The adyo-
Gates of the cause first started out with
the Washingtoni&n idea, then the moral
s%Iasion or social method, and now the
determination to effect prohibition
through the ballot box. This is the
great third person in the temper
ance triune-the last food of
light which is to tighten the
world on this subject. He cited the words
Woman Christian and "Tem-
perance' as significant in their character
"a triune of mighty possibilities. Mr..
Brooks recounted the history of temper
ance politics in Kansas, and denied the
statement that the defeat of Governor st.
John was a defeat of the temperance
movement. He denounced the practice
of using wine at the sacramental table
and gave Il thrilling instance in the case
of an older brother who had been ad-
dicted to drink but reformed, and united
himself with the church. When his lips
touched the wine cup, all the energies of
an uncomfortable desire for drink were
reused in him and had to lie in bed for
days in the throes of extreme mental and
physical agony, fighting off a fiery appe
tite working within him. He stated that
eleven persons die every hour in the
United States from the effects of strong
drink. In other words go down to an
eternal damnation. The reverend speaker
ventured the most unlikely prediction
that in ten years the Constitution of the
United States would have an amendment
prohibiting the sale, manufacture and i'm
portation of any kind of spirituous or
alcoholic liquors. He did not claim that
a drunkard could be legislated into sobrie
ty. He admitted that saloonkeepers as
a class were more sociable than the gener-
atty Of Christian people. He cited a no
table instance. When a young man he was
s%oiourning in a small city in New York
State. He Ven into a prayer meeting.
After a while "a general invitation for re-
marks vas given. Among the rest, he
took advantage of the invitation. After
wards he was introduced to a dozen or
more Of the brethren who cordially wei
coined him to their midst. The next day
he met all, or nearly all, of these ''breth-
ren in the street, none of whom spoke to
him except one, who coldly nodded. After
ward he stopped in front Of Il genial look
ing man, who was whiting a stick. The
man kindly noticed him and Immediately
entered into u friendly conversation, and
cordially rendered him the freedom of his
place; said he would find papers there to
read, and he should come and go when he
pleased, and stay as long as he pleased.
He was a saloon keeper. This incident
was given to illustrate the neglectfulness
OF church people to strangers and he coun-
selled a different course. It's a truth,
exclaimed the speaker, that the children
of this generation are wiser than the chill
dren Of light. Mr.. Brooks is a forcible
and entertaining speaker and fully com
mitted to prohibition; said that the high
license idea was a fraud and totally anti
temperance in its character. The evening
was closed with music, a collection. and
the benediction by Rev. Mr.. Eldridge.
COME To GRIRE-