The Portland daily press., 1889-07-05
THE REFORM CLUB.
Dedication Of Its Pleasant Homo at
PeakeS Island.


The Temperance Reform Club dedicated
their new ISLAND Home" at Peaks Island
yesterday. The pretty building was well
filled with the members and their friends
and the order of exercises was very interest
ing. Excellent music was furnished by the
Ladies' Relief
Prayer was offered by Chaplain Fa cey, af-
ter which the building committee, through
j. A. Kennedy. presented the house which
was accepted in appropriate terms by Presi-
dent Phillips.
After music, excellently rendered by the
Ladies Relief President Phillips introduced
Capt 1. H. Mcdonald, the orator of the occa-
sion, who delivered most interesting and
effective address.
CAPT. MCDoEALD's ADDRESS.
Capt. Mcdonald said: 'We have met to-
gether for the purpose of dedicating this,
our Island Home, the first l believe in the
history of the Reform Club movement in our
State, and while we rejoice over the success
which has attended our efforts, every heart
must swell with pride and gratitude when
we remember that we have gained the conf
dence and respect of our many friends to
the extent we have. No obstacle exists that
cannot be overcome with the confidence and
respect of our fellOw-citiZens. This should
stimulate us to be faithful and earnest in the
work in which we are engaged The work
| of the Reform Club runs in different chan
mel from all other work; the various kinds
| of churches and temperance societies essen
| we are doing; the churches, because the
| members would feel they were soiling them
| selves by coming in contact with the reeling
| drunkard in the streets; the various tenn
| perance societies, because many of them are
| merely pleasure parties, and society that
| seeks play instead of work, becomes very
| Door instrument for good. The Reform Club
| work is that of the good Samaritan founded
| upon Holy Writ. The club-work is illus
trated in the tenth chapter Of Luke, where
| a certain man went down from Jericho, etc."
| But we need not 60 to the ancient city of
Jericho, these 1900 years since these words
| were written. to find men who have fallen
| among worse than thieves, stripped not
| only of raiment, but of all that makes life
| dear to them, and through the efforts of this
Sband Of brothers and sisters, have been
| brought back to health, strength and the
| glory of their manhood. Hundreds are to-
| day proud and happy in their homes, thank
ing God for the love and sympathy of our
| club for their rescue from gloom and dark
ness. Too many are only for self in this
world. Thousands might have been saved
where one kind word would have saved
| them. They went down without see
ing the helping hand or hearing one kind
| voice, although, "love thy neighbor as thyself
| is heard through the land. If flowing
thy neighbor as myself. is the only means
| whereby man can inherit eternal life there
| will be no lack of room in heaven for those
who practised what they preached. Intern
perance is the stumbling block that lies at
the door of every noble enterprise and it Is a
matter of wonder why all who love society,
country and their fellow men do not rise as
one man and crush this devil with one blow.
1t cannot always exist in this country. Some
day it will go out like Southern slavery with
dash of the pen, and the people will shout
Tor joy over nation redeemed from the
curse of strong drink, as they did when the
shackles fell from the limbs OF Southern
slaves. But this can be accomplished not by
suplnely sitting down and folding our arms,
but by hard work, and it seems as If all who
have sons and daughters whose future hap
piness. usefulness and prosperity. depend
upon their early habits and associations, and
| who are liable to be ensnared, should take a
deep interest in the consequences.
may say that there are scores OF our