The Vermont watchman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1883-1911, 1894-04-11
NUMBER Is.
Immediately before us will witness the
benefcent rule Of temperance through all
these states"
FASTING IND PRI YER.

General Observance of the Day Set Apart
by the Governor for this Purpose-An
Unusually Large Attendance at the Re-
ligious Services.
Fast Day was generally observed in Mont
peier by the closing of places of business,
and by union service held at Bethany
church The cold raw wind that prevailed
all day kept many from visiting neighbor-
ing sugar orchards, and the day in itself
had little promise of early spring time.
In place of the faithful few who generally
attend any religious gatherings on this day,
several hundred people gathered at Bethany
church at eleven o'clock, when union ser
vice was held. In the absence of Rev. DR..
Seaver, the services were in charge OF Rev
G. O. Webster. The singing was led by
Professor w. s. Spencer, with Wesley O.
Taplin at the organ. Governor Fuller'S
proclamation was read by Rev DR. Il. M.
Smith, selections of Scripture were read by
Rev. G. o. Webster, and prayer was offered
by Rev. j. Edward Wright.
In place of the formal and perfunctory
Fast-Day sermon by some local clergyman,
an interesting and spirited discussion fol-
| lowed of the necessity for integrity in vart-
ous departments of life To Rev. DR.. Smith
was assigned the topic of the necessity Tor
| integrity in business. He said that honesty
! in business means something more than abb
sence of dishonesty; business men need the
! ability to be positively honest. AS society
| develops, personal integrity will he more
and more at premium. He referred to the
tendency to speculate in business, which is
only another name for gambling, which
! makes men leeches on society.
Rev. A. H. Webb spoke of the necessity
for integrity in political life. He referred
to the fact that national character is deter
mined by the laws of nation; and while
| there are so many temptations to dishonesty
| in senate halls, there is stirring call to the
voters to see that none but those of tried
honesty be put in legislative halls. Con-
tinuing he said: "I believe the strong hold
President Cleveland has to-day is due to his
integrity. He has made some mistakes, to
| be sure but who has not? And | believe
the time is coming when the integrity OF
Grover Cleveland will be more generally
acknowledged than it is to-day. When
those who make our laws have integrity of
character all oppressive systems Will be
done away with property will NOT be above
| persons, and our lawmakers will feel Tor
the oppressed like a brother When our
pulpits bars, and legislative halls are filled
with men who are animated by godlike and
| noble purposes, wrong VIII dle auu rlgnJ
will reign. Our flag is the child OF patriot
ism, and by waving over our school houses
to-day is breeding patriotism. We may
make mistakes of judgment, but " hen the
heart is clean and the purpose is godlike,
our mistakes will not be fatal, My highest
desire is that | may be such an upright cit
izen as to bring no dscredit upon the land
of my adoption"
Professor S. j. Blanpied spoke of in
tegrity in the public schools. Integrity
means wholeness, without spot or blemish,
and the public school is at the bottom of in"
tegrity for there its foundations are laid.
The public schools of to-day stand for
something that concerns the public veal.
The speaker closed with some reflections
on the relations of parents and citizens TO
the schools
Rev. G. o. Webster spoke of the necessity
of integrity in common Christian life. In
the Christian life there is no division OF
Christian principles, synonymous to busi-
ness, political and social life. The speaker
gave three reasons for the necessity OF the
) strictest integrity of the Christian life
; First, for the sake of the individual. We
speak of character building, and if part OF
the character is imperfect, the whole temple
is failure. Another reason is for the sake
of the mass of the people, and the influence
one person has on another. All men are IN
need of living examples of right, and
whenever we fail in this we fail in our priv
, ilege of influencing those about us for good.
l A third reason is that integrity is needed on
the part of Christian for the sake of the
Lord Jesus Christ. We are living gospels,
and the world about is reading us. From
us they get their impressions of the Lord
Jesus, so that we, by our lives, are giving
3 men impressions, either true or false, OF the
7 Christ. We bear the name of our Lord, we
profess to be Christlike, to be living epistles,
: and the great question for us is what sort OF
Q an impression are we giving to the world oi
y, him whom we represent?