Essex County herald. [volume] (Guildhall, Vt.) 1873-1964, 1895-02-22

nile Temperance League. ruey hay
now twenty sx mem bers with the Oil
GERS as fellows: Hattie Human, Is
Wee Pres.deat; Bsrritt Hinman, = b,
Vice President; Kate Norcott, Record
ing Secretary; Olive Beecher. Treasurer.
The Iit,le son OF Mr.. 5. o. Schoi. o
Bloomfield, was kicked in the head by ,
horse Monday evening and seriously i
not fatally injured.
Mr.. Lewis Norcgtt has returned from
Derby Center where he has been at school
since September.
The children Of the public schools are
preparing for a fine entertainment to be
given on Washington birthday. and a
young pupil was asking me it could tell
her where to find any pieces about Mr..
Washington!
We are panied to learn OF the death of
Mr. Alfred Bundy, formerly of Coos.
At the opening meeting of the local
b anch of the Woman's Christian Tenn
perance Union, recently organized here.
the president, Mrs. Ella Willard Rowell,
made the following pungent address,
Wemeet together for the first time since
our organizationintot the Woman Chris.
tian Temperance Union. and we are to
consider the work to be done and the
best methods of doing that work in this
town. We have all heard or know Of the
great power for good that the W. {. T.
l. has been in the world for upwards OF
p years and we may well ask ourselves
is there nothing for us to do here? ?" 1t
needs no words OF mine to impress upon
any one of you the necessity for temper
ance work in North Strattord If it was
not known before, the resent fire that
laid to waste good portion of oar will
age developed Il condition OF things we
would have previously thought impossi-
bic. Those who witnessed the debauch-
cry Of the men who should have helped
quench the flames aud assist in the re.
moval of goods from the burning build
ings are in want of no further proof OF
the hesottiness into which man with an
passion for drink can degcner-
ate. Through strong drink man, who
was created in the image OF Con, becomes
lower than the more intelligent dumb
animals, for there are many recorded in
stances of animals having saved human
lives.
Happily we have not here to combat
with social drinking as known in many
parts of the country. The social glass,
the wine, beer and ale drinking at the
family table is unknown, but we have the
dramshop, and we have current of i'm
moral literature flowing into this town
and corrupting the minds of our Young
people. We know what it is IN the
spring-time when the men come in from
the woods an are waiting for the river
to open that they may drive the logs.
We know then of drunkenness and riot
ing; we know then of the clash of knives
and the firing of pistols between men
frenzied with drink. And, too, there are
cases of habtual drunkenness among our
own townsmen who have families de
pendent upon the money they earn for
their daily bread. Not a year ago
woman told me of her son who lives very
near here In the beginning of his mar
ried life he had been kind husband and
a good provider. He had taken to drink
four wears ago. and now when he comes
to the village he spends the money he has
earned for liquor and returns to his wife
4 drunken brute. She hides away where
coming home lest he do her great injury
and beat her. Formerly there was plenty
in the house, now if she has anything she
earns the money for it, and buys it her
self not daring to trust him with her 1T
tie earnings. This is only one instance
but do not doubt there are many more
if we will take the pains to look them up
men who are spending for drink the
money that justly belongs to their chill
dren and wives. So my friends we do
know enough of the sorrow and misery
that follows i'll the train of rum drinking
and rum selling in this little town of300
inhabitants to know there is a great
field for temperance work among us.
The question is how are we best to do
our work Iwould follow the advice of
our organizer, Mrs. Loyne, and say do
not enter into combat that you are not
sure winning; do not he aggressive in
it's strongest terms; but | would say be
strong for right be patient; he ready for
any good work that comes to hand, and
he sufficiently aggressive to force our
war into the liquor dealers sanctuary
and if we can, arrest from his grasp the
money, - ay! the souls OF those who are
his slaves.
But the liquor dealer will tell you it is
the bread Of his family we are taking
from him. Then arises the question has
anyone the right to live upon the fruits
of that labor that costs the happiness,
wealth. and lives of others? l say no,
no more than the ancient conquerors had
the right to wage war against, and plum
der and subject to slavery, those who
were weaker than themselves.
1t seems to me room fitted up for a
public reading room would be one of the
best institutions for this place. A room,
where men could go and find the daily
,,o,erc ,,,ooazirec n nd oOOd hooks would