The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1896-08-13
oCTOGENARIAN TEETOTALERS.
Unique Meeting in London-Strong Testi-
monial Against Use of IntoxIcants.

monial Against Use of IntoxIcants.
A very unique gathering of teetotal-
ers of fourscore years ana over was re-
Gently held in London, under the au-
spices of the National Temperance
league. A very fitting chairman to
preside over such Il gathering was Dr.
E. X. Lees, of Leeds. The testimony
borne by many of those present was
very interesting, and showed some of
the wonderful blessings flowing from
the practice of total abstinence
Mr.. Thomas Walmsley, of Preston,
stated that he and his wife were both
over so years, that he had sisters of 81.
70, and 76, and brother of 50, all Of
whom had been teetotalers since 1882
DIR. Lees in his opening address said:
Look at us, and you will see that we
are not old men, but men just beginning
to be old. We are neither feeble nor
fanciful; we are not sans eyes, sans
hearing, sans life and enthusiasm, but
in the enjoyment of our senses, our in
tellect, our manhood-happy, cheerful
old men young! Neither are we fad
dists nor fanatics, but veterans in the
most successful and untiring of all the
social reforms of the century We have
literally stormed, or undermined, every
alcoholic superstition and fortress, ex.
ploded every chemical and critical fall
lacy of the stupid, the ignorant and
the interested, and now hold aloft the
triumphant banner of 60 years ago, I'M
stained and uniform"
Mr.. Isaac Sharp, who will be 90 next
Fourth of July, and who had been a
teetotaler for over 60 years, made a
racy and humorous speech, and gave
a graphic description of tour which
he had made round the world when he
was nearly so years of age. He had
spent year and a half in Africa, a
year in Madagascar, two years in Au-
stralia, Tasmania and New Zealand,
and several years in Canada and the
United States. Yet he had never seen
my climate or any conditions where he
had to resort to the use of liquor. To
see this bright, chirpy, rosy little gentle
man clad in the Quaker hadiliments
Of a bygone generation, and hear him
talkwith a boyish air of his travels over
the habitable globe was one of the
events of the occasion. Perhaps the
speech of the evening was that made by
Rev. DR.. Newman Hall, whose reminis-
cences were highly enjoyed by the larga
audience. The doctor began by say
ing:
Fellow teetotalers, 1 think the best
thing for me to do, and for some others
if not for all, is not to make speech,
but to present as briefly and compre-
hensively as possible personal testi-
mony. But have no business to give
any personal testimony tonight; that
is for octogenarians, and | shall not
be one until the clock strikes ~. Twill,
however, try to do what | have suggest
ed-contine myself to personal testi-
monies. 1t was in the year 1910 that
was persuaded to take the temperance
pledge by the wife of my beloved pred
ecessor at Surrey chapel, Mrs. Sher-
man. | argued against it, and as
young man from college / was little
proud of my logic, but my friend said:
oh, dear friend, none of your logic;
my wife has been praying for you that
you might take the pledge I said:
There is no misunderstanding lady's
prayers; l will try it for month. 1
did, and have been trying it ever since.
went to Hull in the year 1912 and was
pastor of q large church-a new one
and one of the first things did was to
establish a total abstinence society
to hold weekly meetings, and large
monthly meeting, and TO give promi-
hence to the movement God very
greatly blessed those efforts during IL
years. In 1854 l was invited to take
pastoral charge of Surrey chapel in
succession to Mr.. Sherman, who was
about to leave. He said 'Good-by' one
Sunday, and l said How do you do
the next Sunday. He was in that pull
pit and introduced me to his congre-
cation, they having invited me. But I
made one stipulation with the trus-
tees, the officers and the people of the
church, and that WIS that if l came
l should have freedom to hold temper
ance meeting in the schoolroom once
week, and a big meeting in the church
once month, and if might not do that
they would have to look for some one
else"