The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 18??-19??, 1903-10-27

iA'NCtA 1t LII time d. DtllS tie most tlD-
quent rs well rs the strongest temperance
speaker our people had ever heard. and
did a work that perhaps no other could
have done. l did not have the pleasure Of
seeing ana hearing him, as / happened
to be teaching school in 4 portion of the
State he did not visit. / always regretted
It, for those who sat under the spell OF
his vigorous oIatory and witnessed the
ease with which he could sway a multi
ture, often reminded me oil the loss | had
sustained. | heard Of course. Of his many
anecdotes, and OF the fine which
they We're made to illustrate. and did not
wonder that his fame was 50 great as a
speaker. On one occasion he was adyer-
tlsed to speak IN an eastern county Where
the people were very much opposed TO
temperance, and Mr.. German, the editor
of the Spirit Of the Age who was to
go with Mr.. White to that appointment,
had been notified not to come; IN fact,
had been warned that if he did go, and
carry that fellow White with him, there
would be trouble, and a sight Of it, for
the people OF that community were deter
mined that their liberties should not be
tempered With, and SO forth.
The day arrived and the speakers, not
at all inundated by the threats that had
been made, were there on good time. A
great crowd had already assembled, and,
it being cold weather, they had built log
fires, and with guns and canes IN their
hands, the very much excited crowd had
formed 2 line of battle and stood ready
to charge on the first approach of the
enemy. In addition to other arrangements
that had been made, a barrel of cider
stood on its head, on an imprOvised plat
form, and around the barrel, as the hoops
ran, was written in large letters, with
p~okeberry juice: Blood will be split here
today"
Mr.. German was a small man in statue,
but as fearless as if he had been a giant,
while Mr.. White had size as we'll as fear
le~ssnesS; so, the two rode up, unhitched
their team, and very deliberately walked
to the nearest fire, saying as they APP
proached: Good morning gentlemen: it
was so kline of you to have these good
fires 70 rthe accommodation Of the peple.'
A fellow who spoke from underneath a
broad brimmed hat, and in language Meth
er elegant nor in conformity with Sunday
school teaching, said with emphasis:
"These fires wern't made fer no such -
fellows as YOU be, -- you; and that amt
all: you fellows amt a gwine to do nc
IN'ihAAA 49, Si'' ShOoiANt $3.50
After warming themselves thoroughly,
Mr.. White. in a tone of voice loud enough
to be heard at all the log fires, said: Gen
tlemen, [ am to speak IN that church tins
morning and it's about time to begin. Al
OF you come right in.' And he and Mr.
!, German started in the direction OF the
church. AS they did so, one man said
/. loud enough to be heard by all, I'll be
drot il 1 don't believe them men would
fight: and, one after another, they fol
lowed the speakers until all that hostile
crowd. that had come there to shed blood
was seated in the church, and listening tc
the eloquence Of the great speaker. Il
was not long before men began to applaud
ard before the speaker had spent hal
an hour, the %neighbors, who came over
to see how the fight had gone, filled the
house. and enthusiasm was running noun
tain high. The result was, a Division o.
the Sons of Temperance was organized
there. and today no section of North Caro-
lima has a better temperance sentiment
than that.
I stop here to make the remark that oul
! country never had better work done II
il for the temperance cause than that
: which was done by the Sons of Temper
ance, Friends OF Temperance and Coco
Tempiars. A great many people did MOI
regard temperance societies Of sufficient
Importance to claim their support, but
time has demonstrated the fact that the
seeds sown by those societies were not lost
on the contrary, wherever they We're soWl
may be found today a good temperance
sentiment in that community. The time
has gone by when Christians can afford
to be identified in any way with a traffic
x1~4 ~ - - r. u 49, = -I@I1,
bad, not only for the individual, but fol
hurch and State as well. In the days o.
+ our grandf1thers, when this country was
comparatively new, the making of brandy
was considered to be a part of a mans
crop, and the drinking of it d matter O
course, because, it was made to drink. The
side board and decanter ranked high VI
|, III the estimation of all classes of people
and even the minister of the gospel pat
ronized them, smacked his lips and praised
the skill of the host, who knew so wei
how to mix the peach and honey. The
result of it was our fathers were raised III
moderate drinkers; and, SO, the generation
of the nineteenth century had to figh1
against and overcome a habit and d thirs
for drink which had been Transmitted
5, from grand father to grand son. DURING
n the latter half of the century just closed
T a vigorous fight was made to win the
i people to the doctrine of tai abstinence
n and for that purpose temperance s%ocietie:
t were organized and the young people, who
e had not yet formed the habit of moderate
Il drinkers, were specially sought after anc
d encouraged to join those societies., becaus'
l. while it was and IS almost impossible t
S reform a drunkard or ever a moderate
drinker, it was, and is, an easy matter
comparatively, to prevent the young b,
throwing around them the restraints OF
pledge and the associations Of a lodge
from becoming drunkards. In other words
t it is easier to form than to reform.
The temperance society work OF tn
V last half century has brought to pass
f state of things that Is simply marvellous
5 and the temperance worker, of twenty
five years ago, is forced to admit tina
e the seeds then sown have brought fortl
r a harvest of awkward conscience and al
n advanced public sentiment, on the subJec