The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 18??-19??, 1912-12-31
THE TEMPERANCE CONVENTION.

One Of the FIRST and one OF the most important of the whole year will
be the Temperance Convention, which will be held IN the Auditorium
on the goth and 3oh OF January. It is expected that this convention
will be attended by temperance workers and others who w'sh 70 lessen
the ravages of the drink evil, S that they may look back upon the
victories of the past ten years and plan for larger victories, tor sobrHty
and temperance and virtue in the years that are to come.
a distinguished shek once, talking to the younger men IN his serV-
vice. Some made one preference and some another, and one young
ferred to practice under promise that they would not practice any other
vice. Some n made one preference and some another, and one young
man wrote that he could not bear to think OF being guilty OF any crime
that carried decentralization or in,rv 10 another and therefore. after CON
sidering all the crimes in the catalogues. he determined that the least
vicious of them and the least vindictive was drunkenness, and there
fore, he would select that as his preference. Alas said the shelk,
you have chosen the vice that leads to all others" The man who
takes into his mouth that which steals away his brains is the prey of
every degraded passion that brutaizes and destroys man. When al
cohol has inAamed his mind and taken away his power Of resistance,
he is easily the prey of all temptation, and lin this condition, there is
no crime in all the long catalogue that drunken nen have not COM
nitted. 1t often happens that a mar who, when cool sober, is the fur
thest from falling into vile practices, becomes the vHest when drunk
and, therefore, the warfare upon internperance must never cease.
The saving Of men from the drink habit is a matter that touches
every home and every heart: and is Of such vast Importance that many
men and women, who formerly regarded the drink evil as a social lapse
and nothing worse, now SEE IN 1t the open door to SIN and degradation.
They are therefore enHsting III the war against the saloon and the still
We took a long step in North Carolina when we outlawed both these
enemies of society. Now that they are outlaws, they must be DESTROYED,
and it is the duty Of the officers Of the State and all good citizens to en-
force the laws which have been made and, if necessary, to strengthen
the statutes 50 that the law may not be anywhere fOued with I'M
punity.
At this Temperance Convention to be held in Raleigh on the Goth
and goth of January, there will be addresses by half a dozen of the
foremost North Carolinians, who have taken a leading part in the tenn
perance crusade and who have enlisted for the "a Their names will
be announced later.
The first address at that great gathering will be delivered on We'd
nesday night by Bishop John c. kigo. Of the Southern Methodist
church. He has won the reputation of being one of the most eloquent
and convincing pulpit orators in all the South, and upon this occasion
will be al his best and make IN address Of convincing power.
On Thursday night the convention will have as it's speaker Judge
A. L. Blair, of Ohio, a judicial officer who has won a high place among
the great lei Of this decade. He is Judge Of the Circuit Court of Ohio
He DISTINGUISHED nineteen hundred and sxty-fve white men for five
years for selling their votes and possibly did more to purify the ballot
box than any other Judge in the United States. He came into great
prominence then because Of his wise and unprecedented success in
Furnishing bride givers and bride takers. The action of Judge Blair
and the Grand 1urV II that Ohio COUNTY had a farraaCli ;nAenco]
in every part Of the country. It showed the people that the matter of
bribery was much greater than it had generally been supposed and
that its punishment was not as difficult as has been supposed. Judge
Blair is an able and eloquent speaker, a man who has achieved great
things and will get a great welcome to North Carolina.
North Carolina, which has been little cursed by bribery but which
has known enough OF it to know that a purchased vote is the sprine
from which aIl flow the most impure Of all waters in u Republic,
4 will read with pleasure that Judge Blair is To- be in this city and to de-
liver II address at this great convention.
The people of Raleigh and Of the State, who come to RALEIGH. have
been particularly fortunate since the Auditorium was constructed in
having the opportunity Of hearing a score Of the most distinguished
men in America. No public man in the country has done 50 much to
punish the crime OF bribery, which opens the door for the destruction
of the Republic itself, as Judge Blair. When he disfranclrsed nine
teen hundred and sxty-hve white men III one county in Ohio because
they had sold their votes, he rendered a service greater to his State and
country than any soldier Of the last decade. 1t was a more difcn,t
service, and quite $ patriotic as has been rendered by any soldier in