The Herald of Wales. — 1887-07-23 (Swansea, West Glamorgan, Wales)

REV. E J. WILLIAMS (OSSETT.) AND REV. WILLIAM EVANS, (PEMBROKE DOCK).  jc  :ians,  THE TEMPERANCE MOVEMENT A ' CREDIT TO SWANSEA: On Saturday evening, at the Albert Hall, Swansea' the usual weekly Blue Ribbon meeting of the Swansea Gospel Temperance Union was held. There was an unusually large audience. Mr. F. S. Bishop, J.P.; presided, and was supported by the Rev. E. J. Williams (Ossett, Yorkshire), Rev. William Evans, M.A. (of Pembroke Dock), Mr. Pi!ditch, T. Lloyd Davies (secretary) and others. The proceedings opened with song, after which Mr. Bishop read a portion of Scripture, and the Rev. 'William Evans engaged in prayer. The Chairman, who' upon rising, was extended a cordial welcome, during the courae of a scholarly and able speech, said that every human being, if he wished furs full and °Droplets measure of success is life must exercise the great principle and essential virtue of self -control. (Cheers.) Self-control was indispensable in overcoming the habit of intemperance whether of a moderate or immoderate character, and no one could ever hope of sucoenfully combating agaiust this great and ' terrible curse without self. control. If a thing was worth doing it was worth doing well— (eheers)— and this axiom applied to temperance. In conclusion Mr Bishop earnestly appealed to all to join the temrerance ranks, and endeavour to their utmoet, to fight against the evil influences of the drink fiend. The Rev. E. J. Williams, addressing the meeting, said during the coulee of an eloquent speech that driuk was ten fold as destructive as cannons and war. Its subtle and terrible influences carried more people to a Premature grave than tho greatest of death's agencies. The habit of intemperance was easily acquired, but when ones acquired it was ~et to impossible to break off. A Roman scientist had said that the human mind wee as liable to invent evil as it was good. This forcibly applied to those nations which had succeeded in turning water into poison, the foremost of which was Germany. The use of alcoholic beverages was calculated to change the features of the human face, a fact which was fully testified to in Germany, where one of the finest ratr a of the earth were being changed in personal appearance to such an extent as to make them treats abhorrent. Alcohol was doing the -aces murderous work in Great Britain, and yet, in epite of this, there were 180,000 persons licensed to sell intoxicating beverages. An eminent judge had said that nine-tenths of the crime in thiscountry was engendered in publichouses, and he was undoubtedly cerrect. It was an error to imagine that intemperance was synouymous with drunkenness, for there were thousands of persons who, though they never became intoxieattd had been intemperate all their lives. It was an indisputable fad, which had been testified to by thousands of the most eminent physicians, that alcohol was the worst enemy of the human frame. The temperance movement was indebted to Moses for the organization of the first total abstinence society. Cheers.) The Blue Ribbon choir then sang in a very creditable manner the temperance march, "Fear. lees and Free." and were loudly encored. The Rev. Wm. Evans said the Gospel Temperauce Union was is credit to Swansea, but it WIIS still snore Creditable to the town for it to be able ,o hold such interesting end well attended teMperance meetings every Saturday night as it did. Sobriety wee the one great principle of self scontrol, for without exercising this virtue int,mperance could never be overcome. Example was a most essential agency to the progagation of temperate.° principle..., and it was only by example that the temperance cause could hope to merit a full measure of success. (Cheers.) Ale. Evans, who was listened to throughout with the closest attention, was most interesting and humorous. The meeting closed with the pronunciation of the B nediction.  OYSTERMOUTiI