The Herald of Wales. — 1886-10-09 (Swansea, West Glamorgan, Wales)

BRITAIN'S CURSE AND BRITAIN'S CURE. On Saturday evening the usual weekly meeting of the Swansea Gospel Temperance Union was held in the Albert Hall, Swamies. There was an exceedbigly large attendance. The obair was occupied by Mr. John Andrews, of Leeds, and on the platform were Mr. John Ripley (of London) Rev. R. Edgoombe, Means W. Lloyd, Lloyd Davies (secretary), W. Pilditoh 51g Mrs. Ripley. The Rev. R. Edgcombe read a portion of Scripture, and Mr. Win. Lloyd offered a short prayer. The Chairman in the course of his opening address, said diet if the question of total abstinence was thoroughly examined by all those who were not teetotallers,the result would be extra converts to the temperance cause. Everything was in favour of total abstinence, everything was against moderation and drunkennem. There was not a single plea that could be brought forward in favour of drink that could not be madly set aside, end there was not a single objection against teetotalliam that could not be replied to. Drink was ein against God and man, therefore no one ishou.d indulge in it. (Cheers.) Mr. Ripley, in the course of a short lectors on " Britain's Curie and Britain's Cure," said that he took it for granted that everyone would admit that if there was one evil more extensive than another that evil was drunkenness. Let them turn in whatever direction they might they were nue to be confronted with the evil of drunkenness: it was an evil that surrounded , them on all sides. He did not mean to say that drunkenness was the only evil, bat that it was the greatest evil. A. short time ago it was stated in a paper that daring three hours on a tiaturday night 200 public-houses were visited ty about 86,808 persons, of whom 30,784 were women, and 7,019 were children. During the last week in 1894 and the first week in 1886 ' there were 28 accidents, 13 robberies, 6 cases of Insanity, 5 cases of cruelty, 63 drunken outrages, 20 cases of drunken stabbing, 74 as- , Benin) on women, 13 cases of juvenile drunkennesa 90 cases of ati empted suicide and 12 oases of drunken murders. Yes, said the Tesler, in spite of these statistics, which proved beyond doubt the predominancy at the evil of drunkennees over other evils, there were many who said that the teetotaller exaggerated the evil. Ihe evil could not be exaggerated. The spenker, after touching upon the question of the Welsh Sunday Closing Act --an Act which he thoroughly believed in, and • similar to which he hoped would soon come in force Englend—he the twelve following questions :-Ist. Wee the liquor traffic likely to benefit the working classes? 2nd. Are homes made more comfortable by the publicans being well supported? 3rd. Have the number of magistrates and jailors been lessened through the publicans being well supported? 4th. Are the poor rates les. through the publics= being kept busy? 6th. Was bread cheaper through eighty million bushels of wheat being used for the purpose of liquor making? 6th. Is trade advanced by the spending of money on drink rather than on proper food and clothing? 7th. Are the articles sold by publicans worth the money paid for them? Bth. the health of the drinker better than the healt of thoee who do not drink? 9th. Are the neighbourhoods where public-houses are the most numerous the most orderly and most comfortable? 10th. Were eons and daughters improved by being put to terve behind public-honee bees? I 1 tb. Do publioans ever ! vote for any other candidate for Parliament except those who promise to uphold their interests? and, lastly-118 emigration has been suggested as a remedy against bad times are there any people better spared than the publicans? To each of these questions cries of "No " were loudly given. Daring the evening recitations were given by Mr. Ripley; readings by Mrs. Ripley, and solos by Mime Miot and Mr. Ripley. The meeting closed in the panel way.