Year: 1874

FRIENDS OF TOTAL ABSTINENCE.


A fine audience assembled at the Virginia
Opera House last night to unite in the grand
demonstration made under the auspices of
the Grand Division of the Sons of Temper
ance Of Virginia.


The meeting was opened with singing by
the temperance choir, and prayer by Rev. r.
II. Mullen.


Rev. George c. Varderslice, G. w. P. Of
Virginia, welcomed the NJ. w. p, F. M.
Bradley, Of the NJ. w. Grand Lodge of the
Sons of Temperance of Virginia welcome
you as brother, and captain, and leader Of
this grand corps, to the shores of Virginia
and to the fraternal greeting of your fellow
iaborers in the grand cause of temperance"


Mr. Bradley said: appreciate your fra
ternal greeting and thank you for the words
OF welcome. ] understand this greeting and
all the acts of hospitality with which have
been honored to be token of your love for
this noble Order. How cold, and dull, and
spiritless, would life be without such frater-
nal acts aud feelings. 1t is one of the crowE-
ing glories of the Order that it is not Sec
tional or sectarian, but worldwide. feel
that we are brothers all. My object is to see
the Order placed on permanent basis. ]
propose to speak of what our Order has
done. and is now doing, in this and every
other State.


The foundation on which we rest is total
abstinence. Our weapons are persuasion
and love. Our Order is voluntary one,
and in efforts for prohibitory laws we shall
not forget to use love and persuasion. Love
Io,
and all to heaven. We have lost much of
our strength because we have lost sight Of
this weapon too often. Use moral suasion in
ridding our land Of this terrible monster
that is destroying our people. Our oppo.
neAtS say we arc wrong in trying to con-
vert the people by total abstinence, and if
we would only teach moderate drink
ing we would soon redeem the land from
this evil. If I thought the remedy for
drinking was moderate drinking | would
adopt it, but cannot believe it. The
blessed Bible, which I have loved from my
youth, tells me different. I never heard Of
drunkard that was reformed by adopting
moderate drinking. I never heard of a
young man who adhered to moderate drink
ing that did not ultimately suffer from TO-
temperance. Brethren, our Order is increas.
ing. At the close OF the war we endeavored
to reUrganze, but some of our men North
and South used injudicious language, and
drove good men away. Other good Orders
have arisen, and am glad of that, but l love
the Sons of Temperance, and | hope to see
them built up in the confidence and love of
the people Of the South. There is no longer
any cause for any man to remain longer out
of our Order. We stand united North,
South. East, and West. The camp.fires that
died out during the war are being reklndled.
From all the States cheering news is~coming
I'D, and Old Virginia is wheeling into line
with her increasing Divisions, and soon we
will drive intemperance from the fair soil OF
the noble old State.


To the brethren of the Order | would
say throw off all despondency and rise up 10
YOUR might, and with earnest effort push
forward the cause. | fear many are not ac-
tive. Arouse and work now, brethren, for
the time is propitious, and you may DO
much good.


He concluded with an earnest and elo-
uuent appeal to every one to come out and
help this grand cause.


Rev. DR.. CRANBERRY, being called upon TO
speak, drew a vivid picture Of the young
man taking his first drink, perhaps from the
hands of fair woman, and then following ON
from bar.room to bar-room until finally we
see him wrecked on the bleak shores OF IN
temperance. How many brilliant intellects
have been destroyed by this monster. The
Doctor interested and impressed the audience
very much by his eloquent address.


Rev. Mr.. Kepler addressed the meeting,
saving that he approved the cause as one OF
the noblest and braYeSt Of all that could en-
gage our attention. Intemperance had done
more to sadden the hearts of men and angels
than Derhaps any other one form OF evil. IL
is the spirit of this Order to sympathlZ3 with
the sorrows of the perance-strlcken
ones and endeaYor to reclaim the drunkard.
He made an earnest appeal to the young men
present to unite with the Order.


Rev. DR.. Woodbridge made few earnest
remarks, saying that he always fe!t deep
interest in this noble work. lie also urSed
the great cause in an able manner.


Rev. W. B. McGilyray also addressed the
meeting. He declared that he was as much
interested in this cause as any one, ana
wished it the greatest success. lie then dis
cussed the objections and opposition to the
cluse. showing that there was no good rea-
son why all should not unite in this work.


Rev, DR.. Bethlehem closed the exercises
in a spirited little speech. He added his
testimony to all that had been said in favor
of this good cause. He made an appeal TO
the ladies to throw their influence in favor
of total abstinence by discountenancing the
use of liquor by eithcir friends or relatives.
He spoke proudly of the fact that intemper-
ance was so little known among the He
brews. Because there were no drunkards
among his people there were none OF them
to be found in the prisons and amshouses
of the State.


During the evening there was excellent
singing contributed by the temperance choiEs
nnder the leadership of Mr.. g. ?. Rady. The'
solos, duets, and choruses, were rendered
in snlendid style, and elected the commenda-
tion and applause of the entire audience.