Year: 1879

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From the Jackson Citizen.


During the latter part OF the week
inst passed willing hands have been
busily engaged in completing arrange
ments OF the new Reform Club hall on
Main street, working the greater part
Of Saturday night in order that ID
might be ready for occupancy Sunday
evening. The fixtures Of the stage
that is the entire scenery-is not yet in
position, hnt enough had been done TO
show what a cosy, comfortable place Of
meeting il will be when entirely finish
ed, which will be accomplished the
present week. BY seven o'clock Sun
day evening. the people began to crowd
into the hall, so that when the hour
OF opening arrived there was not a sin
gle vacant seat in the house. The
number was largely increased, upon
the dismissal of the several churches,
aud at least fifty were obliged TO go
away as there was not even standing
room in the place.


Robert Il. Eraser, Esq, was intro
duced. Mr.. Fraser's whole soul is en-
gagged in the work which he has uLder-
taken, and his speech was not only a
practical one, but filed with an earnest
ness that one could see at once came
directly from his heart. lie said that
any organization would prosper that
has for its basis the welfare OF the peo-
pie, and this move from the old house
into the new, was an evidence Of pros
perity in the Jackson reform club. -
The advocates OF the principles, he
thought, should not be towards. All
people exercise the power Of American
citizens, TO give TO their country the
benefit OF their best thoughts. Ii is
every mans duty to take either one
side or the other of this great ques-
tion. III the ideas expressed by the
reform clubs are doing harm TO the
people in general, then 10 is the duty of
any man who thinks that way to put
them down with his every effort, aud
he is a coward who will not do so. He
thought that no one had a right TO be
silent. And il no one takes the stand
against the movement, then il is pre-
sumable that the work is right. tie
would drive men TO either one side or
the other OF the issue. But the per
persons who were opposed TO the move
ment instead of making the attack
openly, took their money into the
churches aud there used it TO weaken
the canse. They do not strike a man
in the face but stab him in the back. -
He said men could never reform unless
they gave up their old associations. -
He had seen men taken from the gut
ters, as it were, bring n happy look to
the faces Of their wives aud families,
get two or three hundred dollars ahead
and then fall back to their old ways,
simply because they had not given mp
their old associations, but had contin-
ued 10 frequent saloons, thinking they
were strong enough TO withstand the
temptations offered. These saloons
are throwing open their doors TO those
who go back 10 their cups and the
whisky men gloat over the fact, saying
to the reform clubs: "rhere he is
now, his money is all gone, reform him
again. Then the question comes how
shall we blot them out? When we hear
man say that the attempt to blot
them out is impracticable, we know
that he says so because he does not
want them bloued out. He asserted
that there was no moral suasion to pre-
vent young man from being a drunk
ard. A great majority OF liquor that
was dIank was drank by boys, aud the
law prohibiting the sale to minors
could not be enforced, because evi-
dence that would stand in law was not
obtainable. He said that il anything
was offered TO mans cattle or sheep
that would ruin them as liquor is rum
ing the young and old to-day, it would
be but a short time until law was
made that would remedy the evil. -
Politicians were much 10 blame in the
matter, because they put their party
first and humanity an after cOnsidera-
ton. He thought that the recent ac-
tion at the temperance alliance at Lam
sing covered the ground IL leaves 10
every voter the right TO vote his own
political ticket, aud at the foot Of il he
can give expression 10 his views as 90
whether We are to have a self-operatiye
prohibitory amendment TO the consti.
tuition or not. This leaves the ques-
ton with the people entirely. He con-
cluded with some very wholesome adj
vice TO the reformed men. TO shuu the
ssloons and the associations of their
drinking days. He would have them
under no circumstances ever leave of
the ribbon through pride or neglect,
but always be proud that they are on
the side of temperance.