THE GOOD TEMPLARS AT THE PORT.

Evening Star, Issue 3907, 1 September 1875, Page 2

THE GOOD TEMPLARS AT THE PORT.

One of the largest meetings ever held in Port Chalmers assembled last evening to celebrate the anniversary of tho All Nations Lodge, 1.0. G.T. The meeting was held in the large new store of the N.Z.L. & M. Co., kindly lent by Mr Driver for the occasion, and which was tastefully decorated with flags and hung with lamps. At half-past six tea was served the tables being all filled with guests, many of whom were unable to find seats. There were members of the order from Blueskin and Mount Largi'l, aud all tho afternoon trains brougnt visitors from Dunedin; but the bulk of the contingent from the City arrived by the last train, at seven o’clock.

As soon as all had been served with tea, fhe tables wore cleared away, ~ud the more serious business of tho evening entered on. The chair was taken by Mr John Joyce, solicitor. After the singing of the Good Templar ode. I riends of Temperance Welcome Here,” the chairman rose and congratulated the Ail Nations Lodge on the great success of their second anniversary. He gave a brief account of the progress aud growth of the lodge, aud dwelt on its power for good in the community. Mr Will said nothing hut total abstinence will do. Ho enforced this proposition by showing that all other ameliorative measures which stopped short of total abstinence had failed. If the people of Port Chalmers and Dunedin would give up the use of drink for one year, the saving which would be effected would go, far to provide those necessaries the Corporations were troubling themselves about —water, gas, and drainage. The uev. Mr Johnstone said he rejoiced in the great work the Good Templars were doing, aud was not ashamed but proud to avow himself a member of tho order.

Mr J. W. .Taqo said the fact of that great meeting had brought them face to face with a great social problem which had exercised the minds of thoughtful men for ages : what can be done to abate the evil of social intemperance ? _ He thought society had made a mistake in this matter. When the question was asko“Shall a man drink wine?” we went for an answer to the moralist and the theologian, instead of to the Christian and the physiologist. Christendom had for centuries been endeavoring to discover the unducoverable, aud to teach men to observe the indefinable point at which alcoholic beverages ceased to be a blessing and became a curse. It was necessary to reform not only the habits but the thoughts and ideas of society. This was being done, and the teaching of the highest scientific authority now but endorsed and confiimed the utterance of the ancient sage ' “ Wme is a mocker—strong drink is raging.” Tin Rev. J. Maxwell said ho was not a Good_ Templar, but ha l been so struck with the results of the Society’s working that he felt powerfully drawn towards it, and thought lie would soon be found amongst the number of its members.

Ihe dev. Dr Roskby said there was much of truth in the teaching of Darwin that “ the race is to the swift and the battle to the strong,” but Christianity had introduced another principle into society, that of help to the needy, comfort and succour to the weak and the oppressed ; and that was the principle embodied in all effort »t temperance reform. The speeches were iutersjiersed with some excellent singing by a number of amateurs from Dunedin, and votes of thanks to the speakers, singers, and chairman brought the proceedings of a most successful meeting to a close. A special train from the Fort at eleven o’clock brought the Dunedin friends io town,