The Blue Ribbon Army.

Feilding Star, Volume III, Issue 110, 31 May 1883, Page 2

The Blue Ribbon Army.

On Tuesday evening last in the Town ffall Mr S. Hemus delivered a lecture on the subjects of Temperance 'and the Blue Ribbon Army. His Worship the Mayor occupied the chair. The meeting was opened with prayer by the Set-Mr Clover. „., : The lecture throughout was Very amusing and interesting, and was listened ;to very attentively. The attendance u wap rather limited, wMchiras owing pxob«My to the inclemency of the weather and; the short notice given. - ; -; r- .1 1 ; >v. /. ?.< The Mayor briefly -intewhwed*- ~ *-rrr Mr Hemus, who said me: -wKa glad to have an opportunity of speaking to those present on the important su^je^t H Temperance. We have in thU.eoßntrj::*!'. deadly enemy in strong drink, whicfc will continue to be so. until removed. Our united efforts only can p.ut i(; away^.^Tha. lecturer here referred to men who worked < in breweries and , the. effects strong drink: I had upon them. He, had a decided obs rjectiontosee a man with afaeenkea plum pudding,|and a nose like a red tomato stuck in the middle of it. Drink affected the mind as well as the body^ He wonld rather hare a dancing near and be°eoin> pelled to keep it, than to. be burdened with a drunken wife. The "lecturer then I drew a striking picture as to the way in which a drunken man and a temperance :~ man would dispose of his weoks wages. The lecturer also gave an example of a young man going to a picnic, and instead of enjoying himself decently he would drink alcohol before he started, and render himself inoapable of any rational enjoyment, and when the pienio. was or jp~ he would be bundled off home, half, asleep and half drunk- There was no enjoyment in this, nor in the practice pi drinking before going to public entertainments and while at them, and so losing any" pleasure to be* derived from - them! 1 '^To avoid the disastrous effects of strong drink, he called upon all present W|dm the Blue Hibbon Army, and asai%t in subduing its use. ■' Since^ he; had 'left Aackland, a short time ago, mortihan 1,000 persons had donned the blue ribbon. Upwards of 25 persons then. came forward and joined the f "Army.? ; Theirs Murray and Clover testified Wth- plea-, sure they had received 4 in' 'h i earihg 13 the lecture. Votes of thanks to Mr Hetous and His Worship the Mayor brought' the lecture to a close. '