Dr. Lucas' Lecture

Feilding Star, Volume XIV, Issue 12, 16 July 1892, Page 2

Dr. Lucas' Lecture

. This gentleman gave his interesting temperance lecture, entitled " Thumbs Up and Thumbs Down," in the Salvation Army Barracks last night. Owing to the unavoidable absence of the Mayor, Mr Robert Linton, of Halcombe, was votedfto the chair. The lecturer opened his subject by stating that the work they were engaged in was on on a moral battle ground, in which they were striving for what each one believed lo be the right. He did not intend to argue, but rather tell them what all knew to be true. Everyone present knew the effect that blasphemy, gambling, and other pernicious sins had on us all. Good and bad are mingled together ; the two forces are contending—the one for the influences of Jesus, the other for the influences of sin and evil ; Jesus against Satan, truth versus error, our world the great battle ground. On which side is the liquor traffic ; does it tend for good or harm ? Whom shall we ask ? Not the W.C.T. Union ; not the temperance lecturers ; not the Christian churches, but we prefer to ask the men in the trade. The lecturer then showed how those men engaged in the liquor business had owned to him its tendency for evil. A vote is a talent, the result of liberty, it came as the growth of liberty. Iv older [ days tbe King was the law. The power of the franchise is the outcome of liberty. He said " Whatever the principal, I vote for measures, which I think to be right, regardless of men. If we could get all men to vote according to their conscience, we would soon cure this and a good many other evils. I would lecture the press, they aro not with you ; there are, 1 am pleased to say, many connected with it who are honorable exceptions and I have met several in New Zealand. You would not ask people to sign a pledge not to drink arsenic, but they would say it is absurd. Let us show them that the same applies to alcohol. Alcohol weakens the human system. Tte girls could do more for the cause than any class he had yet met, and would carry the day for us iv less than 5 years, if they insisted on only choosing teetotallers for their husbands. They must buckle on their armour, and prove by the strenuous* nature of thenefforts, the earnestness or our cause, doing what their consciences tell us to be the right." The talented lecturer al various ttimes illustrated his arguments by many witty and humorous remarks which were keenly appreciated by a very large audience. Mr Shearer's' choir reudered several selections during the evening, and a very successful meeting was concluded by the customary vote of thanks to the Chairmau for presiding, and to the lecturer for his ablo and interesting address.