SCENE AT A SOIREE OF THE VEGETARIAN SOCIETY.

Globe, Volume III, Issue 237, 13 March 1875, Page 3

SCENE AT A SOIREE OF THE VEGETARIAN SOCIETY.

The annual soiree ol the Vegetarian Society was held at the Memorial Hall, Albert Square; Mr W. Hoyle, Tottington, in the chair. The Rev J. Clarke (the hon. secretary), in presenting the annual report, said there was a small but growing society. If they might measure the future by the past, they were growing very rapidly, and likely soon to attain to important proportions. Last year £250 was received in subscriptions, as compared with £l7O in the previous year. During the twelve months they have been able to publish monthly an organ in advocacy of the society, to have a secretary constantly employed, to publish various pamphlets, to hold a number of public meetings, and to obtain access, in order to deliver addresses, to societies that were favorable to their cause. He might add that they had resolved to admit into association with them persons who, while fully sympathising and agreeing with vegetarianism, were not, from special circumstances, in a position to carry out the practice consistently. The Chairman said he became a vegetarian twenty-six years ago. He was then a two-loom weaver in a cotton mill; but subsequently he went to another sphere of labour which was very hard and hot, and without meat_ he was at all times able to do his work quite as well, and frequently better, than those who did not abstain from meat. He thoroughly believed in the system, and he had a firm opinion that as the public mind became more enlightened the accession to their numbers, great as it had been, would be very much greater still. (Hear, hear.) He argued that cereal food was the proper food of man; that, as a matter of economy, it was preferable to meat; and urged that humanitarian principles should of themselves secure the adoption of their system. (Applause.) The Rev C. H. Collyns (Wirksworth) read a paper, in which he argued that vegetarianism had a right to claim a place among the social questions of the day. —Mr VV. G. Ward (Ross) then addressed the meeting in an energetic speech, in the course of which he made frequent use of the terms “ blood lickers,” and “patronisers of the slaughter-house.”— After a few remarks from Professor F. W. Newman, the president of the society, a gentleman named West rose from the body of the hall with the object of asking questions. He said he had been a total abstainer from all intoxicating liquors for thirty three years, and he had long had an objection to the use of tobacco, and “ many other things of the kindbut he repudiated the insinuation that he was a “ blood licker,” although it was true he ate flesh. If he had been one of the 5000 who were fed on two fishes, he would not have declined the food mir Lord and Saviour gave to his great audience on that occasion. [Hear, hear.] He might be wrong, but he must say that after the addresses he had heard that night, he went away from that meeting less inclined to adopt the principle of vegetarianism than he was before he came there. Animals were given for the food of man ; he believed it was according to the Word of God that the very fish in the sea lived upon each other, and he must be convinced that men were not entitled to eat fish, after the example set by our Blessed Master. The Chairman reminded the speaker that he rose to put questions, and was wandering from the point. Mr West then asked if vegetarians objected to the eating of eggs ? He understood that they made that objection in their “manifesto.” Mr Ward—We do nothing of the kind. [Hear, hear.] You should be sure that you are correct before you speak. [Hear, hear.] Mr West —Do you object to eat fish '! I cannot see that Ido harm to my Christian principles in eating it, and I altogether repudiate such terms as ‘ ‘ bloodlickers”and the “patronisers of slaughterhouses. ” The Chairman observed that the questions which had been put by Mr West were so frivolous that he did not think they ought to Avastc the time of the meeting by giving them further notice. [Hear, hear.] The question therefore remained unanswered, and the proceedings shortly afterwards terminated.