A TEETOTAL SPEECH.

Kumara Times, Issue 1113, 24 April 1880, Page 3

A TEETOTAL SPEECH.

After the leaders at a teetotal meeting had exhausted their eloquence in ; extolling their own virtues, and, in' the usual temperance language, consigned the brewer, publican, and wine-mer-chants to the regions below, the workingmen were patronisingly invited to narrate their experience of the blessings of teetotalirfiu. Accordingly a man—apparently a carpenter—addressed the meeting, and stated that for many years he was a moderate drinker, seldom drinking more than a pint and a half or two pints of beer a day; but, having read and heard so much of the ad van tagps of total abstinence, about twelve months ago he induced to take the pledge. "My friends," he said, " in the first week I saved three shillings"—hear—" which the publican would have had"—cheers—- " in one one month I put by twelve shillings"—cheers— "in three months my savings amounted to two pounds"— great cheering—" in six months I had saved by teetotal ism tive pounds"— enthusiastic cheering-—" in nine months I had saved"—here the speaker dropped his voice and hearers, all expectant, cheered him on—"I had saved," he continued, speaking very impressively, " quite enough to purchase a coffin, and I was then so prostrated by ill-health that I was nearly ready to be put into it, and, if I had not returned to malt liquor again, I should not have lived to give you the result of my experience." For remainder bf hews see last page.