The " Destroyer."

Manawatu Herald, 22 September 1898, Page 2

The " Destroyer."

♦ — As .duly advertised in our columns the Rev Frank Isitt addressed a public meeting at the Public Hall on Tuesday night. Prior to the opening of the doors, the Good Templars met at their Lodge room, and formed a torchlight procession, headed by the Foxton Brass Band.marched up and down the main street and then to the Hall. The band was formed by Messrs J. Newth, J. Walls, C. Collins* E. Sherrpck, W. Symons, E. Falkner, F. Hatfield, S. Ennis, and T. Betty, r bandmaster. They played "The Knight " as a march, and when drawn up at the Hall they played the Silver Sea waltzes. The members are to be congratulated on the progress they have made, but it was evident they needed practice in marching. They were very few members of the Good Templars in the march which appeared rather a slight upon the band. At eight o'clock punctually Mr W. S. Stewart, D.G.C.T., took the chair and very briefly introduced the Rev. Speaker. Mr Isitt was accorded a hearty welcome and soom made' himself at home with the audience. He dwelt upon the evils of drinking, terming his lecture ." The Destroyer " and emphasized his points with remarkably apropos anecdotes. He is a very earnest speaker and evidently holds with the importance of every word he says, and is thus well worth listening, to, whatever way one's inclinations may lean. He is not one of those temperance lecturers that anyone ; would think of asking " What do you , get out of it ? ? The manner Mr Isitt ( places illustrations oi facts and figures before his hearers deprives the ' statistics from being wearisome. He ' has humour and uses his stories to the ' best advantage. He was anxious to < let the audience understand the very | little of satisfying substance there was \ left in a quart of beer after being anaiysed, the facts being that it consisted j of 91 per cent of water, 7 per cent of alcoholic poison, and two per cent of matter. Suddenly turning to the M chairman Mr Isitt said "I suppose <

you remember when a boy you use& to chew up paper pellets add spit then* on to the ceiling ?" but the C&afrman looking remarkably serious, a fight dawned on the speaker who said " 1 beg pardon, I forgot you were a dominee, and therefore cannot confess, but I know I did." Well the two per cent of matter would be represented by the size of one of these -pellets. " And isn't that an extravagant way to get flo little nourishment?" was asked T and answered by applause. Speaking about the experiment of Prohibition in Clutha Mr Isitt informed his hearers that they, the Prohibitionists, would be satisfied to stand by the good retftilto already obtained there despite the unfair way the government treated the decision of the population of that district. It must not be imagined that there is no ,%uor obtainable in Clutha, for though Jthe jjprernment have to abide^by |ne law and refuse to grant retail licenses, yet they had gone out of their way and granted brewers, licenses and wholesale licenses is Clutha, by which anyone could purchase two gallons at a time. Despite this unfair act, said Mr Isitt, the improvement is so marked that we can hold up this district as a pattern to the colony. We then had some sad tales of the degradation drink brought upon individuals and famlies and a\< stirring appeal followed to all to do their best to smash the Destroyer on the head. ■■■■? \ A <■:$ >.\ -/^ The address lasted ail' hbUr and a half, and the Hall, thoroughly filled with all descriptions of persons, and every word that fell from the speaker was listened to with the most earnest attention. The speaker was very frequetttfr apttlatide*.^ < A vote of thanks to the Cnafr X^cpbght this successful meeting to a clo#7