THE BLUE RIBBON ARMY.

Temuka Leader, Issue 1112, 23 June 1883, Page 3

THE BLUE RIBBON ARMY.

There was a larger attendance than on any of the previous evenings at the Blueßibbon Army meeting last Thursday evening. The same choir as before sang the hymns in a capital manner, and Mr Proudlock presided at the harmonium.

The Rev. Mv Hamilton occupied the chair, and after the singing of a hymn, and the reading of a chapter from the Bible, the Rev, D, Gordon engaged in ( prayer. The Rev. Chairman said he was glad so many were present, and read a few lines of poetry written on the Blue Ribbon Army. The Rev D. Gordon then addressed the meeting. He felt weary in body and mind after having accompanied to the Timaru cemetery a young mother who left behind her two little ones to mourn her loss. In the cemetery he thought of many who had been slain by drink. There was a doctor in America who said he hoped he would never have a son who could not take wine with him without making a brute of himself. The son went to college and became a drunkaid. His father then became a total abstainer, and said lie was 20 too late, as he had lost his son. The rev. speaker related many instances of the effects of drink. A student in Belfast who refused to sign in the time of J. B. Gough had gone to such a state that there was not workhouse in the North of Ireland of which he had not been an inmate. After giving many such instances, he asked two questions quoted from the Bible : “Where art thou ¥’ and “ Where is thy brother ?” with the view of pointing out that everyone ought to be good. He also urged that it was the duty of everyone to do all in his power to try to save others from falling into the vice of intemperance. As to the assertion that a person signed away his liberty when he signed the pledge, this was a fallacy. The act was voluntary, and could not be signing away liberty. Those who lived in this country ought to help in putting down this source of evil what was causing the degradation of the people ? With a great orator of his country he would say “ Hereditary bondsmen know ye not. “ Who would be free himself must strike the blow,” That was the way with those present. If they wanted to be free from the demon of drink they must strike the blow themselves. . . A great many having signed the pledge, the Rev. Mr Hamilton thou came forward and addressed the meeting. Ho was sure no intelligent persons would deny that drunkenness was a disgrace, and that unless it was put a stop to it would destroy the country by turning the sources of wealth into unproductive channels. Drunkenness was achaiacleiistic of the Englishman, and this mission was to induce them to put it away. Brutality was not a characteristic of the Englishman, but there was evidence of his brutality in every paper they toek up, and the cause was drink. He next instanced the case of a man who drank all his wages, and his wife and children had to subsist on bread and water. The man at last finding nothing in the house to eat took the pledge and was happy. There was a family in a similar position in Temuka, and he expressed a hope that the husband would soon mend his ways. After giving a few more instances of this kind, he called upon the moderate drinkers to come forward and sign. As Christians they ought to do so. Moderate drinkers relied upon St Paul’s advice to Timothy “ Take a little wine for thy stomach’s sake.” An r.ld man once said to a Bishop the wine was to be taken outwardly. Could any man who was in good health “ want a little wine for his stomach’s sake ?” Doctors ought to be total abstainers, for it was often that persons’ lives depended on them. Ministers of religion also ought to be sober, so should lawyers and every man who required close reasoning and a clear head. He had been told that eating bheese was injurious, So it was, but was there ever a man hung because of eating too much cheese ? Was there ever a man kno «m to beat his wife through eating to much cheese 1 Or was blood ever known to be spilled through eating to much cheese. He wanted the molcrate drinkers to sign, because it would not succeed if they did rmt give respectability to it There was perhaps no family in New Zealand which had nut known ihe evils of strong drink, and he would ask those present to

I sign for their own, their children's and their friends' sake. Alcohol went to the nervous ecntre, and it was proved that the brain of a drunkard would burn with a blue flame if fire were applied to it. It was not a food but a drug. It cost millions of money to produce liquor from grain, which might be used for wholesome food, and for all that it yielded nothing but wickedness and disgrace. At £6O per acre the price of a square yard of land was 3d, so every ono who drank 3d swallowed a square yard of land, la a Foresters Lodge of 136 members there were 25 teetotallers, and though £ 68 was distributed in sick money during the year not Id was given, or asked for by the 25 total abstainers, He also quoted from an eminent doctor, who Sitid that his profession would be ruined if drink were done away with. The rev. speaker urged those who had not yet signed to do so. After a collection had been made the Chairman announced that 288 had altogether joined. He thought they ought to make it 300. A few who came up afterwards were loudly cheered, and ultimately 300 signed. He also announced that a monthly meeting would be held on the Monday nearest the full moon, in the Volunteer Hall. He would also establish a Band of Hope in connection with his own church, as Mr Gordon had done in connection with his. A little girl named Goodey recited a piece entitled "The dying girl to her father," in a very telling manner. The Eev. Chairman said that any one who at any time wished to join could do so on application to any of the clergymen, and after a short prayer the mission came to a close,