WAITOHI FLAT.

Temuka Leader, Issue 1555, 11 September 1886, Page 3

WAITOHI FLAT.

A very lucoeisful publio meeting in connection with the Waitohi Flat Bine Bibbon and Gospel Temperance Society wai held in the schoolroom on Tuesday evening, Sept. 7. The ohair was oooupied by Mr J. Watson. The meeting was opened by the choir singing hymn No. 423 of Bankey*s collection. The Chairman then read the 10th chapter of St, Paul's First Epistle to the Corinthians, after irhich the Bev. Mr White, of Pleasant Point, engaged in prayer. The choir thon sang " Sweet. By-and-By," and the Chairman ■ud that they bad hoped to hare a more suitable person to occupy the ohair that evening, but as that personage had not arrived, he would endeavor to do his best in the position in which he had been placed. He then spoke at some length on th<* argument that young men often use, " When I find drink is injuring me 1 will give it up." tie argued that this was not good reasoning: they made an admission and arrived at a conclusion. The admission was oorrect, the conclusion was false. They admitted that drink might injure them, but when they foond that it was injuring them they would give it up ; that was false, as it was always the case tbat when they found it injuring them, they were in such a state that they oonld not give it np. He related several thrilling incidents to prove that what he stated was true, and urged them to take earning from the sad experience of those who had become victims to the fell destroyer —Drink. After the choir had tunc " Waiting at the door," the Chairman introduced the speaker of the evening, the Bev. Mr White, who was received with applause. Mr White was pleased to be able to spetk to them, although he had experienced great difficulty in getting there, He told them that in his experience he had found that when people would give up drinking they could not, and when they would give it up it had injured them. He said that it was only by oontinually striking tbat an impression was made, and if he was successful in getting them to realise what he had just stated, he would feel satisfied that his visit had not been fruitless. Some people argued that the Scriptures said they thould be temperate in all things, but he would like to explain that the Scrip! utes did not refer to the things against whioh there was no law. The Bible never said be temperate in those things which were sinful, and <o which the law was opposei. It distinctly enjoined that they were to touoh not, taste not, handle not, theunolean thieg, and argued that it was dangerous to tamper with the use of intoxicating drink, which, like the snake, stung when it looked the most beautiful. He urged the temperance community to be up and doing j to let their voice be heard in the election of Licensing Committees j to place temperanoe in its legitimate place, and then—and not till then —would the misery that infested the country be obliterated. The Choir then sang " More to follow," and Mr D. Anderson, of Pleasant Point, addressed the meeting, urging them to continued effort. As he proposed to remove to the North Island, he supposed that it would be the laet time he would bave the pleasure to speak to them, but he hoped they would continue to work earnestly in the noble cause, and if he should come baok he should like to see the temperance going on with more vigour than ever. The Choir then sang "One by Que," and tfr J. Anderson proposed a hearty vote of thanks to the speakers and the Choir, who had all aoquitted themselves admirably. This was carried by acclamation, and, after the Choir had sang hymn No, 385, a very enjoyable meeting wai brought to a close by Mr White pronouncing the Benediotion.