TEMPERANCE MEETING.

Temuka Leader, Issue 1501, 19 October 1886, Page 4

TEMPERANCE MEETING.

L.u. ,-a>i FLAT..:, ~■ ■, A public, meeting in. connection with the Waitohi Blue Jiibbon and Gospel Temperance Society was hejd in (he BchQoWom'Wi'uWsdey'e've'nin'g, October 12th. evening 'was "beautifully fine the attendance was all that could be desired. T.hel"dbair was taken ! by the-ReVi-W-. G. Thomas, After singing o'ankey's cpfjectiun Mr, ,\jsf *tson read "the sixth chapter of St.'Paul's Epistte,tV,the (jralatians, arid the I(ev. W. Gr, Thomas engaged in prayer.'';", ',, ' . . . . ~ ~ K - t ~ ~._, '' :1 ( sung,.and the Chairman delivered, a, .very earnest address pp .the temperance question. Be ',Wf\ pleased,to see sq many, present, flspeciajlj tSe young people, as.it showed they''toot, an interest in ,the work of temperance in the district. He was also '4lad to'eee sb/many cliildren-jn attendance, as he a'way's" took a lively iffterelftn TEe"young."'Tf the children were educated ,uo. to the principles of total abstinence theVjyrospects for the future wquld Be '.mflch,, brighter. He ■tgue'cl that all'the poor victims to strong tb,e ranks of who had not already signed the pledge .to come and do bo at once, and "ask God lor grape to enable thent to keep their solemn 1 obligation'.''' The choir then.sang : " Ouce for all," and Mr J. Anderson gave a very nice recitation, . . , The . Chairman then introduced the Rev, Mr hoped, they would give him his undivided , attention. Mr Cecil, on rising,, was greeted with ap plauee. He said he felt pleased to be present on such' an occasiou, for there Beemra'toWk; great diffidence between y ih'e zeal of th'epVopie of'Waitohi and the lethargy of those of Xemuka with re-

gard to blue ribbonistn. He said that some people argued tliftt the use of strong drink would make mm of them, If such were the case, .in, makiug. men by the use of strong drink would have to take into consideration the three-fold nature of man—the, body, mind, and spirit. It did not tend to build up or strengthen the body, but rather weakened it, for "it bad bpen proved that more work could be done without, than with, the use of alcoholic drinks. the mind he could prove by evidence that was incontrovertible, that the mind was not improved but rather impaired by strong drink. Statistics showed that ninety per cent of the lunatics in the sovt-ral asylums had been brought there by the use of strong drink. As regards the spirit, drink was never known to save ■ a soul, but thousands had been stritta perdition through Jts effect's. He also argued that the process of man-making by the use of strong drink was a very expensive one. In the United Kingdom alone LISS.OOd.OOO was spent atiiiual'ly in drink: nor was this all, for where drink was there' must 1 necessarily.'be policemen,magistrates, judges; asylums, etc., the, keeping of; which ■absorbed another.LipO.OOO.OOQ TJius. directly and indirectly the. sum ot L235,000,Q00 was spent, annually in the United Kingdom in the process of man-making, by the use of strong drink. He also stated that with'respect to"the drink question there was a good deal of alliteration —four p's generally went together: publicans, police, pawnbnkors, atid'pauper's, j Where the first was the remaining; as a ru.le,Jollo.wed. Heinstanced.a town of : sqme ,40,0,0 ..inhabitants in the north, of Ireland 'where there were no publicans, ' and ■ consequently the remaining three p's were wanting. He urged those present to think the matter overand act wisely in regard to so important a question. The Chairman then invited any who bad not signed to come and do so while the choir was singing the l6tb hymn. One young lady responded to the invitation. . „ Mr Watson having proposed a hearty vote of thanks to the speakers, which was carried by acclamation, the meeting was' brought to a close by Mr Thomas pronouncing the Benediction.