TEMPERANCE.

Temuka Leader, Issue 1616, 9 August 1887, Page 2

TEMPERANCE.

A public meeting in connection with the Waitohi Blue Ribbon and Gospeli Temperance Society was held in the Schoolroom on Tuesday evening last. The night was beautifully fine but the heavy rainfall on the previous evening militated considerably against the attendant. After the 66th Hymn in Sankey’s collection had been sung the Rev. Mr Hamilton, who presided over > the meeting, read the ninth chapter of \ Ezekeal, and the Rev. W, G. Thomai engaged in prayer. The twenty-fourth hymn having been sung the Rev. Mr Hamilton delivered • most earnest, interesting, amusing, and edifying address. He said the meeting was not so large as they had hitherto been accustomed to but be supposed that some had absented themselves in order to attend a political meeting elsewhere, In order to understand the drink question thoroughly they must go back to the first principles. He supposed that when he read the lesson, some would wonder what it had to do with the drink question, but if they studied carefully they would see that God set a mark on those who sighed and cried on account of the abominations of the city. He wished them to remember that God’s eye was upon those who displayed enthusiasm in the cause of right. object of the Gospel Temperance Society was not simply to obtain the pledge bat to educate the youth of the community to shun drink and its consequence, and before much good could be effected they must be united in their endeavours to put down the evils, He had said that God set a mark on those Jews who sighed and cried on account of the abominations of Jerusalem, and he wished to remind thorn that drink was an abomination, and it behoved them to do their utmost to abolish the traffic. Some might say that they could or leave it alone, but if their drinking bad an evil influence on their fellows, it was a sin, Drunkenness is a sin, and ha had his authority for so' calling it from the Word of God, which declared that no drunkard could inherit the Kingdom of Heaven. Drink is an idol that must be put down. The rev. gentleman then went on to s*y that in England alone 50,000 people die annually from the effects of drink, but nomotice was takent of it. If a war, or plague, were to sweep off that number the whole nation would be filled with grief, but because strong drink swept them off it was considered beneath notice. Some might say they liksd to exercise their liberty, but lie would remind them that the moment their conduct began to do barm to their .fellows their liberty ceased. Again some argued that the use of wine was recomended in Scripture, but they should know that distilled spirits such ■as are now used were quite unknown in the time of our'Lord. What was drank in those times was the pure juice of the grape which produced no evil effects on the system. Politicians were crying out for protection, and for retrenchment in the education system, but if the £2,250,000 spent annually in New Zealand for drink were saved it would support the whole education system, and pay the interest on the borrowed money besides, If this money were diverted into a more legitimate channel there would be no need for retrenchment. In order to bring about such a state of things it was necessary that the should band together to get the power lo prohibit the sale of drink in their district if they so wished it. He then urged those who bad not signed to do so at once. v Hymn 112 in Sankoy’s eollectibinwaa then sung, after which the Rev. W. G. Thomas addressed the meeting. At the various political meetings that had been held he had noticed that the temperance question was invariably left out of the body of the speechs.that were delivered, and all the attention it received at the bands of the various candidates for election was a meagre answer to a question on the subject at the end of the speech. He , contended that candidates for election should be tested as to their soundness on,the local option question as it is understood and taught by the New Zealand Alliance ; and that the people should not rest satisfied until they had the granting of licenses in their own hands. Ho believed that if such were the case the liquor traffic would soon be abolished. W ith regard to compensation ho argued that the licsns had no claim to it whatever, seeing that they were simply paying for a privilege, not a right, to sell dritk for one year and no more. He contended that if compensation were granted, it should be to the victims of the publicans. The question was often asked, Did it pay to be temperate t For an answer to that question he would refer them to special settlement North of Auckland, where the inhabitants have succeeded and got on well in spite of almost insurmountable difficulties and without public houses. He heartily be* lieved that those persons engaged in the traffic were of all men most miserable, At the c ( ose of his speech he made an earnest appeal to those who had-Mtlas yet thrown in their influence on the'sids of total abs'inenco to come and do so, if only for the sake of others, and he felt that they would be richly blessed, While hymn No. 25 was being sung two persona signed the pledge .and “ donned the blue.”

A rote of thinks was heartily corded to the speakers, and Hymn loot, haring been sung the meeting was brought to a close by the ftsv. Mr Hamilton pronouncing the Benediotion,