TEMPERANCE.

Wairarapa Daily Times, Volume IX, Issue 2507, 25 January 1887, Page 2

TEMPERANCE.

The Temperance Hall, Masterton, was crowded last evening vdtb an attentive. and enthusiastic audience, on the occasion of thelyisit'of Sir Willik v Fox and Mr Glover, two.well Miowiileaderji of the temperance party. The/Rev W.. E. Paige occupied 'the'.bbair,- and on the platform were .Messrs % ft. Beetham, A. Von Sturmefr-E.M.,- E/ IJeiet, - Orbell, J. Graham,;|hd tile members of /'the; Bebhabite" and Good .Templar Lodges. Tlie : proceedings were. opened.by the singing of-the . hymii V whioli'a'.'ohapterlof the Bible was read by the Rev Mr Moa, who also.of[erei up a prayer,,. / : .v.- y^:':'i The' Cliairman, in ihtfoduoin'g the speakers, said that although not a total abstainer, he admitted -that tlley.deserved great honor for the work they had done h\ the world, -He said that the moment a "child was admitted, io Churoh of England it was pledged to temperance, and he wished to be thoroughly honest in "'saying' that he could not say that he over would bo a total abstainer".. He argued'"thatthe platform should be sufficiently broad to admit both total and non-total ah; stainers to work together.—(Cheers.) The hymn •' Yield not to Temptation," having been sung, the chairman introduced the first speaker, , , :i Mr Glover commenced by putting the audience in good humor by expres-. sing the pleasure it gave ; him hi seeing such a large meeting and was sorry that they had only two evenings to stop in Masterton, but : he could promise them a good time. After explaining the usefulness of the . different organisations such as goodtemplars,, rechabites, blue ribbonites, and several others, he said that the great object was to strike at the root of all evil, viz,, drink. He then dwelt upon the new organisation," The New Zealand Temperance .Alliance," which he argued was on suoh a broad basis that it admitted: all: classes,-, seots, and denominations within its ranks. ■ The

principles that the Alliance wished to adopt withy '. regard' to local option wore then dealt -with,, one of which was thafsthe /: ;peoplo.i"and notv.th.9: veto, for, the speaker' contended-that no fiv£meh' shbull'liave the -power to "graiif olose pubUc houses. - • He alluded}to. the great.':progress made by the Alffimce;; : and : said-tbat. during. :the past ten month's they had established branches of it in neaTlyeyery electorate w tKe'wlony. aid 'stated- that in Bix weeks" they would ;have;thV;stronge'st' pbliliii®!,' organisation m-New-Zealand; with the watohwbrd, '! Prohibition by' of the People." He would like to see a branch established h Masterton, and.had.no. doubt* that a strong one would..be .the' oufejonie of tlieir.yisit.. The. cost of supporting this organisation-would be : about' £2OOO a year,-,whioli he considered a small sum : compared with the amount of good they could do, and alluded to'thofactthat as much money was spent "on one dayi at a Masterton race course, and he thought that the least they could expect' would be £2O towards the' Alliance from this district, He then related several anecdotes which greatly ■amused' the audience, regarding the principles of the unemployed in both England and the Colonies, who he inferred had not a soul above loafing round the public houses. He said he behoved that New Zealand was the brightest spot on earth 'for. the working man ; notwithstanding what people may say to the contrary with regard to Canada and other places. He alluded to'the great depression existing throughout the world, to which he attributed the great, curse "drink," and argued that the two millions and a half that was annually spent in strong drink would be better if thrown into the sea, and enrich the colony in the bargain, ' He said that the cry of over production would not do for him; or anyone else who thought it out, but must be put down to drink,' and contended that at tho next general election they should not trouble their heads about roads and bridges, hut vote only for the man that would promise to. support .an absolute local option measure for the people. • The collection was then taken up in aid of the funds of the Alliance, 'during which theohoir sang the hymn "What a friend we have in' Jesus." Sir William Fox, havingbeen.introduced to the audience, said it did not take any great,perception on the part of. anyone to see itho great' ravages' that were being oreatedby strong drink, and quoted a portion 1 of a speeohof Mr Gladstone: "If all .the evils of war, pestilenoe, and- famine .were put together, they, would not equal the ravage? of strong, drink."' ,He contended thai the laws,of the country were badly'framed for the repression of the liquor traffic and. argued that the of the drunkards would never euro the evil. As an example of this he recounted.the life and numerous conviotions of Mary Bowen, who was drowned recently, in Auckland, and ridiculed Uhe idea of reforming drunkards from' their habits" 'by punishment. He asked wlia't'wil to. be done ?.ahd said there werCfwb ways to do it, viz., •'Take.awayCthe. man from : . the drink," and '[ Take •away the drink from the man," -iritis, he argued,, was what was being' •'done'; by-.' the. -mahy';if emperance. org'snisa-' tions in- the ! worldl , The" speaker dwelt iip'ijn the' great - effect moral suasion, \'tss- }mpresse'd;.Jupon •':. his 'hearers 'the praotice of lilp, pore than' | is usually 'carried fin,-, and;related, "ant .incident'.thai': ; came under his.own' ejcperienee ?j which 'hMuponarnan,-even.when reduced i to tb« lowest ord^fe

through drink. The efforts of the t< "Five men of ! Preston"; ; wero then si dwelt upon, which,, the speaker argued, had resulted in the greatest E reform ever known, Christianity 2 there now being fiyeruiUion ■ abstainers- : in - England, and'•■'lrelandj II and the same number' k-Arneijcfl. I .Sir William then drew a'picture of I tliis district forty years ago and at the' p stated- tliat whwhe d Masterton now stood, there b house or individual in the place, and fi he. '.(: progress the town had made. With t regard to prohibition, the speaker said t they would not shut up-an: hotel if t they -had the chance, all they • wanted wits to stop'thesaky and he contended £ that, there was .prohibition .in the 1 Colony, and people dii-ngf know' it.' 1 He aajid that %aV:pi'bfiib|ted 8 from selling, except the. lucky inW j .vidual who was. styled the Liscensed 1 Victualler, and thoßeHhe Temperance 1 people wished to knook,"off the "high \ • pedestal, on which' the-laws', of ;the .] colony haye. plaeod them* by' allowing ] them? to be 'the .lucky-.holders of i liecenaes, a. privilege, only ailowad; to '. one in ■every.two .hundred of the '. people of the Colony, ■: While • the'^hvassers- 1 we're : 'taking, -i „. the names of intending: members of i . the Alliance,' Krfßeejre! fifing; 7 ! Th,e i Donning'of the-Blue," which was Wit , dered with' effect. and., feeling. and r'eceivedNvith ' The Blev'Mr Fultbh proposed a Votfi i of thanks to the" chapan, whioh was. i carried;bvacclamation. .. v. : '? : i - The: ohairman in responding to the > vote, said at was. not always that he i had the opportunity of listening to 'suoh t speakers as Sir William Fox and Mr ) Glover—men who were able,to;speak I their minds in language suitable tojtll : classes without jarringjupon their feel* ings. He contended that if the Tem- ■ perance people' wished to do "good, i their meetings must be conducted on thelnies adopted that'evening. ' He' ; said that although he had never joined -. a ..temperance- society, ho had- Often

given pledges imd advice to those: that needed it, and he was never ashamed of linking the.ai'm .of his black, coat into that of a drunkard to take him home.. In conclusion he contended that all good work could be carried on. ■in secret, arid thought that asvmucli good could be done for the temperance cause in the streets as in the public meetings.' : Mr W, H. Beetham proposed a vote of thanks to Sir W, Fox for his elo--quent address, and dwelt upon.the great 5 moral and'eobnomioal good ihat'

gentleman was doing in his advocacy I'of the cause of Temperance. Mr Beetharn pointed out tho great injury the drink traffic was doing to the colony, and thought that the loss of wealth, tkkopsvmaikdesolata, and thefiveswaited,a)!something terrible to contemplate,, andwound up' by' saying that if-the jemp'eranbe-, party were able to ;elayilie ravage? paiafd by atrong drink, : .o£everyoner:.;.;..^;J, ' '; ■; ■:.': .Mr; Eastljbpevliu .pr opOjßiiigJ a vote ;of thanks' the greatwork'- before -the Alliance, and' iaid itwas about the'-best Insurance 'Society ever. people, and, hoped they .would one and all join to-?'' ■'■:';:"'■' <L ;■'■■ ■'■ •''■■■ .. ■Sir-'WilliamPoi.in acknowledging the,compliments passed, upon himself and Mr Glover, announced-that this evening they would again give ad.the same Hill; the aubjeots of which wouldbo/'Hard'Times, and how'toouro them," and "The Perfect pure."

The musical portion of the evening 1 ! meeting added greatly to its success, the choir, under the leadership of Mi Betty, with. Mrs Gapper as organist leading the various, selections mosl efficiently.