I.O.G.T. MISSION IN SOUTH DUNEDIN.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 10176, 10 October 1894, Page 4

1.0.G.T. MISSION IN SOUTH DUNEDIN.

Mr R. Crabb, Grand Lodge lecturer, addressed! a meeting under the auspices of the Break o' Day Lodge, St. Kilda, in the Wesleyan Church, Cargill road, South Dunedin, last evening. Tha chair was occupied by Bro. W. Wardrop.

Mr Crabb said he came a stranger to a strange land, hut being a member of the Good .Templar ordnr he had no Fooaer landed than he fouad himself in the midst of a circle of friends whs were at one on this great question of reform. He could travel in any part of the civilised world and lind the same friendship, aud that was one of the chief advantages of being a Good Templar. The order had lodges in every ceuntry. Ab one wha had performed more experiments en alcohol than any other mau in New South Wales, and standing before them as a scientific cx^ert in this particular method, he denied that the use of alcohol aided the appetite. Naturally it was destructive of the power of digtstinn, instead of being a help. Alcohol clogg.-d the circulation of the blood; and the idea that it &iro«uced heat in the body was a fallacy. As te its being a stimulant, it was no more so than having one's corns trodden on by a man in hobnailed boots. As to alcohol being a good creature of God, it was no more entitled to that name than the carcase of a dead horse. Nothing was a creature of. Godj after the creature was dead. The grape and the barley must both die before alcohol could be found in them. As to doctor's prescriptions, he contended, with all due respect to the profession, that the medical man who wouldprescribe stuff f,r a patient from a sealed-up black bottle without making sure of the ingredients was a quack and no doctor. Many medical meu hud never studied this question of alcohol as they should have done, and prescriptions were given because it was customary ta do so. Men refused to cease drinking not because it did them good, but because they liked it. Some men declined te sign the pledge because they would not sign away their liberty. He (Mr Crabb) regarded signing the pledge as an attestation of manhood, aud differing in no way from signing, a contract. He contended that it **e,as not weak men who fell by the power of drink, and instanced Lord Byron, Alexander the Great, Robert Burns, and others as examples of strong and brilliant men who died through drink. There were two live temperance societies in Australia—the Good J Templars and the Women's Christian TemDerance Union. He had not seen any W.C.T.U. badges here, but in New South Wales they were worn in the streets. He knew of no society so fitted to. carry on the temperauce work as the Good Templars, and he called upon people to come forward and join some lodge -and take part in the.good work.. During his address Mr Crabb repeated many pointed anecdotes, and kept his audience in excel-, lent humour for an hour and a-half. The invitation given to any wha wished to join the order to remain aad take the Good Templar obligation was accepted by seven persons, who wera duly enrolled members. Mr Crabb speaks- at Mornington t»* night.