THE GOOD TEMPLAR SOIREE AT WALLACETOWN.

Southland Times, Issue 2056, 22 January 1875, Page 3

THE GOOD TEMPLAR SOIREE AT WALLACETOWN.

-♦ We would commend to our Good Templar friends at Wallncetown the propriety, on the occasion of another anniversary of their Lodge, of obtaining the use of a larger trysting place, or of securing a marquee for the gathering. Had alcoholic drinks been of easy access in ihe densely- packed schoolroom, on Tuesday evening last, so overwhelming at times, and' almost suffocating was the heat, and not a surplus cubic inch of air sttainable, that we fear some of the mere visitors might have been tempted to outrage propriety in their efforts at relief, the judicious counsels of the Good Templars notwithstanding. Tbat the provision on the occasion was in the highest style of excellence, was amply testified to, and a fair and reasonable _j;ime having been allowed to accomtnoffjate late comers, it was past 8 o'clock before the business of the evening commenced. The respective Lodges of Invercargill and Riverton were Well represented, both as regarded the pretence of members and the part taken towards the sociality of the evening. The Rev. W. J- Williams (Wesleyan minister, at present stationed at Balclutha), representing the Balclutba Lodge, offered up prayer, and the chairman, W.C.T. M'llwrick, called upon Bro Russell as W.S. for the report, which was read as follows : — Having arrived at the celebration of our ascond anniversary, it becomes us to express gratitude for the success that has hitherto attended our efforts in the cause nf temperance. Outsiders, of course, are apt to point out anythin"- that looks like a feature of failure, nr.d altogether to ignore the many proofs of success. We "would but counsel those opposed to us to meet us like men; If they roust point out the fallen brother, let them acknowledge thnt in all our lodges there are those who have hitherto resisted temptation ond remain faithful to their obligation. The virgin soil on which we started two years ago was so far from promising that several of our own number dreaded that the prophesy of our enemies would prove but too true, that within a iew short weeks of its start Good Templnry at Wallacetown would be a thing of the past. Yet we are here to-night, a goodly number who have put our hand to the Temperance plough without looking back; we are here a living institution and likely to live ; •trong, and anxious to increase in strength ; •uccessful to a limited extent, and zealous to become so to a much larger extent. If taught by past success, we know our own strength and exert it to its utmost j if taught by past failures, we know our own weakness, and leave to Him whom in creed we profess to take as our strength. "We doubt not but that in the year 1875, upon which we have entered, we will prove ourselves Stronger than we have ever been in the past — stronger as recruiting oflicers ; stronger an an agency preventing moral corruption ; stronger in lovingly seeking out, even until seventy times seven, the offending brother, and in building him around with bulwarks ; and, above all, stronger in exerting that power — " Prayer which soars on high Through Jesus to the Throne, .And mores the hand which mores the world To send salvation down." The musical portion of the programme having been so extensive and varied, a "better idea of the character Jof the efort of the meeting will be gathered by first referring to the several addresses by the different speakers. Brother the Key. W. J. Williams incidentally mentioned that he believed that during the course of his life, alcoP holic drink had not in any form whatever passed his lips, and yet, being of respectable physical proportions, he might be, as he thought, fairly taken as an illustration of the possibility at least of sustaining human life, under ordinary circumstances, without strong drink. It was happily, however, not necessary now to argue from that standard, although it had been so. He said there was a great deal of pretended sympathy with Good Templary by persons who neither practised it nor helped the movement, and he (Mr Williams) estimated such sympathy at what it was worth— which was nothing. Good Templars were engaged in fighting no imaginary battle, but combatting in real earnest a gigantic evil, and it was the undoubted presence of the evil against which they were contending, and its dire effects, that led in many instances to the expression of this pretended sympathy. He referred to an instance of recent occurrence, in which a minister of the gospel, in a Synodical gathering, had sought to throw cold water on the Good Templar movement, but had been happily rebuked by a layman. He (Mr Williams) was decidedly of opinion that it was of comparatively little use to preach the Gospel to persons sunk enslaved and degraded by the vice of drunkenness, it beiD£ firßt, in his opinion, needful, by anorganization like their own, to elevate such. Brother Williams dwelt very forcibly on the questions of individual jduty and the responsibility resting upon each to promote the cause, strongly expressing his sense of his own special responsibility in the matter, both by precept and example, to inculcate total abstinence from strong drinks. Brother T. Daniel, of Eiverton, who was evidently unwell, , prefaced a very effective speech by allusion to a somewhat severe illness through which he had recently passed. He spoke of the success of the order in Riverton, numerically, and of the marked instances of

.good which 'had been accomplished,. He b,ad been somewhat discouraged by the antagonism of the clergy, but was happy to say there were exceptions to this. He graphically described a drinking -bout tor the early days amongst the whalers and other old hands in Riverton, and mentioned the existing pleasing contrast with respect, to many now liviug instances of the value of the change. He rebutted the arguments founded on the occasional relapses of men long used to drinking habits j assuming that did these relapses occur, they ought not to be so much a matter of wonder, when we regarded the force of habit ; but should be, to Good Templars especially, so much the more powerful reason for treating with kindness and affection the falling brother. Brother T. Perkins urged •Templars to use their political privileges. To fight the battle out by argument was very well ; but they had found the pulpit, the bar, and the press, bad failed to exert much influence on the great vice. There was, however, one course open by which they could prevent, to a considerable extent, the increase of the cvil — that was by attention to the licensing meeting. He had been told by one of the licensing commission that, at the late licensing meeting, several houses received licenses to which they would nob have been granted had there bpen any protest by even a single respectable inhabitant. Now, it was well known these places were not required, were destitute of accommodation, and were, in fact, but drinking kens. He held that proper watchfulness had not beeu exercised by the order, and would commend the matter to them as worth effort at next licensing day. The musical contributions were well sustained and executed, both as to the vocal and instrumental portion, and we depart from our customary rule on this occasion merely to note the child performance of Master Herbert Daniel, who gave " The vacant chair," to an accompaniment by his sister, in fine voice and style. It was past eleven o'clock when Good Templars and friends wended homeward, after singing the National Anthem, the Riverton visitors being gathered to their conveyances jby sound of bugle-horn.