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THE FIGHTING PARSON

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THE FIGHTING PARSON -V- I ROUSING TEMPERANCE ADDRESS. 'A public meeting under the auspices of the local branch of the Independent Order of Good Templars was held at St. Peter's Hall on Friday evening, Mr Fred Thomas, G.M. Chap- lain, occupying the chair, being supported by the officers of the lodge and representatives of various temperance societies. After a few introductory remarks the Chair- man introduced the Rev. J. H. Rees, rector of Rhoscolyn, and generally known as the fight- ing parson of Voc-hriw. Mr. Rees, who received a great reception, gave a mass of interesting statistics of inter- est to temperance workers, and stated that 12,500 temperance meetings in connection with the Order were held each week. They were banded together with the distinct object of temperance reform, ever ready to hold out a helping hand to those fallen by the way. Much had been done during the past year with the object of spreading temperance principles hi the country. People were being educated to fully understand the great issues placed before the the nation. The Indepen- dent Order of Good Templars was one of the few temperance organisations which, in addi- tion to total abstinence, advocated prohibition for the State. It was a distinctly prohibition- ist organisation. They had worked hard throughout the British.:Isles' to secure the closing of public-houses, and also co-operated, with other temperance organisations with the object of securing temperance legislation. They had succeeded in making the payment of working-men in drink shops an impossibi- lity. There was a time when the workers were taken to the public-house to receive their weekly wage. and they were sometimes even paid partly in drink. In consequence of tem- perance agitation this was no longer possible. Public-houses could not now be used in con- nection with elections, and inquests, wherever possible, had to held in a suitable building, other than licensed premises. There was a time when all inquests were held in public- houses. The I.O.G.T. had accomplished a wonderful work, and all connected with the Order were proud of the excellent record. He appealed to all temperance workers present, who did not, belong to any organisation, to join the Order. Although their society had become a power in the land, they had only really touched the fringe of the temperance question, and much hard up-hill work had 'yet to ha done if the country was to be freed from the thraldom of the drink traffic. The work had become more difficult in conse- quence of the rejection of the Licensing Bill by the House of Lords. That Bill was in every sense of the word a most desirable measure of temperance reform. It was a measure im- peratively demanded for the economic, social, and moral improvement of the people of this country. The measure would have gone a long way to solve the question, and would have greatly assisted the temperance workers* in their fight for national sobriety and national righteousness. There were people who would tell them that legislative enact- ments in this direction were not calculated to do good to the cause of temperance. It was said that a nation could not be made sober by Act of Parliament. An Act of Parliament could do much to help men and women to make themselves sober. Legislation could promote virtue, and help to check vice. He did not expect the country to become sober as the result of legislative enactments. The j (?hUdl'eu's Act had len of great asistance.1 A3 a result of the controversy during the' past year temperance had been greatly assis- ted. The eyes of the people had been opened I to the ne.ed for social reform on those parti- cular lines. The discussion of the Licensing Bill in the House of Commons greatly helped I the passing of the Children's Bill. One clause of the Licensing Bill was taken out bodily, and tacked on to it. This legislative enact- ment had done much good in the cause of temperance and national sobriety. The Child- .Q..BiU not only prevented the children going into, the public-house, but in many cases made the visits of the women less frequent, because they were now unable to take their children with them. A census was taken in 1 "London of the number of persons who fre- m fiuented the public-houses of London in a certain area on a given day, and of the 30,000 visitors over 10,000 were women, carrying children. This was before the passing of the Children's Act. As temperance workers, it behoved them to work assiduously for many years to come, with a view of educating the people, and Stirling to the foundations the conscience of the nation against the perni- cious drinking customs. The Licensing Bill had been the means of educating a consider- able portion of the population in temperance principles and the need for temperance re- form. For really effective work they needed the co-operation of every temperance man in I the land, He made a special appeal to those outside the movement to throw hi their lot and join the local lodge. The people of the coun- try were hour by hour becoming more tem- peraie. This was the result of th§ ef^brts -t?t I .?-)r i s tl-iat bad been made by lodges for anv past. .J.he dnnk btlt, as c"P "iany yeaT6 past. Ibe drmk hdl?as. c'"?p?j with ten years fS* "? ?ed Iw 33 millions per annum. .tei L i)" ?'????nce workers were much alarmed at tUe increase in drinking amongst poor women. If Britain was to retain her position amongst the nations of the world this would have to be checked. They could not expect to retain their position amongst the nations if the mothers became drunkards. Many people contended that the club was an excel- lent alternative to the public-house. In his opinion the remedy in this case was nearly as bad as the disease. Many people who would not get drunk, in a public bar thought nothing of becoming intoxicated in the club. 4Vhilst it required some moral courage for a person to get drunk in the public-house bar, it required little to become soaked in a club. There was some social, or imaginary literary -excuse for joining a club. He hoped that all C hristian people would throw in their lot, and do what they could to remove this stum- bling block in the way .of temperance reform. If was a matter which concerned the welfare of the nation. There was no stumbling-block to the cause of religion or the social welfare ■of the people equal to drink. He believed that the chink tnlffie produced nine-tenths of the misery, th-e disease, wretchedness, and crime. Thousands of men had been ruined through drink, Each year 30,000 men and j women created in the image of God, for whom | the Saviour bled and died, were hurried into the unseen world without a Saviour to defend thenv in a state of unpreparedness. The se-j eret of all Christian men and women was that they worked not for themselves, but to save others. Temperance was a work that glad- dened the heart of Jesus Christ, because it had for its object the uplifting of the fallen. All who professed religion should 1*3 on the side of the temperance worker. The Chairman complimented Mr. Beee on his able address, and said that his message would do much to stimulate the temperance workers of the town. • Mr. Evan Rees moved a vote of thanks to the Vicar and Churchwardens for the use of the hall. He said that the recent returns placed before the Order showed that 793-5 loembeTS were on the roll of the Order, being mi' increase of 1255 over the previous year. Mr. Daniel Evans and others supported the motion, which was agreed to.

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