People's friend. (Rome, Ga.) 1873-18??, February 01, 1873, Image 4

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PEOPLE’S PHIEND. A. B. S. MOSELEY, ) Associate MBS. MAMOIM P. MOSELEY, • REV. L. R. GWALTNEY, ) Rome, Ga*, Saturday, Feb. 1, 1873. Chaplains of Good Templar Lodges, and Pastors Favorable to the Pro gress of the Temperance Reform. “The People’s Friend” is the organ of the I. O. G. Templars, in the State of Georgia. We hope it may be widely circulated in South Carolina, Alabama and Miss issippi. While aiming as a family paper, to advance religion and good morals, it is especially devoted to the cause of temperance. The publishers of the paper, and friends of this good cause desire your hearty cooperation and support. You see everywhere the evils of the liquor traffic, the slime and deadly touch of “serpent.” You are eyewitnesses of the want and wretchedness entailed upon innocent and helpless children, wives and mothers by this traffic. You see its blighting effect upon the piety and growth of the churches. You can do much to stay its progress. We need a paper, earnest and true in its consecration to the one object of rescuing the fallen, and saving others from falling into the slavery and love of the drunkard’s appetite. Will you help us in supplying this need ? Write for the paper. Speak a word in its favor; get up clubs of subscrib ers. In doing this you will greatly aid in sustaining the paper and nt the same time, help to carry comfort and gladness to many desolate homes and sorrowing hearts. L. R. GWALTNEY. To the Worthy Vice Templars of the I. 0. G. T. Rome, Ga., Jan. 31, 1873. Si- :, ers of the Order: “J/'r ar” what women make them;" if} an old adage, and a true one! How great then, is our responsibility! Let us make men sober, honest, earnest, truthful and manly. Let us first do right ourselves, then hold up the right t - them, and bid them follow ns. They will not ref ise when shown the right by an earnest advocate. Mb suffer most by the evils of intemperance, then let women rally to the cause and e.i’rt ourselves to diffuse the principles of temperance, and to shun its evils. Th s can best be done through the; medium of a newspaper, devoted to 1 the cause, a cause to which its editors I are devoting time, talent and money v : ’h no sparing hand. That paper 1 the “People’s Friend,” and to you I as woman, ami an officer, high in j tii> order, I appeal for your invaluable ] aid, in supporting the cause of tom- I perance, in supporting its organ, the , i i.oi’LE s Friend, by not only subscrib- ! i g for it yourselves, but by getting ! i o dubs in your lodges. 1 should be glad to hear from you by letter, and ! can remit your names and money to me ' care the Peoples Friend, and I would a'-o gladly publish any article of pub- I lie :nt<rest from any sister. With the hope of hearing from every Vice Tem ] u- in the State. 1 am, in Faith, Hom*.and Charitv, Y ur sister MARGIE P. MOSELEY, /he following is a verbatim report of a j part of the Hon- R. D. Harvey’s charge to th? Grand Jury of the second week of Floyd j Supeiior Court in reference to the evils of ! ii. emperanee. The Judge uses strong | language, but not too strong, and does up tii * subject in a plain and wise manner.— | If we only had more Harveys on “the ! bench” our land would be happier and not is row cursed with the rule of Hell’s own Demon —Alcohol. My practice, expeiience and observation 1 at the bar before going on the bench (more limy confirmed by my observation since) ! had so impressed me with the fact that the . greater part of the violence, lawlessness and j disorder in our country is attributable to | the use of strong drink, that my uniform practice has been to call the attention of ! Grand Juries to it and to the necessity of. the rigid enforcement of all laws calculated to curtail its evils and even to the propriety of suppressing the liquor traffic altogether by Legislation. I am happy to announce to you (a fact apparent to all) that drunkenness, crime and disorder have greatly diminished of late in this city and community, even be yond my most sanguine expectations.— Three years ago if you were called upon to serve a week on the jury during a regular rm of the Superior Court in this city, you expected to see fifty drunken men during the week, Now if you shall see one, two, or three during the week, it is all you ex pect. This change has doubtless been wrought mainly by the inlluence of the temperance organizatians known as Good Templars.— Though they were few and feeble at first, they are a host now. A large majority of the most influential men in the city are now bearing the cause onward with their might. They have already established an able organ in this city. A live newspaper to avow its purposes and advocate its prin ciples. The principles of sobriety and order working for us, for our children, for God and our country. Let every lover of his race ; every lover of his own children give encouragement to this enterprise. What would I take to deprive my house of such a paper for my childien to read of nights? I want these principles instilled into their young minds and hearts till they become part and parcel of their very nature and being. It is seldom that I speak to a Grand Jury of any outward enterprise, but I deem this so important to law and order, which it is my duty to promote and enforce in the community that I could not refrain from saying this much. I do not propose at this time to fix ir revocably the various provisions of my will, in else God should bless me with any thing worth making a will about, much less to publish the same to the. world now, but I think one item may be regarded as set tled in these words: “Whenever and wherever I may die, it is my will, desire and request to be buried by the order known as Gcod Templars.” Perhaps this is too much for an outsider to request. These are my honest sentiments and feelings. Our Sunday Morning. BY MARGIE P. MOSELY. Sabbath, God’s day 1 The day on which after the creation of this world, he rested from His labors, the day which the lips of Omnipitence has pronounced holy, that up on which we are to abstain from toils, to worship our Creator What force knowl edge and wisdom is shown in the gift of this day! Sabbath, rest, intermission of care, ease suffering— what so sweet to the worn and weary ! Day by day we toil for the “meat the perisheth.” struggling al ways, yet never satisfied. Did no Sab bath come to break the cea-eless strife would man ever pause to resuscitate his failing powers. The Greed of Gain is a hard task-master. With the early dawn of a new week, he ur ges his slave upward—onward. No rest. Nj pause at noon. The quiet evening with its sweet thoughts and hallowed influence forgotten or ignored. Night in her mag esty, and bedecked with the glittering dia monds of her millions of star worlds is not for his eves, he must work, gold is more beautiful ’han these—lie must have gold Through the weary hours of six days, are his energies strained to the utmost and the seventh would be a likeness ot the others, but for an allwise prohibition, “in it thou shalt not do any work.” Beneath him who is a slave to’gold, there are others slaves. No master so hard as he who has served. There is little pity in his soul for the suffer ing of others, for to him the alluring yel low dust is as a panacea, for failing strength and weary limbs, for aching head and empty hearts, and forgetful of all the high er. and holier feelings of human nature, as j well as its frailties and necessities, he cries continually. “Work ! work! work,” un til their hands fail, their brains reel, and the poor suffers beneath this tyrany whisper “Oh ! for rest! Bless God for the Sab- | hath.” To the poor especially is the Sab- 1 bath a blessing. It comes, bringing peace holiness and quietude, as an earnest ofever lastinc rest. Look up ye who suffer and thank Him, for ••He wlm>ord*in»-d the Ssbb.ith love* the [ <>or." Why should we toil on always? “What profit hath a man of all his labor which he taketh under the sun,” if he love not God ? Humanity is fickle. Man needs to be re- I minded of his own interest. Can be forget his <>wn welfare ? Assuredly, and his best good, that “pearl of greatest price,” re ligion. Lulled in the 'ap of benumbed con- ( sciousness, we dream only of earth ; we struggle for treasuries of which death shall rob us, we forget there is a higher life, loose sight of the beacon light which Christ has hung out of the window of Heaven and by which we may steer our tempest-tossed barks into the haven of eternity, we forget Sabbath come to us like Music that softer falls Their petals from blown roses on ilie grsss, Brlsht dews, on stil! waters, between Os liabowy granite on a gleaming pass— Music, that gentlier on the spirit lies, Than tired eyelids upon tired eyes. A music which sneaks to our spirits the saying : Rest —cease from troubling I Why are you boweddown with heaviness and weary thoughts? Letnot distress weighuponyou- Christ arisen, bejoyfifl!” hink not of the work of to-morrow: Suf ficient to the day is the evil thereof.” Al of God’s creaturcare fed, yet they do not gather “into barns,” why should man the first and best of ail His works toil on for ever. — “Why should life all labor be; Time drifts onward fast.” And in a little time our lips are dimb!” then arise while speach is given a prais God ! The Sabbath bells are ringing out messages »f His mercies and loving kind nesses will you close your ears, and dream of gains you throw away gifts- Come Come in spirit and receive the grandest of all gifts—the gospel!” Such were the thoughts that came once to me I walked upon the streets of a great city It was a Sabbath morning, the sun light rested upon the spires and steeples of the city with a tender glory, the bells were ringing their glad morning peals calling the people to worship and crowds were wend ing their way through the winding streets to the various churches. As I proceeded 1 observed an old man with hoary hairs and distorted limbs seated beside th?, door of a little hovel. His head was bent upon his staffand his hand raised to his ear, as though he attempted, by excluding the outside world from view, to concentrate his whole attention upon something to which he seemed to be listening. It was but a short distance to the church, and the minister had already commenced his sermon, I devined the intention of the old man, and drawing nearer, I enquired why he did not go to church. Raising his eyes in which there was a look of unutterable melancholly, he ftplied, “I am alone all aloir? in the world, this little hut con tains the sum of my earthly possessions, I am crippled and unable to work, if this were taken from me I should be destitute. I wish T could hear the word of God preach ed but the house connot be made secuie.” | “Go and let me remain here until you re turn. He regarded me for a women’ in : silence and said, “Do not remain, 1 will i go—if I loose this, God will provide.” But I sat down, and with a prayer for the childnes, friendless one, Iwatchtedhim hobble to the church and enter. -The who had just left me had once been num bered among the merchant princesol a great I city. Through misfortune and intem pcrande he had lost his wealth’ A malig nant disease had deprived him of the love ’ of'his youth, and the child of his manhood. Then with a constitution weakend by ill ness and exposure, he had fallen a prey ■ to a torturing disease which distorted his ' limbs, and rendered him a cripple of life. Health, wealth, piide, ambition, loved ones, all gone, the old man had no heart to attempt, less ability to perform any labor by which to earn a support: and thus, bre- ■ ken hearted and forsaken, lie lived upon the scanty bounty, but the best she could give, of a poor sewing girl, whose mother I he had once befriended. While I sat me ditating upon the sorrows of his life, and I the vicissitudes of human existence, a per- , son passed, who inquired why I was s tting ’ there. i 'old the sad story of the old ba-ket maker, and with eyes brightening through the mist of tears, my listener said, ■ he was a friend to me in my youth; 1 have 1 a home, be shall no longer be homeless. 1 When the old man returned limpingupon his crutches to his door, there was a light in his eyes, winch 1 had not seen there lie fore. God had given him that wealth which the world cannot take away, and 1 clasping my hand, he said fervently. “I am no longer poor, though homeless here, 1 have a home not made with hands, eter nal in the heavens!” His last words to me upon departing for the church were, “God, provide,” and according to his faith, he had received a dwelling place here, and the hope of a home in the man-ion above. Editors Peojje's Friend: According to promise I drop you a j line to inform jou of the temperance I movement in and around Atlanta. M e visited Atlanta Lodge No. 1 at its last meeting and found the mem- bers highly elated because the staunch old Temperance War Horse, Rev. C. J. Oliver had returned to the city to make it his home, and had declared his intention of depositing his card with them. Atlanta Lodge is looking for glorious victories during the spring campaign. Floral Lodge No. 2 will move her place of meeting to the lower part of Decatur street. They have engaged a good room in a good locality. Bro. E. W. Mason caused quite a sensation by depositing his card in that Lodge. Alex felt so good about it that he act ually fell down stairs in leaving the Lodge room and Alex has to shut his ■ eyes to laugh, and after getting into it continued his laughing fit, and failing to see a cellar that was open in he went with a thud. Why Alex, says one of the brothers I could have told you that hole was open. Oh well says Alex that ish all right I found him. Floral will send in a good report to the Grand Lodge next quarter. Georgia No. 123 has been beautify ing her already superb rooms, Faith, Hope and Charity beautiful chromos and a very line steel engraving. From store to store Faith, Hope and Chari ty statuary&c., are among the addi tions lately placed in their room. Georgia has among its members some of the first ladies and gentlemen in the city. Capt. John Milledge is doing noble work; Rev. Dr. Dozier and Mr. Warren arc always on hand I * when most needed. , Hamilton Lodge leads the van in . new members this quarter, six joined at the last meeting. i Peachtree Lodge has initiated about all within reach of their lodge and now they are doing good work with the Cold Water Temple. Every lodge en dorses the Executive Committee in its , late actions. The present Executive Committee has won the hearts of the people and all round this burg they i are proud of their leaders and will stand to them to the end. Judge Underwood has been invited by Georgia Lodge to make a temper ance speech in Atlanta and ho has con sented to do so. You are aware that the Legislature is now in session. A bill was intro- . duccd last week to allow some man i to sell the infernal poison with- I out license. Nice man that to rep resent the people and we expect his next bill will be to legalize all ' , grades of murder. We are proud that we have the People’s Friend to en- i lighten the people. I believe if a good i live agent was put in Atlanta two thou . ' sand subscribers could be obtained for 1 it in this citv alone. S. T. i “The chains of habit are never felt until j they are too strong to be broken,” .says that great moralist, Sain Johnson, and no maxim was ever truer. How important, then, that we should allow no chain to be woven about us which we would not publie ;ly avow. V, ould any one desire to acknowl i edge himself the slave of alcohol. If so, let him indulge in the “social glass.” and whether he acknowledge the tact or not, the public will know he is such, for as the first sin marked Cain, so this sin ofdrunk ; entie.-s marks its votaries. Rest assured . there is i.o such thing as “secret drinking,” fir sooner or later will the chains of habit , force you to do in public what you have been secretly doing, and vainly imagining j would not be known. “Verily your sin shall find you out.” Men talk about not yielding their Ireedom,” about “pitying” a man who is afraid to “take a gla-s with a friend ;” they are the men to be pitied, for they ignore the fact that they are the slaves of habit and afraid to hr free. The I man who takes ope glass of intoxicating drink a day, for a week, only for pleasure, must take two the next week from necessity. One drink calls for another and that for another, until the advocate of the social glass exclaims with Rip Van Winkle, I would part wid my right han’ for one drink out de bottle, und v«n I gits dat one, 1 : would give my whole soul for the balance.” Habit is a hard taskmaster ! He exercises a >ight and almost imperceptible authority at first, then he tightens the reins, and grows ' more exacting as the years pass- There is i no pity in his heart for the aged, the old and infirm. ’The weaker his slave, the more he exacts of him, and the longer that slave has served, the more it costs him to purchase his freedom. This is the kind of master to whom the advocate of “a social glass” is selling himself—this is the free dom of which so many boast! Verily there is madness in the thought! Many men brag of their power to resist the temptations and evils of intemperance, but they reckon without reason ; they know not the power of habit. Men have been heroes enough to meet death, stare him in the face, and bare their breasts to his deadly arrows, yet were not heroes of suffi cient power to break the chains of habit! They have smiled at calamity and destruc tion, yet cowered to the dictates of a vicious taste ; they have laughed at pain, yet bowed in tears beneath the rod of a vitiated appe tite; they have mocked at death in fear lessness and pride, yet cringed as a ciaven to the dictates of Habit! Then talk not of the “social glass,” but rather of the slave's g-ass, lor sooner or later he is a slave who tampers with wine. Gall no glass “social” that co’ tains the poison which kills both body and soul! /Speak not of him who offers you wine as a friend but as a foe, the more to be dreaded, as like the wily sei pent, he charms with his wiles while he seeks to destroy. Taste not, touch not, handle not the fatal cup, Look not upon the wine when it is red, when it giveth its color in the cup, for at last it biteth like a serpent and stiugeth like an adder ! For the cup is sorrow, shame, misery, disgrace, poverty, suffering and every other ill which curses poor, frail suffering humanity, and moreover A Bohon Upas there you will find, Which Rfter the body destroys the mind. LETTER FRO 17THE G. A. S. Editors the People’s Fripnd : 1 promised to give yon a letter for each issue of The Friend, but the pressure of business in my office will necessitate my being very brief. The letters received from the various parts of the State are of a very encouraging character, and would stimulate your readers if they could hear wl at is being done, and what progress the Order is making, yet, for the present, I can only give you a few extracts. Bro. Robert Hester, of Eatonton, write,-; “So far as I can tee, our members have no intention of giving up the good, cause th :y are somewhat lukewarm just now, but wo have enough good material to keep in good working order.” Bro. McMahan, of Oglethorpe, wiites: ‘Crawford Lodge is all right; will meet in our new hall on the 31st.” Bro. Hays, of Peach Tree Lodge, writes : “Our Lodge is in fine condition, and the work goes on well. ’ ’ Bro- Palmer, from Cuthbert, writes: “Our Lodge has very nearly cased to work, fora want of interest manifested by the members, and from the fact that the churches have taken a stand against, us to a great extent. This I think is one great cause of our partial failure. IVe need’.elp and strong help at that.” I give you this extract to show what a damaging effect can be produced bj r a church taking a position against this reform, and I can conceive of no just cause for such a position, Bro. Eliis writes from Calhoun, “W’e are doing a good work for the Temperance cause; have initiated from three to six every meeting since Christmas, and have only had two violations during the Holi days.” Bro. Duncan, of Conyers, says: “The new Lodge at. Sheffield, and No. 9 at Con yers, are both flourishing; the new lodge has some fifty members.” Bro. Ledbetter writes from Canton: “Our Lodges are doing well, and are firm in their adhesion to our Grand Lodge, all are loyal. I hope to organize some new lodges as soon as the weather will permit.” Bro. Marshall writes from Eatonton: “Our lodge has not suffered in any way that I know of; we are few in number, but that few are of the right material.” Many more such extracts could be given, hut I will not trespass farther. It is grati fying to know that instead of losing, our order is gaining; instead of decreasing, it is most assuredly increasing daily in numerical strength and influence. Gibraltar ’Lodge at stone Mountain, has sprung up anew, and all the members have gone to work. 1 bey initiated twenty-one at a recent meet ing, some sisters carrying their brothers, and wives their husb.inds. I heir meetings almost amount to ovations, the enthusiasm is so intense. Can we make it so in our Lodge? Let us try, it is worth an effort. More anon, S. C. IL A San Francisco woman claims a divorce because she was intoxocated when she was married and did not know what she was about. An Engliih transport with three hun dred soldiers abroad is overdue at Halifax, aud it is feared she h«s been lost at sea -