CORNELL, UNIVERSITY LIBRARY FROM Gift of Woodford PatterProduction Note Cornell University Library produced this volume to replace the irreparably deteriorated original. It was scanned using Xerox software and equipment at 600 dots per inch resolution and compressed prior to storage using CCITT Group 4 compression. The digital data were used to create Cornell's replacement volume on paper that meets the ANSI Standard Z39.48-1984. The production of this volume was supported in part by the New York State Program for the Conservation and Preservation of Library Research Materials and the Xerox Corporation. Digital file copyright by Cornell University Library 1993.O'WEGO TIMES. THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 4, 1875.” —m .—..... — ________ ■. l - . jr - " ..~ ': ^ -"C""'•, ^ Christian Courtesy, i For several years a Temperance Society has existed in Newark Valley, N. ¥., which has been managed as a political machine by its President, Royal W. Clinton, who was formerly the local manager of the .Re- publican party, until a point was reached when no one could be found to second his nomination as chairman of the town caucus. The constitution provides for a meeting of the society on the fourth Sunday night of each month, and its custom has been to meet alternately in th8 Baptist, Congre- gational and Methodist Churches. It has for years been well understood that no one could lecture before the Society who was * not a fully developed Prohibitionist; and j the President has assumed to disregard the j constitutional provision as to the meetings, | and has appointed them at his pleasure, j sometimes giving the Secretary notice less than an hour before church time on Sun- day morning, so that the Methodist minis- ter has had frequently to s*op, after giving a notice for a religious meeting, and ask: ‘•Brother Clinton, do you have a temper-, ance meeting at that time?” In the month of October, 1875, some gentlemen of Newark Valley made the ac- quaintance of Col. Shaw, of Cape Vincent, N. Y., now U. S. Consul at Toronto, Onta- rio, and invited him to deliver a temper- ance address before the people of Newark | Valley. Afier gaining his consent to do ■i so, they obtained from the Trustees of the Congregational Church the use of that house for the meeting; and then not wish- ing to show any discourtesy to the Tem- perance Society, as'ked ite Noble young Secretary, on Saturday evening, October 30th, to give notice for the meeting to be held on the following evening, which he indignantly refused to do, asserting that itwas not the regular eight for the Society’s me&fiDg, and that it was not his business to call a meeting for outsiders; and several times during the evening repeated the statement that it was not the evening for the regular meeting, and that there would be no meeting of the Temperance Society. The President Came home about 9 o’clock on Saturday evening, was told of the state of matters, and at once arranged for a reg- ular meeting, laid out his programme* and j ordered the venerable Secretary to prepare } notices to be read in the several pulpits on, Sunday morning. On being asked by the friends of Col. Shaw to provide for his be- ing heard, he consented to give Him a place, and promised that his name should be placed in the notices, which was not done. Col. Shaw had been told that the people wished to hear a full exposition cf his views upon the subject of Temperance,and in reply, said that he would like to speak for two hours, or two and a quarter; but that he did not wish to touch it, as a ques- tion of politics, on Sunday. On entering the meeting, he was told by the President that he could be allowed forty minutes; be- ing less than one-third of the time which he expected to fill. TJoder this embarrass- ment he began to speak, continuing for . one hour, making no political allusions, but treating the subject as a question of moral and religious reform, showing the deep re- sponsibility of all who attempt to lead in the work, and depicting in a thrilling man- ner the sadness of the human wrecks which have been cast upon the quicksands of in- temperance. He also discussed the agen- cies which help to develops a purer code of public morals, and a more exalted and re- ined public sentiment; contrasting the true work of woman with the fanatical demonstrations which have lately been made in some of the Western States; and showing that the work can no more be completed at a single effort, than can a good crop of garden vegetables and fruit be raised by planting and a single hoeing; but as the constant procession of humanity, „moves*onwar$i ffoui^e graqjle to tfeftgrave, so are new fields constantly presented tor f the laborer, and fcew mtnfis continually * f coming up to be trained in virtue’s ways, j and to be taught the lesson of self-control and resistance to temptation. He also showed the wisdom of the leaders of the Catholic Church, in directing the infant mind in the way they would have it go, and exhorted all others to a like wisdom and a like diligent effort. * ■ At the end of o e hour he closed his re- marks, having said no word at which any one could possibly take offense, nor bad he sought for applause by the trick of telling tunny stories, yet in.a calm and dignified way, while showing That all true reforms must begin in the heart and can only be successful when the heart is filled with Di vine love, he bad gained the hearts of the audience to such an extent that at least nine-tenths of them wished him to go on The meeting, however, was under the iron rod. of the President, and Elder Tow- er, of the Baptist Church, was called to the floor. After lamenting his want of prepa- ration, having forgotten his promise made some weeks before to address the Society just before election, he said that even if he had no preparation, he should be recreant to every sense of right, if, after hearing such sentiments advanced by the former speaker, he should keep silence and fail to answer them. He then spoke for twenty? five minutes, in^a very excited manner, to prove that moral suasion was a failure,arid that nothing short of a prohibition law could ever cure the evils of intemperance, yet acknowledged at the close that he did not expect to accomplish that at present, nor indeed did he wish to do so, as such a law could not be enforced, at present, on ac- count of the opposition of public senti- ment; the most he hoped was to keep up tan agitation, so that they might get the law, when public sentiment should be so far advanced as to support it. In his illus- trations he was equally unfortunate, and made, perhaps unconsciously, every pointiD favor of Col. Shaw. Pointing out two gentlemen in the audience, he described the highly moral and religions breeding which they had enjoyed, filling Col. Shaw's highest description of what was needed, yet these men in spite of all this had *fal len into drunkenness, and had indulged their appetites for years.... Here they, were left by the Elder, who may have thought that his argument would not ba helped by showing how they had vainly sought to rise until they were awakened in a relig- ious meeting and converted to Christianity, after which, having a new power to resist temptation, they became sober men. He also compared the sale of intoxicating drinks to the crime of burglary, referring to the fact that burglars had lately entered two houses in the village, showing that so- ciety needed the protection of laws against the crime of burglary, but failing to show how the law had protected the owners of those houses, or that it bad punished, or was Hbelv to punish, those who entered the houses, and, of course, failed to bene- fit his argument by bis illustrations. At the close he was asked by D Williams Patterson if he would have the kindness to answer two or three questions. He replied: “I will not promise to answer them. You can ask them, and I will do as I please about answering them;” and went at once , to bis seat, and so escaped the trouble of deciding whether prohibition or moral suasion should be credited with the facts, that the ministers and deacons, of to-day were sober while those of a Century ago were driukers, or why a church could be raised to-day without the barrel of rum which our fathers needed to enable them , to perform the same work. The President then asked the choir to close by singing, and at the same moment Col. Straw begged the favor of five or six minutesun which to make an explanation. The Presjident promptly replied,in his usu- al gentlemanly way: “No, sir; we gave you forty minutes, and you have spoken an hour, we do net wish to hear you anymore, and think 5on ought to be satisfied with the hearing which you have had.” The outrageous and palpable discourtesy j and meanness of thus answering the re- [ quest of a gentlemao, who was there, not 1 on his own motion, but upon the invitation of several residents of the village, and was thus in reality a guest of the village,aroused in the audience a storm of indignation which no efforts cf his high mightiness could quell; and for twenty minutes, while the audience kept the most perfect order, he was compelled to listen to a series of volunteer speeches from men who were not members of his Society, and whom he dared not attempt to gag. The audience finally gave him an oppor- tunity to close his meeting, by which time he was so thoroughly whipped that he thought best to invite Col. Shaw to make the desired explanation, which was done in an admirable spirit ; when the meeting was closed without any opportunity for singing ^ the soul stirring hymn: “We’ll Vote For l Prohibition,” upon which a select quartette had practiced for an hour on Sunday; and ■ so ended a meeting memorable as the last ‘ ever to be held in the Congregational Church of Newark Valley with Royal W. Clinton as its presiding officer. d. w. p.i?7":' 'V-h; THUBS OAV. MOV EM JhR U ifS7S CHRISTIAN COURTESY; Under the above heading appeared in the Owego Times of misrepresentation so base ■■ £haf£ it would seem an outrage upon‘"a^lajrjf^. tian-coinmnuhy, as well as* a slander against prominent, influential Chris- tian persons, whose'names appeared in the malicious article to suiter it t- pass without correction. f| Tttfe jfcctg as the^appeared tx> us, as an Impartial visitor and spectator of the w 11ole affai r an d a n atten tive 3 i 6- teuer of all that was said in the church ; on the> evening in question, were as follows : j ■ Col. Sli'ffW 'rTTr.liumrean' miiVpaign stump speaker, underpay of tlie Re- pabUcan State.Committee, as he said. . during his explanation, as the Times • corresponds it waS'pl eased to call his 1 second speesli;in ’the clmrTh on “the U ever to be*fe»je'!ubered, eVe.” accord- ing to the authoF^ivho was no other * than the instigator of the. whole mis s ^liferstandiqg,* -iM&Vesaed^a political ^ieeting at Ne wafkYall ey on Monday ^veVimg Oct. 25tb. ' * During his speech he referred to the temperance movemtuit in apparent , disgust, declanpg theJ&epuhlican par-, r ty to be tlie oiil.htrue- poliEical triend L, of ternperaneeandinoral reform. This i so pleased cLTtaih individualS that they ■\ at once engaged htmTd^dtfver an ad- : dress folIbwfng Sab* biith^evehing, at the (^^gsttlbifaT chttrch rn’that villager ;PHYSICAL DESCRIPTION NOTE The following four pages were scanned from a single piece found folded in the volume at this point.>ever iu ue ueu lem uereuy evu,” aucum^ £iii^ t<> the wasind othie* thafrdhe instigate!* Ml ttie-^rfftik* mis uii derptaiidih^; addressed ""a pblif ical 7meet4iigat Newai k Wiley on Monday ! evening Oct. 25tli. nIftiVing hip speech he referred to the temperance. movement : in apparent , dmgu&t.,.deel*riug;tUellepubHcau par-. iiX>Iitical: friend *©f te mper&uee an d .ui'oral reform- XIi^jb im pi«05ed ewffcltfn individtials that tliey a t%!vc^ engage hi m' t&deliver- an m\b dress l(M temper^ • th^fxdloWteg^Sabt baflt evening fit the vCongregiiti©nal' church in th&t Vfliage/ b for years past the people of Newark Valley havebeen accustomed tofliold- Uig, Union temperance meetings on tho.l&St .Sunday evening of each mfm&hj;, alternately in tb e se veral. churches,under the auspieies of a perunee sock ty of which Mr. R. W. Olinton is the presiftingOffioer. S«ii- dfcy e\Wiiig ®c&. 33 art, the regular iheetihg was to ho lield at thrCongre^ Ration al clmi-ch. 1 The limes 1 carres1 poiiden t with others Visited tlib truS- tces.of th^cliurch' and obtained fvei- oni^ipn .from them jo hold a meeting evening' with the under- thatypl. Shaw,should he,the speaker, the trustees overlooking tlie feet flighdhe: ehmeh was. already ;•** gagedaecordiug to an agreement en- tered into long before with the tem- perance socle ty. The iiext move was to call upon the Secretary of the soci- ety and request him to call the i*egu- laf ihtetih^tliis he refused t(V do with- out orders from the President who was.theii out of town, and thus mat- itei^stood when the President, R/JT, Clinton returned on Saturday night, with a speaker whom he had engaged while absent, as the authority to pre- human love* manifested in its natural pure shite4 up tainted by human decep- tion, witness the respect almost rcvw- eiice.with which MivClihtou is treated : byThe scores^f Sunbath school schol- ars who weekly assemble to hear his kind and fethearly inetnietiOnfL fJisk n • to th o repor% of Jgcorbs of «3i oli^; lias tlrerc been out an or whV1 1 cufe speakers was invested iu him. He at once ordered t lie Secretary to call a meeting which was done. All day Sunday the- coming temperance meeting was thb Toiirtiion topic upon < the..streets, and in the bar-rooms, and .j bets were offered -and taken, wheii&r^ the phicers i>f t,he spcietyr or the oiit- . sideis would come^ out best, Tird T6- : r suit was that tirere ;was a^sembMl iii * tiie cn^eniug aii:audience such as was . never before seen at a tempeiance r meeting in Newark Talley. Gol. Shaw f was presen fed to: the Presideh tby his. ^ ceiiengiies, aiul permission asked that j ^ ii,e:might tiddfess. tlfemv MT. ' Gliiiton \r 5 f. V 1 3' V \ 3 1 tered into long before with the tem- perance society. The next move was to call upbu thfe Secretary of t|ie soci- ety and inquest him to call the rpgu- lai* meeting this he relus€d to do with- out orders from the President who was then cut of town, and thus mat- ters stood when the President, 11. W., Clinton returned on Saturday night, ;with a speaker whom.he had engaged while absent, as the authority to pro- hastbere been out an c** w hi ^ cure speakers was invested in him. He at once ordered the Secretary to call a meeting which was done, AH day Sunday the- coming temperance meeting was the common topic upon , the streets, and In the bar-rooms, and , bets -were offered, nnd taken, whetifer^ the officers of the society or the out- side: s would come out best. The he- suit was that there; was assembled in tne Gening an audience such as was never before seen at a fcempei ance , meeting in Newark Valley. Ool. Shaw was presented to the President by his f coiiengiies, and permission asked that ] he:might adJiress them, Mr.■' Clinton \ asked 1x6wwiiuiy of those-liiaping the request were members of (lie temper- i. ance organization and found oke. lie then infornied them that he hap two* speakers engaged for tire xoccasiori, Key* Mr. Tower whom he had * i equa- ted to be present some two weeks be- fore the appointed time, ami G. M. Joi devh of "Owego, engaged the day previous to the meeting, in.order that all might speak it would be heee&sary to limit Ins time, and that he would most willingly-give Col. Shaw 20 min- utes, but wished he would not occupy more than 40i He then introduced * the Col. who spoke p>r one hour in a very eloquent .maimer, claiming to prove that the great evil of intemper- ance could be removed only by moral suasion, that legislation ; on the sub - ject was inpracticul, impossible and neediessp in short it was j ust such,!Uau addres8H>n temperance as advocates of the license system love to hear. After singing 'he was followed by ! Elder To>ver who in t,he sliort space of gO min lites,. showed, clearly $p any in - teliigen fc mind that Brohihition ~ w fife' an absolute necessity for the safety and salvation of the rising generation. The Elder then started to take his seat, when the signal to begin the iPfcw dVmr was given by one Patterson, rising abruptly In Ms Seat1 and in a ;*nr! nnwpBtlpmaiilv manner ask-After".pinging 1 ha wits' followed; by Elder Tower who in the short space of £0 minutes, showed clearly any in- telligent mind that Prohibition was' ap absolute necessity for the safety and salvation of the rising generation. The Elder then started to take his seat, when the signal to begin the l*btv Woiv was gi ven by one Patterson, rising ahrnptlyin his seat- and in a burly and ungeritlemanly manner ask- ing Elder Tower to answer the ques- tions he was about $0 pul/ which the Elder informed him ho would use his own judgment about, then POXiK fell Col. Shaw then arose and ashed mission 10 make explanations when in .a vmy gentlemanly way Mr. Clinton ; reminded him of Ills previous remarks regarding time, and asked that the harmony of the meeting might not be disturbed, “and how the choir will please sing,’’ .he -said^ not close by singing as^ represented by the Thnns correspondent. No one in the room set so near Mr. Clinton as did wre, yet .Molar Yaihlicr on the opposite side of the church heard him say, “close by singing.” .Immediately half a dozen men were on their feet, some talking others attempting to; one was partic- ularly ferocious, lie cried out in a loud excited and angry voice, “This will be a sorry day for temperance in Newark.” Although twice called to order by the President yet he continued to bray and pound the seat with-his fist, w hile others stamped* spatted their hands and hissed. Tee choir was unable to sing} the audience took complete con- trol ol the meeting,and the last speak- er was unable to proceed, the.^Presi- dent was-railed at, and by request of his temperance friends lie prevented Col .Shaw from replying to Elder T ow- er, that the housa of God might not be farther defiled by ilentous conduct. A more disgraceful scene wTas never witnessed in a Christian church on thef For years past the Newark Valley have Jbeen accustomed to hold- ing Vuiou temperance, meetings on the last Sunday evening fef■ ea£h mouthy alternately in the several eh u relies,under the auspieies of a tom - perance soekty of which Mr.;-fcyfWV Clinton is the presiding Officer. Sun- day evening Oct. 31st. the regliiar ! meeting was to be held at the Congre- gational church. T he Times corres- pondent with others visited the trus- tees of the church and obtained pe!- mission from them to hold a meeting , ing on this evening with the under- standing that Col. Shaw should be the i speaker, the trustees overlooking the , fact t hat the church was already ea gaged according to ail agreement en- tered into loiig before with the tem- perance society. The next move was to call upon the Secretary of the soci- ety and request him to call the regii- ■ lar meeting this he relused to do with- out orders from the President who was then out of town, and thus mat- ters stood when the President, R. W, Clinton returned on Saturday night, with a speaker whom he had engaged while absent, as the authority to pro- cure speakers was invested in him. He at once ordered the Secretary to call a meeting which was dohe, All day Sunday the coming temperance meeting was the common topic upon the streets, and in the bar-rooms, and bets were offered and taken, Whether the officers of the society or the out- side: s woukl come out best. The re- sult wasitlmt'there was assembled in tne nveniug an audience such as w as before seen lat a tempei anee meeting in Newark Valley. Col. Shaw: was-presented to the President by hisI collcagutfi^i^ thafc ’ hellilig!it dikliCSs them, Mrl;iClmtan H askecl fidwitiany of;ffrds% Milking tit#? request5 wore members of fliq temper- ; anee organization ami found o^k. He ‘then informed them that lie bad twb spealfer$ v engaged for the occasion, lievf Mr. Tower whom lie had 1 equs- [ teihto'be preseii tusorae two weeks be- j1 fot^-'-tbe-'ap^dtetedf‘tithe, rand Gr. Mi i jord^ri of^ Owegb;' engaged the day previous to the meeting, in order that all might speak5it wMtii d be nece&sary to limit his time, and iliat lie would Most wiliihgly give Col. Shaw 20 min- utes, but wished*he .v^oitld not wcitpy rhore than 40. . He then introduced fire Cdh for one hour in a Y A more disgraceful scene was never witnessed in a Christian church on the Lord’s da^ in the State of New'York; and yet, saVs the corpulent gentleman “the greatest order prevailed.” What manner of order prevailed when Ihe tljree Thousand swine ran violently doWn tlm hill and were chok- 'd in the sea—answering according to die judgme.it of the Times correspon- ient, “'I'he greatest order.” The whole sum and substance of the . matter is, that the Temperance Socie-'of Newark Valley is doing a noble | work, it is fast making Prohibition tyoters, and'dedgning politicians look upon it with an evil eye. It must be crushed, or then foiid hopes are min- ted, and this, can only be ’accomplished by beating down its main stay and pil- lar II. W'. Clinton, thus the ungrateful attack upon Ills personal 'character by ' one who does hot evt ii have the rc- 1 speet of the street urchins of his own '.native town. But if you wish to see human love manifested in its natural pure state untainted by human decep- tion. witness theVespeet al most revel - 1 once with which :Mr.- Clinton is treated by the'scores of Sabbath school schol- ars who weekly" assemble to hear his kind and fatherly instructions. Listen to the report of scores of honorable' men scattered throughout thi* land, 1 who trace their success in life to in- structions given by this God-fearing man. His life has beer one of hard la- bor in the vineyard of the Great Mas- ter, and the fruits thereof are this day sto,:.el within many a manlybreast,and his :;dts of l indness are yet green *n the memoius of many. , When this* £Ood man ilepm ts this life of ftih and jealoasles to receive a j reward above, many thankful hearts I now hundreds, yea thousands of miles from ark Valley will sadly beat a 1 ast farewbl 1, anti iliany eyes will be ' dimmed With tears, as memory clrfies them back to the days of their cluld- hped, when they were the Sabbath school scholars o.t Royal W. Clinton. G. M. j.OWE GO TIME8, THURSDAY, DECEMBER 23, 1875. The Newark Valley temperance meet- ing of Oct. 31st, 1875, is still the subject of much discussion in the town. We were present at the moving and know that the report of it by D. W. P., as published in The Owego Times, was truthful in every point and much more favorable to the opposition than it might have been made, and still be true, but so far as they contradict any statement of the report be- fore named they contradict the truth. H. Winship, Hebbebt Richabdson, Feed W. Richabdson, E. G. Nowban, L. D. Bishop, E. E. Chapman, J. B. Landfield, C. H. Moobe. Subscribed and sworn to before me this 22nt day of December, 1875, * ' G. A. Clabe, Notary Public.