and there
was a good number of his customers present. Curiosity to hear Nat
overcame their opposition to the cause, for the time being, so that they
were drawn thither. A lecture by any one else would not have called them
out, but the attraction now was too great to be resisted. The hall was
crowded with the old and young, and there was not a vacant place for
another.

The subject of Nat's lecture was "THE FIFTEEN GALLON LAW,"
which was then agitating the public mind. It was a new movement by the
advocates of temperance, and its friends and foes were arrayed against
each other for a hard contest. Nat rejoiced in the movement, and
therefore prepared himself to defend the law. We will give, in
substance, his argument.

After portraying the evils of intemperance in language and eloquence
that riveted the attention of the audience, and confirming his
statements by unanswerable statistics, he proceeded to say:--

"That something must be done to stay this tide of evil, or we shall
become literally a nation of drunkards. It is vain to enact laws to
punish the drunkard, and still allow the vender of strong drink to dole
out his poison by the glass. For the poor, who need every farthing they
earn to purchase bread for their hungry families, will spend their wages
at the dram-shop, and leave their children to starve in poverty and
degradation. The 'Fifteen Gallon Law' is admirably adapted to save this
class. They are never able to purchase intoxicating drinks in larger
quantities than by the quart or gallon, so that this law will cut off
their supplies. It is true, another class, who possess the means, will
not be deterred from purchases by this law, but it is better to save the
poor than to save none at all. This appears to be the best thing that
can be done at the present time; perhaps sagacious minds will yet
discover a universal remedy for this mammoth evil. At any rate, we are
urged by the wants of suffering humanity to advocate this law, which
may redeem thousands of the poor from their cups and their misery."

The enemies of the law contended that it was introducing "a new
principle of legislation," and that while former laws had only
"_regulated_" the sale of strong drink, this Fifteen Gallon Law was
"_prohibitory_." To this Nat replied,

"That the legislature has power to restrain all trades which are
detrimental to the public welfare, and to regulate or prohibit them
according as the public good requires. Legisla