The new Northwest. [volume] (Portland, Or.) 1871-1887, 1874-05-15

| PROFfTLESs.
About $50 persons were present at the
Tabernacle last evening at the clos
ing meeting of the State Temperance
Alliance. The meetings of this body
have not been characterized by the
earnestness and vigor which are desira-
Die on such occasions. The interest in
the Temperance cause In this city is fast
tdying out. The first mass meeting drew
together 5000 persons, who went know
ing IL to be q woman's movement and
intent to hear what the women had to
bs3y on this subject. To their great sur
prise, the women all kept in the back
ground, and men were crowded to the
front to officiate as officers and do ali the
I talking. Even when the hungry crowd
lcaIIed for ''NIrs. Anybody no response
was made. The result was evident at
/ the next meeting. Instead of the large
audience of 5000, the Tabernacle was
not filed. The prayer meetings, which
il was predicted would be so sought af-
ter that no house in the city would be
| large enough to hold the throngs, are
now convened in the vestries, and q few
more like the last, where the prayists
were not only called on by name and in
squads to make their petitions, but even
directed what to pray for, making the
whole occasion cold and tedious, will eff
fectually quench the zeal of the most ar
dent.
The meetings of the State Alliance
were carried on in the same cold nlan-
ner. The speakers were all selected, not
because they had suffered from the raw
ages of intemperance, or that they felt
any unusual interest, but because they
had 'Rev." tackled to their names.
There was
NO sPoNTANEITY, NO LIFE.
The ministers did the best they could.
We really pitted them; they are called
upon so often on this subject that they
deserve credit for being able to say any
thing. But people will not flock to the
meetings to hear them. Contrast these
blifeless gatherings with the Sunday
evening meetings held by the Dashawayr
I Temperance Legion and Father Mathew
societies.
/ A little diversion was created in the
! Alliance yesterday morning by the OPP
perfume resolution of Mrs. Duniway and
/ her stirring comments on the system OF
license a flame was kindled that
started nearly all her auditors to their
feet. A few more such speakers would
stir up an excitement and an interest
THAT would shake the dry bones and
make them rattle.
And this reminds us that notwith-
standing the Alliance was composed Of
a vast number of Temperance OrganiZa-
tions, in every one of which women are
, indefatigable in their efforts for the
cause, and its acknowledgements Oi
their services in carrying on this mighty
reform, not a single woman appears
among the officers elected yesterday af-
: ternOOn. They are always called upon
to watch and pray, to canvass, to sing, to
get up entertainments, to cook suppers,
to address the bands of hope, and mar
shal the children into aTray-in fine, to
90 the hard work in their respective so.
eieties; but when it comes to public
meetings and appointing officers, they
are left out in the cold. We know that
more than one earnest woman feels this
keenly, and. we do not hesitate to say
that this neglect is one of the principal
causes of the toTpor now existing ia this
city on the subject of Temperance.-SdIl
Francisco EUeHiag Post.