The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1874-04-09
Temperance Meeting at Washington
Hail Last Might.


Hall Last Night
The hall was well filled last night by q
respectable audience; such an audience
as did not indicate any abatement OIL In.
tereSt in the movement The meeting was
opened by singing and prayer as usual.
The Rev. Mr. Thompson came forward
and introduced Mrs, Mary Byron Reese,
Of Alliance, Ohio. The lady said that in
coming 10 our city she was glad to feel
herself OF home among friends with whom
she had spent her childhood and the
years Of her early womanhOed,
Six weeks ago she could not have stood
up in the presence Of such an audience
and made hesimplest announcement, but
during that time she had learned much
and made more advance than in all the
years Of her life which had passed away.
She had been told that the people Of
Wheeling were unimpassioned, conserVa.
tive and not easily excited. She Ielt that
the people whom she used to know 80
well were misrepresented by such state.
ment. She ielt that she would like to
come back among them, for she knew
there were noble spirits among our
women and our men too who would take
an active part in this great work.
She remembered the old temperance
movement headed by Mr.. Gauley and
how his eloquence stirred the hearts oil
the people aud she refused to believe that
even that temperance movement was a
failure.
She said this WAS called by some, the
"ohio movement" by others the women'a
movement, It was true that 1t did take its
rise in Ohio, and that women were en-.
gagged In it, but 1t was Gods movement.
| II abe felt that 1t was merely womans
movement, sac would abandon It for It
would accomplish no purpose.
She knew Of no place where more Of
the finest intellects had succumbed to
the great evil Of intempersnce than in
Wheeling She remembered that strong
drink was at the bottom Of crimes for
which men had been hung in this city.
| The verdict should not have been sgains.
the men but sgsinst the liquid fire that
had made them mad. ..s
| She recognized the difficulties Of the
situation in Wheeling, that we have some
OF the highest elem ent Of society, men OF
character and Of wealth engaged In the
liquor business, we had the objections Of
some ofthe most respectable element Of
our society to overcome. She had no
doubt that in tho end they would see the
necessity for this movement in order to
overcome this overwhelming evil. She
was glad to see that our city had grown
in size and in wealth, but as cities grow
in wealth and in population they also
grow in crime, and the most wholesome
regulations were necessary to restrain 1t.
Alcoholic drinks either elevate char.
acter or pullit down and what ia the ex.
perience Of the people Of this city, which
does 1t doG
She said she had not come here how
ever to make speech, or to deliver lee.
ture, but simply to tell the story Of what
they had done in Alliance and the man.
ner and the method Of their operations.
Mrs. Reese here narrated with con-
siderable detail the organization Of their
bands, the ordeal Of preparation through
which they perfected themselves for the
work before them.
She also related in q very interesting
manner the method Of these operations
and many incidents Of the struggle and
the successive victories won by their IN.
firing zeal in cause which they held
worthy Of msrtyrdom itself, a cause
to which they had resolved hence for
ward TO devote their whole lives.
1t was not unwomanly for women to 70
to saloons. Saloon keepera were glad 10
have them come and take away their
drunken sons and husbands after their
money was spent. Its womanly TO save,
and women would no longer wait through
the weary hours Of the nights for the re.
turn Of their sons and their husbands, thew
would go forth In the strength Of the Lord
and his promises; they did not expect TO
convert the saloon keeper, but they be-
lieVed their prayers were being answered
in the only way that 1t was reasonable TO
expect them to be answered. Public SEN.
timent was being built up and good laws
would not only be'made, but they would
be enforced and kept in force.
The audience listened to the lecture
with the proioundest attention, and 1t was
evidentthst they were greatly interested
After the singing of several pieces Of
music Mr. Thompson announced that
Mrs. Dr.. Riley had been elected Presi.
dent Of the Women's Temperance Band,
instead OF Mrs. Hagans Also that the
usual forenoon prayer meeting would be
held to-day in the English Lutheran
Church, and on Friday afternoon at the
same place.
No mass meeting would be held to-
night or tomorrow night, but there would
be one on Saturday night.
Alter singing the doxology the meet.
Ing adjourned.
AssAuLTNd A TuRNKEY.-David Jam
1 l..