National Republican. (Washington City (D.C.)) 1872-1888, 1875-02-01
THE CAUSE OF TEMPERANCE.
The Mass Meeting Sunday Evening at G.

The AAeeting announced in the NATIONAL RE
PUBLICAN Saturday was largely attended,, draw
ing out many distinguished visitors at the Ma
tional Capital, Senators and Representatives in
Congress, and some OF our most influential citi-
Eens. Mrs. Linyille, Mrs. DR.. Mason Noble, and
Mrs. Roach occupied positions on the platform in
the rear Of the pulpit.
The meeting was opened with prayer by DR..
Little.
Mrs. 1inville read from the Scriptures, which
was followed by the singing OF the Rock Of
ages, 10 mnSn tne conigfegstion tGSk part
myer. Though afflicted with severe cold, her
remarks were so interesting and impressive that
che held the attention Of the audience to the
close in the following strain: Though women's
hands are weak to fight, their voices are strong
to pray, and with fingers Of faIth they opened the
reached the crisis in our cOuutry's history.
The faith and courage Of the truest men were
falling them. Appetite and aVarice, the two
strongest Of human, passions when debased, were
threatening to break down all the barriers that
hedged in virtue and home and truth. The
clouds hung thick and heavy above us. The
msCaI atmosphere was reekiny with the filth Of
drinking saloons; all the channels of thought and
life were becoming polluted; the sOHs Of patriots
were bought and sold like sheep at the political
shBmbles. The demand was not for q free coun-
Try, but for free rum. At this crisis, when
the Lord breathed his divine strengthening
power upon the women of the land. Twas a
gentle sUulh that they ightGppeaI their case
IRON the courts Of earth TO the supreme court Of
the universe.
Immediately cry for help OF God went up
from more than four milliVO hearts; such an ago
MIXING cry and volume of prayer as never went up
TO the Throne before, and set all the bells OF
heaven ringing; ana the golden censor, hlled with
the prayers Of all saints and the fire from the
hands Of the angel is coming down upon tho
earth-the FIRE Of publication. It Is purifying the
Church, and will purify social and political life
though it will take COED deal to burn out the
wood and stubble and cleanse ali the corrupt
channels. Nor is it wonderful that women should
In lnI into d 49,,
suffered most. Their hopes ground to powder
and their hearts to dust under "the pOnderous
wheels Of this JuggernauI." To-day women are
hiding away in palaces, and their hearts are
breaking under SILKS and laces; and other women
Hs noble and true are hiding away in garTets and
cellars, covering their breaking hearts with rags
And NC look out upon the long, dark annual pro-
cessiOn Of a hundred thousand mon and women on
dead march TO the pit rum digs for its victims.
Mrs. Myer spoke OF q brilliant statesman VINO
wEs once we'll known in the social circles OF this
city, accompanied by his sparkling vile. He had
iCrIune and wrecked their prospects to 90 down
with the Common sOt to oblivion; his wife to alb
ject poverty and suffering.
She gave statistics which showed that nine
tentEs Of the inmates Of jails, asylums, sc, were
on account OF rum; thatthe liquor traffic was sus-
tanned by the young; that nine-tenths OF the
prisoners ct the station houses we're young meu
and boys, there, directly or indirectly, from the
same causes. Upon the authority OF Gov Dix,
thrce-fUUrh s Of all the crimes committed were the
direct result Of intemperance.
Then she related many incidents in the "cru-
sades," some of them hearL-rending and some
amusing. She had been addressing meeting
where there were some wholesale iiquor-dealers.
She talked to them after the meeting a sister
would. Finally, one gentleman came up and
said, My dear sister, you are spelling my bust
ness" Il hope am, IL you are a liquOr-deaIer."
well, I'm not a liquOr-dealer, but l keep the
jail; tits the same thing, you know"
She went on to say that women had been called
weak. God has chosen the weak things to con-
flut d the mig hty." We are willing to be thought
so, IL We can be the better instruments in Gods
hands. The AK, though weaker and smaller than
the plow, can do mighty work In its way Men
had been ploug hing around the tree long time,
only TO find themselves entangled among its
roots. We shall lay the Ak at the root of the tree
and cut and slash, woman fashion, till neither
with Gods plans to choose women for this great
work. When he would build q continent in the
sea, he does not employ the monsters Of the deep,
but the little coral insects. When he would wall
in the ocean, he chooses the little grains of sand.
The migbties sources OF nature are those which
walk with silent tread. IT'S not the mighty river
that bears everything before It in It's onward
sweep to the sea; that makes the mountain green
and the valleys to TEEN with an abundance of
harvest but the little drops Of rain. the gentle
dew that comes down so silently that its silver
slippers scarcely wake flower or stir a blade Of
grass So this mighty spiritual power distilled
in gentle words from the lips Of eOnsecrated wo-
men, II sOtens hard hearts, refresbes many heavy
laden souls, watering the seeds Of truth.
But there are special elements Of strength be-
longing to women. They work on think on
never stop. She has tireiess energy, and what
ever she may undertake she will accomplish If It
"
TeTolutioniZng OF this country and bringing the
rum power to the dust is within her range Of pos
sibilities. The women Of this land East and
West are combining. The high moral purpose
that moves them will last through the years, and
II they fall ere the victory is gained they will
leave the contest as holy legacy to their chill
dren. Women are the educators Of the nation
and they are thoughtful. To be sure, we have
frivolous women, who have no thought of the fu-
place to weep. How this question touches eyery
true, thoughtful wOman's heart. There is no love
like mothers. Twas not wrecked in Eden; IL
came with motherhood, and is the most end Iring
thing Of earth. =
Mrs. Linville then made q persuasive little ad-
to the Thursday meetings, from to $50 D. m, in
the chapel, Y M. q. A., and see how they op-
Grated. The qualifications for joining were sign
ing and keeping the pledge, which she read.
She said that arrangements have been made for
mass meeting at Lincoln Hall at $3.50 p. m. next
Sunday. Miss Johnson, Of Brooklyn, N. Y, had
consented to address the meeting. We have
since learned that numerous prominent ladies
and gentlemen will make addresses. 1t is very
probable that Senator-eiect Dawes will speak.
A collection was taken for the Temperance
Union. Then followed Praise God from whom
all blessings fiOW," and prayer by Rev. Mason
Hon. A. @. Riddle Mr.. Appleton, Mr.. Pleas
ants, Mrs. SeidmOre; Mrs. Hall, Mrs. DIR. Adams
and others congratulated the principal speakers
A memorial, to be presented tomorrow by a
prominent Senator, has been silently circulated
during the last three weeks aud signed by the
West, and during the few days in Washington by
hundreds. and backing this are said to be 900
interested women. 1t reads as follows:
MEMORIAL.
To thS honorable members Of the Senate and House
Of Representatives n the United States Of America
IN Congress assembled:
We, the undersigned, membersof the Woman's
National Christian Temperance Union, and
others, in view of the imbecility, insanity, pau
perism, suffering and crime resulting from the use
OF alcoholic drinks, pray your honorable body for
such restrictive legislation as shall limit the i'm
portatiOn, manufacture and sale Of alcohol to the
arts, and to mechanical, chemical and medical
purposes In the District Of Columbia and the Ter
Titories.
The Ladies' Temperance Union have taken
steps for tie establishment Of national organ.
1t will be oficially announced at home and abroad
next week.
THE DAsHAwAYs.
This total abstinence society had an interest
ing meeting, at Temperance temple, last night,
Isaac James, J. NeWland, Gen. Mclean and Mr..
Thompson. A recitation was we'll rendered by
Master Willie Constantine. 1t was q noticeable
feature OF the addresses that, while the liquor
trade was generally censured, yet not one of the
speakers attributed his reformation or present
abstinence to the inability to obtain liquor. They
quit because they made up their minds to live FOR
the sake Of themselves and their families, while
they knew that If they continued to drink they
should surely die. They fully demonstrated
their belief in the power Of the drunkard to ab-
stain when it became with him question Of life
They also, by the relation of their experiences,
attested the fact, we'll known to all drinking men,
mat no temperance lecturer, or wife, or mother
can deliver such q moving address in favor Of
abstinence and in condemnation of the vice Of
drinking as the victim donors himself with in his
moments Of remorse; This must be true in the
nature Of things. Nothing but experience can
give person any adequate idea of the debasing
and demoralizng effects of intoxication. Sober,
Yirtuous people can have no conception Of Il
When man quits, then, with the temptation full
before him. 1t is because he has still left enough
respect for his remaining humanity to try to re.
deem himself He knows he has the power he
knows 1t is a God-like and God given power-the
only attribute which eleyates him above the beast
the brute and ne also knows that when lie is be.
sOtted with wine he is degraded beneath .he level
Of the brute. A full, realizing sense OF this and
q desire to respect himself and command the re-
spect Of his friends, is what makes him quit.
The Survivors Of the War Of 1879. Il
To the Editor Of the National Republican:
SIR At the clese Of the last session of Congress-
NerN lIhnrnl hill nrnvidinr nensInns he snr-