The Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1877-1885, 1877-05-23
Ghe l.aitg Argas,
ROCK ISLAND. .1n11no1s
The Murphy Movem emit.

/. Reviyalism has taken a new form recen-
tly, and, under the influence of Francis
Murphy, Jealous Irishman, who has
given his life up to the great cause Of
temperance, has been turned into an
effective means of waging the old war
against the still. From necessity the
Murphy revivals partake of the nature of
religious as wen as temperance move
lnonts, and he is doing som netting of the
same work as Hammond, Moody aud
Whittle. The reports from those states in
which he has conducted his temperance
campaign indicate, however, that his re-
vivals have aroused great deal more of a
furore among the people than has been
witnessed at any of the religious revivals
conducted by either one OF the three
distinguished evangelists named. The
Murphy movement has not been con
fined to the large cities and towns, as has
been the case with the other reyivals, but
has spread throughout the rural tdistricts
of the states IN which he has worked, so
that at times his revivals would be 10
progress at a score or more OF different
places in the same state. Pennsylvania
and Massachusetts have recently been the
scene of his labors, andAnow he is at work
in Ohio, and has seemingly awakened
greater interest there in the reform which
he breaches than in either of the other
states.
Murphy is undoubtedly the greatest
apostle of temperance the world has seen
since the death OF bis roted predecessor
and fellow -countryman, Father Mathew.
aud if his ways, which are not unlike
Father Mathews, shall accomplish as
much enduring good, the Irish people will
have reason to be proud that lrishmen
have done more than all the world besides
to advance the cause of temperance. Mr..
Murphy is yet in his prime, having been
born IN Wexford. Wexford county, Ireland,
in 1885, He came to this country at an
early age, but his life was not turned into
the present channel until eight years ago.
tie kept a sailors boarding house in Port.
land, Me-. in 1869, and in a scufle with a
drunken man threw him down a fight OF
steps and killed him, for which act he was
tried aud acquitted His heart was turned
while he lay 10 Jail waiting the action of the
courts, and even before his release he haG
begun to preach temperance to the
prisoners. After he was acquitted of the
murder charge he went to Maine and spen
nearly year in lecturing in the yariou,
towns and villages, following which b,
began temperance momevent at Sterling
| LII. He was IN Chicago some two year:
ago, and later some time last November
began remarkable revival IN Pittsburg
During the beginning OF this year he wa
in Boston, and is now preaching in Ohio
His success seems to be due to the same
| a. - II,
acteristic Of Moody, and he employs yer
much the same machinery, it it may be S
called, to work up that intensity of teelin
which is the secret Of all revivalism
How much of lasting good comes on
of the reformations which these move
ments beget cannot of course be told, bu
1t is quite certain they do recover man
unfortunates, and though some drift bac
again into the old ways, when the excit
meut and passion of the moment pa:
away, there are always some who hold
the resolutions they have made. 1t
: besides easily seen that the good of the!
reviYals is not alone in the reformation
= drunkards, but equally in the inhuene
which they exert upon the after life
| those who have not yet come under Il
sway of the demon of drink. 1t is pc
haps true that the revival is very far fro
being the way of decreasing drunkenness
and that the increasing consumption
malt liquors and native wines in place
strong drinks gives better promise
general good than any species of tempe
ance revival, which is but a wild wbirl
n excitement for a brief moment and tn
over; but however that may be, there
at least more of good than harm in t
work Murphy and his disciples {
r doing, and therefore he deserves enco1
= agement.-St. Louis Republican.