The daily gazette., 1878-05-29
MRS. VAN COTT IN A NEW ROLE

SHE ESSAYS THE ROLE OF "COLUsIBIA"
IN THE TEMPERANCE DRAMA OF 1.-THE
CUP"
Mrs. Maggie Van Cott appeared last
night at St. Johns Independent Metho-
dist church, North Liberty street, In the
character of columbia" in the temper-
ance drama of "The CUP" Mrs. Van
Cott is well known to Baltimore religions
assemblies, bur has never before essaved
the role of an apostle OF temperance. She
made one of her most powerful efforts n
lecture on "What shall we Women of
Columbia, o W tn tie Cup?" The audience
numbered tat % GEMS a head) about two
hundred persons, comprising the creme
de Ia creme of the temperance element of
Baltimore.
There was a large sprinkling of preach
ers, few of the temperance political
ward managers and many ladies. Mrs.
Van Cott was attired in a full suit of
black, en- trdipe, with black bonnet. re.
lieved by trimmings of white, veil and
fan. The striking embon point of her
figure was heightened by a couple of
small boquets worn upon her breast. She
spoke from the pulpit on which was
seated Mr.. VIM. Daniel, president of the
state alliance In front of the fair lee
turer on the marble pulpit desk were two
large boquetS and a basket of flowers A
small national flag was also displayed in
front of her, which she frequently waiv-
ed over her head or with great emphasis
held up to the audience.
Mrs. Van Cott has a rich, deep and
flexible voice, at times approaching the
masculine in its tones, seldom etfemi-
nate and often tragical.
Some ofthe acecdotes with which her
lecture abounds were delivered with a
dramatic effect that would do credit to
some tragic stars of the stage She said
fl1A IL. Nt.WR.. 81.
tians year led us to consider the question
of"What shall we women of Columbia do
with the cup" Taking the flag in her
| hands, she said: $50 long as we cannot
| leglslate to put rum out of the country
we cannot say, Long may it wave p''
The dear old flag was not an emblem of
liberty so long as hundreds of thousands
OF voters go to the ballot-box and vote
for winebibbers. 1t is too late to talk of
| giving the ballot to woman to cure the
evll, for the iwomen like the men have
also become slaves to drink They take
their ale. beer and whisky-toddy in these
days for every little affiction. The
ladieS often commence with light wines
and then drift into whiskey toddies.
Making dramatic gesture toward Mr..
Daniel, she said she would as soon he
seen putting a knife to her brothers
throat, as to put her name 10 liuuor
license. The money spent for whiskev
annually would be two and one-half haT-
rels of flour a-year for each man. woman
and child in the country. She was not
talking to make herself President of the
nlted States, but she knew the men who
paid the highest prices for pews in the
most fashionable churches were the lioll-
er celiers. If the men will not destroy
tho bhghting cup, we women will coma
TO the front and take the matter in hand
She concluded her lecture with many ar.
guments against the use of fermented
WINE IN the sacrament, and related sever
} al instances where reformed men had
gone back to the cup by tho use of wine
IN the communion. After the lectur,
Mrs Van Cott had conference with /
number of young converts whom sb,
called the "drew dro ps."-Bat Gazette