Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1881-04-04

A Beautiful and Eloquent ddress
from Miss willard.

from Miss willard.
The announcement IN the Sunday TEE
gram that Miss Frances E. Willard, President
Of the Woman's National Temperance
Union, would deliver an address ct the Ma
sonic Temple at half-past four O'Clock in
the afternoon attracted very large assem-
blage, embracing the best classes OF our
citizens. Every seat in the hall was oc-
cupied and many who came In late were
compelled to stand. On the stage were Rev.
J. o. Branch, Mr.. and Mrs. Charles Green,
Rev. Geo. C. Thompson, Messrs. H. l.
Solomons, j. A. Bates and L. P. Ashby.
The exercises were opened with the
hymn can Hail the Power of Jesus Name, !"
followed by the reading of selection from
the New Testament and prayer, after which
crock of Ages" was sung.
Rev. j. o. Branch, pastor OF Trinity III. f..
Church, then stated the object of the
Woman's Christian Temperance Union,
which, he said, had from forty thousand to
fifty thousand members, and organizations
in tWenty-four States. He said he
was glad to see the movement
characterized as "Christian,' as
there was but one Saviour, Christ, and
one saving power, regeneration. He
alluded to the fact that there died annually
IN the United States sixty thousand
drunkards, and these involved in their ruin
and misery at least six hundred thousand
human beings allied to them by ties Of
family, not to speak OF others affected by
them.
He then introduced Miss Frances E. Will
lard, who addressed the essemblsge at some
length, and whose appeal in behalf of the
cause of temperance was marked by depth
of eloquence and pathos, clearness OF
statement and power of illustration which
could not but awaken reflection If they did
not beget conviction. The speaker
stated that while, like many, she had
ever felt well disposed to the cause of tenn
terance, she had not been thoroughly en-
listed in it till about seven years ago when
the women's crusades In Ohio were inaugu-
rated These demonstrated to her the
power that the women of the land could
exert in this question, and since then her
efforts had been directed toward awakening
them to the duty they owed their loved
ones.
She spoke of the mingled feelings she
experienced in Savannah where SO many
churches were at hand, whose spires, tow
ering heavenward, pointed to the way of
right. at the same time there were other
agencies protected by law, sustained by So
ciety and fostered by young and
old, which led to the way
of evil. She then proceeded to demonstrate
in eloquent language how a woman could
exert her power, and showed the Woman IS
Christian Temperance Union to be different
from temperance organizations in gen.
eral, in that 1t was brotherhood In which
all were on plane and no one was singled
out and labelled and set up as a specimen
in museum.
The total abstinence pledge was the mus
ter roll from which none were exempt. The
Union was an army which, growing one by
one, in time would control public seHti-
ment. She then showed how none were
safe from the allurements Of the cup, and
gave an instance that fell under her notice
where young man of brilliant promise was
reached, when all other attacks failed, by
an assault on his pride, and yielding, blight
ed happy home.
The effort which woman owed IL to her
self to make was to get the whisky flask
out of the young mans side pocket and re-
place it with the Testament. She showed
how many could be reached II they were
approached. She illustrated this by the
case of a brawny policeman who was
acting as doorkeeper at a hall in Chicago
where temperance movement was In pro-
gress. She casually asked him to sign the
pledge, and the emotion with which he told
her that for twenty years he had been wait
ing for some one to tell him that he ought
to arise and be a better man, made her
realize the duty one owed to his fellow
man.
Miss Willard closed with an eloquent and
pathetic appeal to all present to bestir them
selves in the work at hand, in the course OF
which she spoke Of the scene at the death
hod ~ holn Ell xUh Ia cf dc
were, "tell everybody to be good" That
was the keynote OF the cause-that was the
duty of all.
In her concluding remarks Miss Willard
spoke of the hearty reception she had met
with everywhere on her tour In the South,
which assured her that the people were
alive to the importance of the work.
The lecture throughout was heard with
the closest attention, aud interest never
failed for moment. The exercises were
closed with the hymn "Rescue the Perish
i1g," followed by the DOxology.
This afternoon Miss Willard will deliver
another address at the lecture room of the
Independent Presbyterian Church, and this
evening at s o'clock at Trinity Methodist
Church. The address in the afternoon is
specially intended for the ladies of Savan-
nah, and they are cordially invited to
be present. In the evening
the puOIc generally are Invited
to attend. There will be no collection
taken up at these meetings. 1t may be OF
interest to state here that the Woman's
National Christian Temperance Union, of
which Miss Willard is President, with its
twenty four auxiliary State Unions, is the
largest society ever composed exclusively OF
women and conducted entirely by them. So
far as reported there were at the close of
the last year ,572 local auxiliaries, with a
membership of 81, $50, and 484 juvenile or
CARNATIONS, with membership of A, Alp.
It is the lineal descendant of the
great temperance crusade Of 1S73-'74,
and is union of Christian women
of all churches for the purpose of educating
the young, forming better public senti-
ment, reforming the drinking classes, trans
forming, by the power of Divine grace,
those who are enslaved by alcohol, and re-
moving the dram shop from our streets by
law. This is briefly the origin and objects
of the Union, as set forth in a pamphlet be-
fore US, and it will be seen that its mission
is a noble one.
Miss Willard will also speak tomorrow
afternoon and evening at 4:30 and O'Clock
in the afternoon at the lecture room of
the Independent Presbyterian Church, and
at night at Trinity Church.