St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1884-09-01
GOSPEL TEMPERANCE.
The Opening of the Francis Murphy
Meetings at the Opera House.
A Large Audience and Entertaining Exer-
cises With the Blue Ribbon Finale.

haVlng caused 5000, 900 men to have taken the
pledge In Great Britain Alone was introduced to
the vast audience that filed the Opera house yes
terday afternoon, he was greeted with applause.
In appearance and action he is essentially of the
type OF men who for want OF better name, are
called magnetic. That he possesses this quality
to an eminent extent was manifested by the ease
with which he sways an audience to laughter or
tears DE is Short thick set, jovial looking
man, with blue eyes, iron gray haIr and NOUS
tache, sod in weight good 200 pounds.
The stage Of the Grand had been nicely ar
rangedfor the occasion. and on the platform
were seated Mrs. P. D. Groat, president of she
W. c. T. o., under whose auspices the temper
ance meetings will be given, Mrs. Frank Far
well, secretary. and Mrs. D. W. Ingersol, treas
urer OF the union, Rev. DR.. Marshall, of the
jackson street NJ. E. church. DR.. Dana, of the
Plymouth congregational church, Rev. R. F.
Maclaren, OF the Central Presbyterian church,
Mr.. j. P. Moore, leader of the choir, Mr..
Groat and many others.
On the speakers desk was lovely stand of cut
plants, presented by Mrs. Allen, and facing the
audience in front Of the stand was superb floral
design several feet in length bearing the mono
gram, w. C. t. IT, in letters a footlong, COM
posed of water lilies.
mt. murphy Is the originator OF lne ''Dlue rlO-
bon movement" In some communities it might
be necessary to say that the blue ribbon has di-
vine origin being based upon the following verse
in the 18th chapter Of Numbers:
''And the Lord spoke unto Moses, saying,
speak unto the children of Israel, and bid them
that they make them fringes in the borders of
their garments throughout their generations,
that they put upon the fringe of the borders a
riband of blue
Here such information is not necessary of
course, but the GLOBE puts it on record as a
matter OF history.
The meeting was opened at o'clock, when
Dr. Dana invited the audience to rise and join in
singing the hymn, ''An Hail the Power of Jesus
Name, which was sung with unction and in a
spirited manner.
Prayer was then offered by Rev. DR.. Marshall,
in the course of which he alluded to the foreign
labors OF Mr.. Murphy, and in conclusion the
audience repeated the Lords Prayer.
The Rev. DR.. MacLaren then read a portion of
the thirteenth chapter of First Corinthians:
Though l speak with the tongue of angels,''
ETC., after which the choir and audience sang the
hymn ''What Friend we Have in Jesus.
Rev. Dr. Dana then made a short Introductory
address. He said he spoke the sentiments of
the community in extending to Mr.. Murphy q
hearty welcome. He came to appeal to the
hearts of men; to adjure them by all they valued
IN life to make Of themselves men; ne had no
other object but to cause men to forsalze habits
OF Indulgence and seek life of usefulness and
joy. His platform broad as mankind and
no man would put straw in his way; his object
was to lift fallen man to his proper level and the
speaker thought that this meeting was to be
the first fruits Of a glorious temperance re-
SiYal compliment then paid to the
WoTans Christian Temperance union for their
success in securing Mr. Murphy. He bespoke
for the latter serious hearing as the purity and
vi fare Of the city was identified with the work
N hand. Mr.. Murphy was then introduced as
he apostle Of temperance reform in the U. S.
In beginning Mr.. Murphy extended thanks to the
w. c. 7. L., and also to DR.. Dana for the words
Of encouragement spoken. He thought that
real genuine catholic effort would be made
in St Paul to reach the fallen and suffering He
then alluded to the temperance efforts of Mr..
Groat and DR.. Marshall, both of whom he had
met in former years. The press, he said, had
| given him cordial welcome; the proprietor of
| the Opera house had extended it free Of charge
10 the W. c. T. L. Applause. This was the
| first time an opera house had been extended to
the cause and he wanted TO thank Commodore
Davidson, and he would send him a blue ribbon
the bars from his steamboats, He then said
that while he had nothing to do with politics
both the Republican and Democratic parties
could stand big dose OF the temperance cause
! lApplause.l
| high tribute was then paid Bishop Ireland
for his work in the temperance cause.
The subject OF the revival was then spoken of ::
] he had nothing to say bad of the men who sold
2 10. xvho dro tha
| one that each man had to decide for himself
II man didn't want liquor sold let him keep
his money in his pocket, as the speaker had, and
the saloons would all close up. Real life
furnished stranger things than was ever dreamed
OF in romance. He then gave sketch Of his
| life he had been born in Weeksford, Ireland
| April "a, 1886, and he gave glowing and poetic
description OF his childhoods home He had
watched the chips sail by and wondered if
| be would ever come to the new world; his fam
| lily had been poor and in this connection be
spoke OF the nobility of labor, even when allied
! TO poverty; labor the real nobility recog-
nized by heaven, and men should take their hats
/ of to It,
The secret OF happy and noble life Is to
/ learn how to live within your means II was a
wonderful thing to learn how to keep right in the
! face Of prosperity. Burns had expressed it in
/ the lines, ITO catch Dame Fortune SMILE" etc
| The drunkard makers shop of Europe had been
| the wine on the dinner table, as the drunkard
\ makers shop OF the United states had been the
4 wine ceIlers. The speaker gave q graphic ac-
/ count of how his family had finally grown
richie, and of the hospitality in the
little cottage at the sea; It was at these hospit-
able spreads that temptation first came to him.
Several amusing and pathetic anecdotes were
i -. IL
played both the power Of comedian and
mimic.
II was at home that he first learned to sip in
! toxicaiilg liquor and sown the seeds which had
made him drunkard thousands of miles from
I home. In his country liquor was regarded as the
I emblem Of hospitality and good cheer. But
! liquor had now been swept from many Of the So
/ cial sidebOards and would soon be abolished. At
/ the age of thirteen the speaker had
I been under the influence OF liquor. In
I describing his home he paid beautiful and
! glowing tribute TO the memory Of his mother.
At sixteen he left his home for the new world
and he gave pathetic description Of the parting
The social habit had been the besetting evil OF
bis life; it had followed him and haunted him
like evil spirit and he owed his release from
the terrible bondage to the kind and magic words
OF one man who had broken the chains for ever
He had commenced to drink out of the hest and
kindliest impulses Of his nature; he didn't think
there was harm in IL: he didn't think he was to
do that which would interfere with the happiness
Of his mother The subtle and deeeitful power
OF this evil that biteth worse than an adder had
robbed the world Of some OF its brightest Jewels.
to crown its own hideous repulsiye brow.
The speaker thought that what the terpner-
snce eause lacked was not new organizations
but less apathy on the part Of church members
who did not enter into the work; it should be
the ain OF each member TO bring q stranger to
church each Sunday; there was too much relig-
ious aristocracy which consisted in good looks
and good clothes lapplanseI. IL yon want God,s