The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1885-10-02
NUMBER Is

Mrs. =. NJ. Willard, of Glyndon.
The treasurer, Miss A. NJ. Henderson
reported $799.27, receipts; expenditures,
$l7.S0 balance on hand, including col
lection at convention, $l02.79.
i The memorial committee reported six
deaths during the year.
This was followed by interesting con-
secration services led by Prof Maria
Sanford, who asserted that if the entire
Christian church, and every member
thereof, in the state, would take a stand
now, when there was such an awakened
movement for temperance among the
people, it would be carried forward to
trump. We ask that every protested
Christian who may have read this last
sentence will pause, read it once more,
and then consider. Will God hold you
guiltless if with folded hands you are
looking on? No, to us has the work been
| given, and with steady, untiring efforts
must the work be done. God did not
lay this upon the shoulders of few, he
has given to each one of his children
some portion of the work to do. If some
| trifling excuse has satisfied our own con-
| science because thus far we have been
| only lockers on. let me ask, before the
| bar of God how will that excuse stand?
Oh, brothers and sisters in Christ, may
not this work the Lord has given into
our hands be taken up with one accord,
| and at the close of another year Manka-
| to will have reason TO sing "Praise God
from whom all blessings fiOw," because
of the results of our labors.
Emily Huntington Miller, of st. Paul,
was now introduced to the convention,
and gave very interesting address on
personal influence. As this was design
al ..1l e. LII
| many had come in at this hour from that
city, and many times during the address
did we wish that every young lady i'm
Mankato could look into the face of this
earnest, thoughtful woman, and hear
her words so full of truth and power,
| but we trust such portion as we may be
able to bring to you now, may be read
| by many and take such hold upon the
| minds Of such, that the young woman
hood of Mankato may come up To Il
| higher standard, and the influence of it
| be felt even in the comingyear. There
was no other influence, she said. but
personal. The tone and morals of So
ciety were the aggregate free of individ-
llal taste, religion and morality. Young
ladies say they have no influence TO pre-
vent drinking and gambling, because
they do not realize their power i'm this
responsibility. All mankind are bound
together by one common obligation, and
whether they exert or do not exert their
influence, their responsibility To God is
just the same. Young ladies, she con-
tinued, have a greater influence than
old ones, for freshness, beauty and grace
add force to what is said bya pretty girl.
She obtains what she demands, even as
the pretty child in the household rules
il. A half dozen young ladies with in
dividual convictions, backbone and un-
ions can make thing which is popular
i'm the society i'm which they move, I'M
popular. They could break up saloons
and gambling dens, the thorough preva-
lence of which latter i'm our cities is now
so agitating the press, and peace of law
abiding citizens. How can young ladies
exercise their influence against saloons
and gambling, and what makes men in
dulge in these vices? Men begin seek
ing excitement i'm moderate kind of
way, ending in thraldom of chains To
these vices. This unhealthy element of
excitement has its origin i'm fashionable
society, and young ladies' can correct il.
In spite of their mothers many young
women, almost from the nursery, in
dulge in morbid, unnatural craving for
society, for nothing else but -thS motto
ment it afi0rds-and this fashionable So
ciety is responsible for the destruction
of many of our young men. 1t furnishes
wild, feyerish and unnatural excite
ment to them, and young ladies need to
invent something else to save both
themselves and young men from its eff
fects. Pampered amusements of fash
ionable society consists principally of
dancing and card playing. Wether these
ss.vt.
not going to say, let the young ladies
Judge for themselves. That dancing i'm
the home was harmless, and the private
card party as far as young ladies were
concerned she would agree did them no
harm, but let us consider If young men
should be led into these amusements.
Dancing is a violent exercise, and the
young lady generally does no laborious
work on the day of the evening she is
to attend ball so as TO be fresh and APP
pear at her best. Dancing stops gener-
ally ut midnight, when she retires to
sleep until the following noon, if need
be to feel refreshed, then she is as good
as new and ready for more of it. But
what of the young man who has been
her escort? He has worked at his place
of business all day, and is tired when
he goes to the dance. He does not wish
to appear stupid and weary, but has the
same desire to appear fresh, sprightly
must have something to "brace HIM up"
Rest and quiet has done this for the
young lady, what must he resort to rs
this he cannot have? An occasional
glass during the evening will have the
desired effect. Next morning though
he awakens more weary than before,
he cannot take his rest but must go to
business, and he knows how necessary
it is that he should be keen, bright, on
the alert and have his wits about him,
and so he takes drink to stimulate his
shattered nerves. After few nights of
| this whirl he becomes to weak to resist
stimulants, and after going through a
season of such gaiety il is no wonder the
habit is formed and he becomes slave
| to drink. Cards are simple amusement
and all that is enticing in them is simply
chance-a desire to gain an advantage
over an opponent. Buta game OF chance
| has more fascination for the young man.
and while the young woman is diverted
| by other things, he meets temptation on
every hand. Gamblers are looking out
for such as he to entice them into their
dens, Just to try their luck-his appetite
| being whetted by his triumph or defeat
| ut the private card table. The pure fias-
cination of winning also makes him an
easy victim to their wi.es. To attend
| the theater or opera does not hurt either
| the young man or woman. Young men
are not, she. SAID, generally wealthy
one would not think so TO look at them,
however, such was the case, but when
the young ladies convince them that
their favor hangs on their ability to af-
| ford them these amusemcnts, which
generally includes i'm its expenses car
riage hire, the drain on their income is
so large that, when Lent comes, and
| they have time to look up their finances,
they are bankrupt. He must do some
thing to regain what has been spent i'm
fashionable enjoyment, what wonder
| that he resort To gambling? We were
put into this world to help to build up,
and not To pull down.
Continued next issue.)
The Rev. DR.. Simmons was examin-
| ing ono of his Chinese candidates for
bipiism the other day, and was anx-