The freeman. (Parkersburg, W. Va.) 1886-18??, 1888-05-30

Grandly Begun.
Especial Correspondence
NEW YORK, May 21.-This city has
seen another significant contrast be-
tween the pluck, the purpose, the force,
the enthusiasm of Anti Saloon Republi-
cans and the only Simon purc Anti
Saloonists, Prohibition party men.
On Monday night of last week the con-
trast came. Then Prohibitionists rallied
at the Metropolitan Opera house. Their
daring and their doing cannot be appre-
ciated, save as you know what that opera
house is. The millionaires built it,
fashion controls it, and usually fills it.
1t is the home of costly song, the place
where music lovers worship German art
and adore German artists. Far up town,
in the center of brown stone bon ton life,
the great building is as solitary, among
places of popular amusement and vista
ton, as one can well imagine. Without,
it is high, vast and unusual; within, it is
rich, roomy and glittering Upon it's i'm
mense stage regiment could be massed
in solid columns. Facing this is a mag
velvet, where another regiment could sit,
and rising above all, in as many long
drawn crescents, are five great galleries,
including eighty-fve private boxes, and
into each gallery almost another regiment
could be crowded, were there military
need. Hundreds yof gas jets CLEAN at
night along the walls and balustrades,
and far above, near to the lofty dome, a
great shining circle of them crowns the
whole as with coronet of flashing gold.
The rent of this auditorium is $3.50
single night; and this alone might we'll
cause Prohibitionists to hesitate Then
an audience large anywhere else would
here spread out into consequences.
confess to some fear, when told that our
friends had engaged it, lest their temerity
had overcome their judgment; and my
own strong faith in the pluck and en-
thusiasm of Prohibitionists weakened o
little before possible, if not probable, fail
ure in this attempt. And when on Mon
day afternoon storm set in-such wind
and rain as New York often knows-my
spirits fell to zero. At the rooms Of well
known lecturer four of us gathered and
made mutual lament, while outside the
floods poured down. We wondered little
If Providence were temporarily out of &C
cord with this work; and if one of us had
not been Sobieski, always cheerful and
sunny hearted, all of us might have been
blue AS it was, we sought the Metro
politan in sorrowful mood, and half
wanted to stay away.
For few minutes we fingered behind
the scenes, near the stage entrance. and
one after another of the local notables
dropped in, with greetings of coincidence.
At 8 o'clock we went upon the stage, and
faced-failure? Not much! Parquet,
boxes and galleries were FULL Save part
of the fifth story, it was crowded house.
And what magnificent sight, How the
white handkerchiefs futtered and wavedl
Can anybody who saw and heard
it ever forget? The private boxes
had been sold at from So to SIS each, and
in them were men and women represent
ing wealth. intelligence and culture. Scat
tered everywhere through these and the
galleries, as well as the parquet. were
many clergymen here at the Methodist
Episcopal general conference, and on the
stage were some whose names are familiar
to all temperance folk. Grand old James
Black, first Prohibition candidate for the
presidency, sat near me, and at his side
young John Lloyd Thomas, bright and
aggressive In another row of platform
chairs were Col. Cheves, the brilliant ex.
Confederate Kentuckian, and Col. John
Sobieski, of Missouri, who got his rank
fighting Macmillan in Mexico Scholarly
Professor Crowhurst, of California, was
in their neighborhood. On the front row
were Chairman Wardwell, of the New
York county committee; Col Ritter, of
Indiana. who was made chairman of the
meeting; Chairman Dickie of the national
executive committee, who has grown
quickly popular with our state folk; DR..
Leonard, of Ohio DR.. Creighton, of Ne
braska; DR.. Hamilton, of Massachusetts,,
and DR.. Satterlee, of Minnesota, who were
to speak, and the Silver Lake and Crystal
Stream quartets, who would sing Sitting
at the rear of the stage seats, and looking
out and up over this mighty concourse of
people gathered on such Eight, felt as
If victory must be near at hand. It was
a royal, majestic scene. Not since Pitts
burg, in 1884, have l been so stirred by
any assemblage as by that.
What happy. hearty crowd it wasi 1t
cheered as if it couldn't help it. Even
the list Of vice presidents was annlaudad