Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1889-03-04
OPENED In A WHIRL.
An Immense Crowd Greets the First
Union Amendment Meeting.
TWO MURPHYs FAVOR THE MOVE.
BrOadax Smith Makes the Greatest Effort
of His Life in Song.
WISE WORDS FROM NATIONAL TAKERS

House last night.
Itwas the first perfectly organized union
Constitutional amendment gathering, and
fully 5000 people had come in spite of the
wet night to listen to the eloquent speeches
of well-known men and to laugh and ap-
plaud man no less well known, Broadax
Smith, who certainly made decided hit.
DR.. Harry Bullen, as Chairman, an
nounced the opening hymn as "All Hail
the Power of Jesus Name" and the i'm
mense audience rose as one man and woman
and Joined in the chorus with hearty good
will.
Mr.. L. T. Cole, of Wisconsin. organizer
Of the Independent Order of Good Templars,
arose and read few appropriate passages
from the Scriptures, which he interpolated
with few remarks of his own calling atten-
tion to some certain points in the verses. A.
NJ. Brown President of the Murphy Gospel
Temperance Union, made a pleasing and elo-
quent prayer, and asked for heavenly aid in the
great combat about to be inaugurated.
At the conclusion of this prayer everybody
was Mortified at a ripple of applause that ran
from gallery to gallery; but the imagined sac
rilege was notintended;the applause was for the
well-known and favorite temperance speaker,
young Ed. Murphy, who had just entered and
| taken a seat on the stage.
ONLY ONE OF MANY.
Chairman Bullen then arose, and told the
audience the meeting and other meetings that
were to follow were all composed of union of
many forces allied against one-intemperance.
He said he did not care to make his speech
just Jnen; but he had daisy in reserve that he
had spent whole week in preparing.
Annthar rn11nd of aOnIa oraetad Murnhv
VINO thanked the audience and said he could
say but little. Continuing he said the meeting
and the platform were broad enough to cover
the whole family, and told funny story to IL
lustrate his point il which he created laugh
by saying woman's curiosity could be only
equaled by mans inquisitiveneSs. He said:
TIE earnest patriotic spirit in the cause VIII
take in all, of any creed or political belief and
by the blessing of God we cannot but succeed.
There are two great principles in this world.
formation and reformation. Reforms are the
life of the world, and they will continue just as
long as the world stands. We have seen it in
ancient history, and we shall see it in modern.
THE inconsistency of the argument that the
minority is wrong is plain to us all, judging
from events, and history is our most perfect
criterion. The patriotism, the loyalty and the
and, if we are in the minority, we have the
sweet thought that we are right We, the peo-
pie, have duty to perform, and we must per-
form it honestly. We must weigh the question
carefully, and if it is best for honesty morality
and truth and freedom that the saloon should
stay, let it remain; but if it. is against religion
against purity and virtue, against God and
man, then, for Gods sake, let it become a
thing of the past!
II am not here to denounce the soloonkeeper,
for he is creature of the citizens. If it is a
crime to sell whisky, it is crime to buy it. I
will not speak unkindly to him; but If the
saloonkeeper only knew what
BLESSING IT WOULD BE
to his wife and family and self if he would get
out of the business, really do not think we
understand each other Why, 1 once knew a
young man who was on the point of proposing
to his girl when he felt a lump in his throat
Did you ever feel that way? IA piping voice
from the gallery, Yes caused laugh. as the
self-confessed lover couldn't have been over
TO- Continuing he said:
Now, want to- say that so far as am con-
cerned my best efforts shall be directed
toward furthering the cause Of this holy re-
form. Then, again, want to say word about
good, brave and an unseltish man. 1want to
say word about my father Some people say
he is opposed to this amendment. Now, that
is wrong. He is in favor of it in every way pos
in this cause, for his work lies in individual
total abstinence, and there are no men here on
this platform or in the house who will not say
God speed" tApplause]
DR.. Bullen then arose with his little speech
and there was point in it. He said the Opera
House had been rented for three months, at $40
per week, and he wanted to raise 81, 900 and
asked for some man to start an offer of SIS.
There was no response and he asked for an Of
fer of $40. Several hands we're at once raised,
and the collectors we're started out; but, by
that time, the hands we're withdrawn and he
ran on down the list until 81 was reached, and
the baskets were turned loose among the au-
dience with great results especially after it was
announced that Broker ]. R. johnson had sub
scribed $40 to pay for the house.
THE MISSOURI FOREIGNER.
John Sobieski, lecturer for the Grand Lodge
Of l. o. G. T., large foreign gentleman with
strong face and a strong, deep voice, was intro
duced. He laughed at the unique introduction
he received. and said he did not come from the
royal family of Poland, and the only thing he
ever did wrong was to be elected to the Legis-
lature. He said he had been enlisted in the
cause of justice, and was bending his best ef-
forts in this cause and it was simply Justice
that the crime of the liquor traffic be wiped
out, that women and children might be safe on
the streets by day or night.
He came. he said, from that grand old con-
servatiye State of Missouri, where one must go
800 miles from his home before % licensed dram
shop was reached. He said he was imported
goods but had been in the late war. He then
melted away from the question entirely, and
delivered a most beautiful and poetic Grafton
upon freedom and America, and drew strik-
ing parallel between the two epochs in the his
tory OF freedom
Joseph r. Hunter said he was a part of the
union movement He may have disagreed
with some people. He believed in individual
suasion, and that when Francis Murphy began
his work years ago. he began work that had
eliminated in the present movement. John d.
Bailey also said a few words of encouragement
and cheer, and Judge Shannon arose and said:
II feel it not amiss that should come for
ward to just merely intimate that, SO far as one
individual is concerned, am with this meeting
in its designs and Its intentions. This move
ment is
NOT A WILD WAVE
of fanaticism, but has been growing broader,
wider and greater for half century in this
land; and then what a strange canvass we have
entered upon" He then referred to deci-
sion of the Supreme Court as to the police
power of the State, and ended with an elo-
quent appeal to the good sense, and made
plea for the support, Of the young men.
Here loud calls arose for "Broadax!
Broadaxr' and that inimitable character and
orator stepped forward and made the hit of
his life. He said:
''The liquor traffic is here and am going to
ask you, like Boss Tweed, who stole New York,
and went back after Harlem river: What are
you going to do about itT We must physic the
devil out of this country! great man once
said country could not be half enslaved and
half free; and say we can't be half drunk and
half sober. want to sing you little song
composed when my toes stuck out, and wore
linen busters in December"
The song was sung, and. as Broadax has a
splendid bass voice, it caught on'' like wild
fire, and the most tremendous applause of the
evening rewarded him, while many strangers
on the stage were amazed at his wit and his
voice. The song was cleverly worded, and to
the tune of "Just Before the Battle, Mother"
the rattling chorus was:
Farewell. whisky you shall never
Bring me to disgrace again!'
Ttis practically broke up the meeting, and
ever ybody left in good humor and talking of
Broadax's great effort. About $50 was raised
during the evening. Captain ]. K. Barbour
will preside next Sunday evening, and the we'll
known local temperance workers will be pres