Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1889-02-18
THE FIRST GUN FIRED.
Immense Mass Meeting in the Bijou
to Hear the Speakers, Under
THE AUSPICES OF GOOD TEMPLARS.
Belva A. Lockwood Says the Liquor Men
Sh ould be Reimbursed.
OBJECTION, AND THE OTHER MEETINGS

The Good Templars of the State and Of
Allegheny county sounded the cry to arms
in their war of prohibition against the liquor
trade, in the Bijou Theater last night
Every seat was taken, and hundreds stood
up, and noticeably, the men outnumbered
the women ten to one. A splendid choir
was present, and the stage and audience
held many faces we'll known in business
and temperance circles.
A most pleasant surprise was occasioned
when the meeting was partially through. by
the introduction of Belva Lockwood. The
audience was totally unprepared, and after
the first surprise, applauded and applauded
again when that handsome, famous woman
had her little say, and said it we'll.
Proceedings were opened up by A, H.
Leslie, Grand Worthy Chief Templar, Of
Pennsylvania, and chairman of the meeting,
announcing the first hymn.
Mrs. Jones, of the W. c. T. U, made the
opening prayer in which she referred to the
coming struggle and asked that divine wis
dom and power be given in order that vic
tory might finally be won. She then
touched upon the grand audience present
and hoped that all would be touched by
the words Of the speakers present and would
take away the words OF wisdom and treas
ure them in order that they might be
strengthened in the right.
ABRAHAM LINCoLN's IDEAS.
After song by the choir Miss Davis ad-
vanced and gave splendid recitation en-
titled Abraham Lincoln on Temperance. -
The young lady was neatly dressed in black,
and her voice and gesture were admirably
adapted to the theme chosen. 1t dealt with the
revolution and victory.of 1776, and con-
cluded with vivid picture Of a revolution
and victory, even greater than that when
liquor would finally be abolished, and its
consequent train of woe, degradation and
death ended forever.
Rev. Mr.. Neale then advanced and made
few remarks, in which he said that Penn
sylvania should set proud example to all
other States, and say that what she had
done others could do. He strongly ad-
vocated union of all societies and religions
in the fight, and illustrated his idea OF
union by telling a humorous story of his
four oxen that pulled all together on certain
occasions, and when they did pull nothing
could stop them.
He believed, then, that the starting for
the meeting was union of effort and of
thought, and if they all worked together
there was nothing could stand in the way.
He thought the redemption from the curse
of drink would come through the hands
and hearts Of women, who know and should
know above all others what curse it has
been in home and 6reside, and when it is
finally eradicated, they will rejoice above
all others, since it is their words and ex-
ample that has achieved the victory.
Amidst liberal and continued applause,
Belva A. Lockwood was introduced and
talked for a few minutes. She held her
glasses in her left hand, delivered her ideas
with perfect clearness and conciseness, and
altogether, she appeared as if she knew what
she was talking about. She said:
Gentlemen and ladies, brothers and sisters
and Good Templars: have been Good Tenn
plar for almost 25 years, and am glad to see
them coming to the front in this move to which
lut eyes VI lH6 WUIlu are GuTueu, L nave Deen
asked if there is honor, is there strength is
there stamina enough in the old Keystone
State to come TO the front at this critical point.
BELvA'S EXPERIENCE IN KANSAS.
There are croakers who say no, but we know
there is. went through Kansas before prohi-
bition and after prohibition, and was amazed
at the marvellous change. 1 went in the jails
and there were no prisoners. The corner
lounger is gone. and you can walk through the
streets unmolested and uninsulted Here one
can scarcely 60 alone to public place or into a
hotel but what 1 find myself confronted by a
drunken spectacle, but in Kansas it was not so.
l know from my own observation that three
fourths of the murderers in Jail and nine-tenths
of all the criminals are put there by drink
Then how is 1t with high license. l have
been through the high license states, and the
drunkenness is astonishing High license does
not prohibit When the poor fellows up in the
| pineries come down with their lumber and sell
it or get their wages, they spend or blow in it
all. They didn't care for high license, and what
is it to them that the saloonkeepers pay more
for license, they simply charge little more for
drinks or adulterate it little more. Young
man, if you intend to 90 into business, don't
touch it. believe in moral suasion, but we
must have the strong arm of the law behind
us before we can hope to succeed with moral
suaSon. Do you know that one-thIrd of the
whisky and two-thirds of the beer in Pennsyl.
vania is manufactured in Allegheny, yet wea are
going to win here. The saloonkeeper and
brewer have rights, too, and say to you go to
them and say to them we will buy up your
plant and help you to go into better business
for you went into this under the very laws that
we made.
This say to you people of Allegheny and of
the State of Pennsylvania. The people who
are in that business went into it under your
laws, and have their rights. The northern and
and the second tier of northern counties are
practically prohibition, and if you people of Al
legheny county can get money enough. and
brains enough, and speakers enough to carry
Allegheny county, and if you can carry PhlIa-
delphias and if you can carry Harrisburg and
Williamsport, you have won the fight.
THE MAN FROM THE WEST.
Mr.. L. F. Cole, of Wisconsin, was intro
duced and spoke as follows:
It's very comfortable thing to be alive now.
There has been no greater age, no grander
time in which to live than now. for there are
events of vast Importance to occur. We are to
make a history at this critical point. This
proposition to destroy the saloon business is
before us, and l want to examine some of the
points in this institution we propose to abolish
There are numerous objections. One has
been spoken of conversation Idisapree with
the speaker who has preceded me, for the
Supreme Court has said they are not entitled
to penny of compensation. believe it would
be an injustice upon the property holders to
tax them to compensate the liquor trade.
Others say that all business is so closely
allied that one cannot be destroyed without in
juring the rest, and they argue that the liquor
business, if it were suddenly withdrawn would
affect general trade. He then told story to
to beg the audience not to applaud as time was
precious and he wished to say all lie could in
the short time remaining.]
What paltry consideration it is to say that
f1a 1iner nF h1c