The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1889-12-23
THE CRUSADE ANNIVERSARY.
w. c. T. U. Meeting at Plymouth
Church Last Night-ceneraI Dow's
Remarks

Inc meeting of the W. c. T. U. at Plymouth
church last night was of very interesting char
dcVer' as IL was one OF great national movement.
Ihere were meetings all over the land last night.
the anniversary of the great crusade OF 1929.
Inc white banner of the w. c. 7. u. stood against
the pu pit and the national flag inscribed, For
COO and Home and Native Land" was draped in
'front.' Mrs. l. NJ N. Stevens presided at the
meeting, which was o.ened with the HYMN.
ROCK OF Ages" which was, Mrs. Stevens said,
dear to the hearts Of the W. c. T. U. Mrs. Bent
led the music with her golden cornet. PRAYER
was then offered by Rev. Mr.. Lowden, after
which Mrs. Stevens spoke of "Mother Thomp-
son." telling how she became enlisted In the
cause. The CXLVI psalm, the crusade psalm.
was then read responsibility. After the reading OF
the psalm short season of prayer followed led
by Mrs. j. M. Humphrey. The hymn, "Giye TO the
Winds Thy Fears" was then sung. after which
Mrs. George F. French read an incident in the
life OF Mrs. Abby Leavtt of Cincinnati one of the
prominent workers In the crusade. Mrs Stevens
read the first resolution that Miss Willard pre-
sented to the first general convention of the W. C.
T.U.
Mrs. George s. Hunt, the president of the local
w. Q. T. u, then made some remarks touching
the growth of the Union. In Maine il grew from
80 members in 1875, to 1888 in 1885, And in
other states the growth is as correspondence
great The total membership together with the
Loyal Legion of 1.-The children, and the Young
Women's Society Is over three hundred thousand
1t the present time. The principles and the va.
rious departments of the work of the Union were
then spoken of in detail. At the close of Mrs.
hunts remarks Mrs. Stevens rose again and said
that no anniversary of the great crusade would
be complete without a word from General Neal
Dow. General Dow went up to the platform in
response to Mrs. Steyenss call and delivered a
short address. He said that when the crusade
started he, with many Others. thought it was des-
tined TO be shot lived and of little utility as other
temperance bodies had been. The great spread
OF the Union and its tremendous influence how
ever, proved his fears unfounded. Its influence,
he said, was due to the consistency of the men,
beers. Other societies met, sang temperance
songs, passed temperance resolutions and then
went out and threw the weight of their influence
In with the rum power. The W. G. T. U. does
not do this 1t resolves to throw its influence with
any party that promises to do away with the
liquor traffic. For this it may have been called
partisan and sneered at, its works prove the
falsity OF the charge. General Dow then pro-
ceeded to charge the continuance OF the liquor
trafiie ON the churches. The great number of
the doctors OF divinity, he said, cry out for high
license. They say that the temperance forces are
not yet strong enough. That said General Dow
was the cry of the copperheads during the war.
But the fighting men went ahead and put down
the rebellion, and the prohibition people will go
ahead and put down the liquor traffic and when
the victory is almost won, the noble army of the
high license men will come over and say that
they were prohibitionists all the time.
Miss Cornelia NJ. Dow then read the message
from mother Thompson to the Unions. Mrs.
Stevens gave a last Renaissance of Mother
Thomson" at the Chicago convention, and with
the hymn "Blest be the Tie that Binds" the
meeting was closed.