Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1891-08-05

McQuaQe.
Andrew, William and John Cullen, Harry
Lawton. John Mccormick and W. Uhi OF ST
Paufs society and c. Fitzpatrick.
HOSTS OF THE CONVENTION.
st. Mathews Society Of This City and Its
Honorable History.
The reception and entertainment of the dele
gates to the convention Of the Total Abstinence
Union devolves upon the members of the Father
Mathew Total Abstinence Society of this city.
they are the hosts on this occasion and it was
upon the receipt of a cordial invitation from
tho delegates from this society to the
last convention that it was decided to
hold the twenty-frst convention here For
months and weeks preparations have
been in progress to insure not only a hospita-
BILE welcome to the delegates, but to enable
them to enjoy in every particular their
stay In this city. No annual convention
OF the union has ever received a more genuine
welcome, and it is the intention Of the members
OF the local society TO give all the visitors such
good lime that they will want to come again.
The work which the society has undertaken in
providing for the reception and entertainment
OF such large body as the national union has
never before been attempted by single society.
AS rule the convention accepts the hospital
lties OF a diocesan society which is composed of
a large number of societies. But st. Mathews
Society has the distinction OF being the oldest
society In the union and the members propose
70 snow that mere age is not their sole claim
to distinction. The society does not rest upon
Its venerable record, although it is proud to have
such record. Among the one hundred and
nifty or more members are active, energetic
young men, who are fully capable Of carrying
out successfully the details Of the arrangements
which the annual meeting OF the national body
involves. For more than half q century the st.
Mathews Society has maintained the standard
OF total abstinence in the capital Of the nation.
1t had its birth in the brain of a man whose
enthusiasm in the cause of temperance made
MIN prominent in the early years of the city.
This man was Mr.. George Savage. On the
Fourth of July. 1910, Mr.. Savage gave an enter
talnment at his residence to the teachers and
members OF the Sunday school of St. Patrick's
Church. Before separating Mr.. Savage who
was then an ardent temperance man. and, what
was more unusual in the early days Of the
temperance movement, an advocate of total
abstinence, proposed to the teachers that they
should form temperance society based on total
abstinence. There were only seven eight in
the little group that heard Mr. Savage's elo-
quent appeal, but they all consented.
SOME OF THE CHARTER MEMBERS.
Some of those who on that occasion became
the charter members of the society were John
O.Neill, Thomas DAILY, Nicholas Callan, Edgar
Littell and 7. A. Byrne. The last named is
the only survivor of that pioneer band Of tenn
health. and his long life is a powerful object
.sson of the advantages of temperate habits.
Mr. SaTage. after taking this preliminary step,
called on Father Mathew, who was for SO many
years the loved pastor Of ST. Patrick's Church,
and told him what he had done and asked
that he organize society and administer the
pledge Father Mathew replied that he would
d. SO when Mr.. Savage could present the names
OF nifty persons who would be willing to join
tn; society. Mr.. Savage was not long in full
and in fha
OF a few weeks he presented himself with
the required number at the steps of
the altar and Father Mathew administered the
pledge. Among those who thus early enrolled
themselves as members of the society was tine
late John ID. Clark. the father of John L. c.
Clark. Mr.. Clark attained the good old age of
ninety-four years, dying but a few years ago.
When it is remembered that the first temper
ance society in this country was not organized
until the first decade of the present century
the pioneer character of st. Patrick's Society.
as it was first known, will be the more fully APP
precIated. Even as late as between 1880 and
lS4O temperance advocates were divided on the
question of whether the pledge should pro-
hibit only the use OF distilled liquor or of all
alcoholic liquors In 1910 George Savage and
biz associates in forming the st. Patrick's
Society took the advanced ground of total
abstinen from all alcoholic liquors.
In the year 1s49 Rev. Theobcld Mathew,
the celebrated Irish temperance priest
and orator, visited this country. He came to
this city and held meetings and made many
converts. Mr.. John NJ. Mcintosh. who is still
living and is a member of the society, took the
pledge at a meeting held in st. Mathews
Church, and received from Father Mathew
gold medal, which he has preserved and ex-
hibits with great pride. The memorials Of
Father Mathews effective work in the cause Of
| temperance are found in the numerous societies
throughout the country bearing his name.
Mr.. Savage was the frs; president Of the society
and among others who have held that position
may be mentioned Bishop Keane, Father
O'Toole, Patrick Curtin, b. J. Waters Francis
McNerh.lny. P. F. Schmitt. John Finn, P. A.
Byrne and Edward S. O'Connor.
THE OFFICERS.
The society has acted wisely in the selection
of its officers. They are men who are inter-
| ested in the work and have been especially
active in the preparations for entertaining the
national union.