Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1891-02-16

Great Enthusiasm Manifested.
Rarely does any canse bring together such
audience as filled Congregational Church
yesterday afternoon at the first meeting of the
white ribboners' convocation Of the National
woman's Christian Temperance Union. Some
time before o'clock. the hour for the meeting,
every seat was taken and when the exercises
began the church was packed to the doors. The
aisles were crowded with people standing, and
even the steps to the platform and the choir
loft behind the reading desk were filed No
more people could have got into the church,
possibly, and many left without trying to en-
ter. The friends Of temperance were out in
full force and gave a royal welcome to the
workers in the cause, who are in the city for
the cohvocation that is to last all through this
week.
| Around the platform we're placed q number
Of graceful palms and other ported plants. and
the front Of the organ loft was drsped with a
/ great national flag. The platform was crowded
with prominent temperance people of local
and national reputation. On the front seats
were Miss Frances +, Willard, president of the
National W.C.TU.; Mrs. S. d. La Fetra. presi-
dent of the District organization; Bishop John
| +. Hurst and Rev. Anna shaw.
l Ahc cAcASisCs Wcic Dtsu ny tAc NuSt aosSht-
blage singing the hymn of the temperance
union, "Give to the Winds Thy Fears" Rev.
/ Anna Shaw read the 146th Psalm. known as the
Crusade Psalm, and the Central Union Quartet
sang, with pleasing effect, White Ribboner
4 Vibrations" the anthem of the Union. Rev. Dr.
| Baldwin invoked the divine blessing upon this
| organization that is doing SO much 70 honor it's
/ God and to uplift and ennobie mankind. and
| upon the Lords bandmaidens who would adj
dress the congregation in the cause Of temper
! ance."
MRS. LA FETaAs WELCOME.
Mrs. La Fetra, spesk king for the District Y. CT.
o.. extended to all most hearty welcome to the
national capital. She said that since the conven-
ton in Atlanta last fall the women of this city
had been looking forward in hope to this blessed
| day, when they would all meet together here.
She welcomed them because they we're the
| friends of children and of mankind and the
enemies of the saloon. In this city there are
| ,Z27 licensed saloons, yet she thought that the
people generally we're with the women in their
| fight against them. She told what had been
/ done by the women here for the cause III abol-
| ishing the sale of wine and beer in the army
| canteens and In the matter Of the traffic with
minors. and also spoke of the praise meeting
held last Sunday on the occasion of the signing
Of the bill fOrbidding the sale Of cigarettes to
boys.
BISHOP HURsT's ADDRESS.
Bishop Hurst who was introduced by Mrs.
\ La Fetra as one who needed no introduction,
said that as he approached the church he knew
there was something going on, for all the streets
were crowded and he was told that there was
| no chance for him to get inside the church.
he WAS glad Of 1t, he continued. for nothing
else could be SO eloquent as the sight of that
vast multitude. when / was young" went on
Bishop Hurst I'VE used to say tina. Malaga
| grapes were good but that grapes from st. Ives
| were better. So in Washington all heads are
4 OF hrrf ha tarr,V hon hatta
Washington is place very prone to give ad-
vice to the people. but the real congress-
| the real creators Of public opinion. are the
| commonality Of the country, and they are
educated to morality and taught to stand up
for what is just and true so are they
| the true congress of the land. And as We look
upon this noble band Of women and think what
the union and it's honored president have done
we cannot but think Of that contamination that
| has not yet been reached, but that must surely
come, the closing Of every saloon in the land
From the growth Of public sentiment and the
achievements already won we know that the
work is farther ahead than it ever was be-
fore. The time is surely coming when the
saloon will be relegated to the antiquities of
| the past, and the children will read of the ex-
| istence Of the saloon as q thing outgrown. inst
| as they do now Of the auction block of slavery
times. May the time soon come when our work
will be concluded and ONLY the great market
places and the free and boundless open air will
| be able TO contain our meetings."
| Mr.. MoULIoS's HIGHT HAND OF FELLOWSHIP
Mr.. H. b Moulton for the laity extended
the right hand of friendship to them ALL
| Though we are citizens Of the District" said
he. without ballot or influence, yet We have
| recognized the grandeur of the work Of the
women throughout the land, especially of that
| branch that has for its object the abolition of
| the saloon, that destroyer of the homes and the
happiness Of the nation. We have admired the
/ work NJ wnrkipO aOaipaf he ova1
interests Of the saloons, working under that
noble banner For God and home and native
land, and never permitting a shred Of it to
| trail in the dust. trust that your hands will
! soon be filled with the palms Of victory in the
triumph Of the home over the saloon. give
you q hearty welcome to the city and to our
homes, and bid you God-speed in your noble
| work"
SILVER COLLECTION.
Rev. Anna Shaw announced that silver col
| lection would be taken up on a system Of reci-
procity that ought to be agitsted at the next
annual assembly Of the union. Bishop Hurst,
| in his remarks had told them that they would
listen to words that would be golden and it was
only fair that they should give of their silver in
return. As to Bishop Hurst's prophecy of the
| ultimate closing Of all saloons, she would say
| that she herself had seen young man Of seven
teen years who had never seen n saloon and
who had asked her what was like. This
4
day when all children should be ignorant Of
| the very nature and appearance Of q saloon.
While the collection was being taken up Miss
] Carrie Kidwell sang most delightfully."- the hymn,
''Some One Will Enter the Pearly Gates
A. the singer finished and Miss Willard, the
president Of the union, stepped forward to de-
| liver the first Of the responses she was met with
burst Of applause that told clearly Vt the esti-
nation in which she was held by ALL Her re-
marks were frequently interrupted by applause
4 sha zroke hourl xr;tb a.
closest attention. She spoke in u clear, musical
voice that easily filled the great church.
MISS wILLARDs ELOQUENT ADDRESS
II was deeply touched" said Miss Willard
''by the music Of the singer. It touched my
heart Just as yesterday did the sound of that old
refrain. Marching Through Georgia. sounding
| swee t4ud far as from q distance as thought OF
that grizzled warrior fighting his last fight with
mis- grim enemy, who has won the first victory
| in which Sherman did not take part. was
told not to speak Of sherman here, as the south
ern people might not like it, but remembered