The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1891-11-16
THE WAR ON WHISKY
How Francis Murphy Converted
q Liquor Seller.
LAW CAN'T CURE DRuNkaRDs.
Powerful Addresses Delivered q the
Gospel Temperance Meeting
Many Don the Blue.

\ g, GttendanCe
smaller and the enthusiasm no less than az tho
FIRST meeting. The First Presbyterian church
| was crowded to its utmost capacity, and stands
ing was at premium i
After the singing of a hymn by the whole
| meeting, the choir leading with Professor
Geddes conductor, Mr.. Murphy read from the
| Bible the verse:
Come unto me ali ye that labor and are heavy
| laden, and viii give you rest. Take my yoke
| upon you and learn OF me, for my yoke is easy
and my burden Light
He then said:
| stake my yoke upon you and learn of me- !"
He is going to teach you, to drill YOU to put the
| uniform on you and teach you to carry side
| arms Christ is going TO put yoke on YOU
| His yoke is love and mercy. When went to
school the teacher was named Savage, and he
| was well named, for he was savage.
The pastor Rev. Elliott W. Brown, prayed for
strength that many might be turned from sin.
| He said:
| Almighty God, we thank Thee that Thou hat
| est no man, but Thy name is Love. Many have
| wandered from Thee. but Thou wilt draw them
| back. Convince them that Thou art God OF
love and that all Christians love Thee Oh, God,
| may they find friends and encouragement and
| employment that they may turn from their evil
| ways.
| The hymn my Soul, be on thy Guard" was
then sung with great unanimity by the whole
| assemblage
/ Mr.. Murphy called to the crowd standing in
the aisles:
| Come on up here, boys: come on, Tom; come
on, Jim; fifteen or twenty of you come up.
J. A Gould then announced that collection
| would be made to defray the incidental ex-
| renses of the meetings, aud Mr.. Murphy ejacu-
| lated:
Yes, we want to see the biggest collection
! ever taken in this church. Get the big hats aud
| go slow, brethren. Is ANYBODY in the gallery
| taking up the collection? The aristocracy are
| m Qail Let am
| Mr.. Murphy then gave out the hymn "I Will
| Sing of Ny Redeemer," and the meeting sent up
a chorus which made the roof ring. Mr. Murphy
| then said:
| am very glad to have the opportunity of ad-
dressing another gospel temperance meeting
We have had a delightful series of meetings in
this city: 1t may seem that We not doing
all we might 80 long u saloon is open, but the
way to do Is for every man to close the one right
under his own nose. Believe me, have given
the best thought of twenty-five years to this
movement, and might have been rich man.
might have gone on the lecture platform and
made big money-as much as SIS month. Mr..
hathaway Pond made me an offer which would
have made me rich.
Mr.. Brown here announced that today the
prayer-meeting would be held at noon at the
city mission stead OF in the church. The
temperance meeting will be held in the evening
In the First Presbyterian church. Mr.. Murphy
as ked him to go on, but he declined, provoking
the exclamation from Mr.. Murphy:
Most modest man ever knew.
He then announced that they would this week
organize the Gospel Temperance Association.
They had president already, George W. Foote,
whom he called on to speak. Mr.. Foote said:
II any man had told me last Wednesday that
should be on this platform tonight l would
not not have believed him. Mr.. Murphy has
honored me by appointing me president of this
temperance business. 1 have been through
many political campaigns, and have been in
yited to give my opinions on the platform.
have fought twenty years against signing the
pledge, because l thought 1t was connected
with a crazy-no, an excited-revival, but /
have changed my opinion. This movement is
based on the affections Imam should
have for another. The people of this
country will never be coerced by law.
have lived in a community governed
| would never think OF entering a saloon in this
city, go into saloon there simply to see whether
they could get drink s. +; THIS RtineiPis belong
| Ia good, it must do US some good / don't de.
nounce alcohol, for it 10 invaluable as a drug
| (Mr. Murphy: 'God bless it.'O don't reproach
the saloon keepers for they are pursuing legit-
| innate business under the law. Nor do reproacn
| ths drunkard, for ne slips into it inperceptiby.
| A few weeks ago l resolved to- quit drinking.
When | went out in the morning met friend
| who said he had quit We met another who said
| just one more drink. So we went and took
| another and then quit. Drinking is n social
| custom. (Mr. Murphy: ''But il is an evil one y
have seen men who shun men degraded by
| whisky and avoid contact with them, though
| the drnnkard is probably a nobler hearted man.
| What we ought to do is to lead him away from
| drink.
Tha meeting sang the hymn "Blest Be the Tie
| That Binds.' Mr.. Murphy then spoke as fol-
lows:
| tell you that we have been standing too far
| from Jesus for fear the thing will smell of re-
| ligion. That is the case with some OF these in
teliectual fellows. There are some who Will
| not listen to a minister till their lamb is taken
! from them. l WAS delivering an address in an
| Eastern town some time ago. There was great
/ lawyer there. an intellectual Hercules; tho
| Young men loved MIN. l came down to b I'D
| gospel temperance meeting and that lawyer was
there with the young men around him. None
| of the young men signed the pledge. This law
| yer came aud said to me:
| "Mr Murphy I'll sign that pledge If you wil1
| striAe out those words God helping me-"
said "I can't do IL; that's ali there is OF it. :"
| He said: "Fhere are 100 Others who will sign
| If you will strike out those words" but said:
| '.I can't deny God Aim ghty."
That LAWYER hid lovely daughter who used
! to play around his Office aud stamp his letters
She was seized with black diphtheria in her
throat The ather, splendid man, sat by her
| aud she said, "Papa, can't you help me little
| Bit" bat he hid his face in his hands and could
| do nothing. The doctor said II was hopeless
| case, aud then the mother took the child in her
| arms and took her to Jesus Christ. After she
was laid away the father went TO his Office, but
heard the patter of her feet no more, felt the
! little arms clinging around his neck no more.
| Years after went 10 that town and WAS told he
was a changed man and wanted to see me.
went 10 him and be said:
| "Mr Murphy. will sign that pledge, and God
helping me, | Will keep IL
| Our friend was rght in saying you can't
coerce a man into doing anything. They viii
| always kick. l cant find better word than
! ''kick."
| a daughter eoaxes her father to get 4 new dress.
| and ALWAYS succeeds. He went on:
The trouble is we are not trying to reach the
| men we onght to reach, nor the women There
is 10 effort TO reach the women.
| have two daughters, both married to Chris
could never have gone SO far into sin that Fran
| els Murphy would not have gone after them
But the gates of brasas are closed against the
sinner. There is nothing for her to do but go
into Hadss. l remember q beautiful girl who
was whispered about Nobody knew anything,
bat she was whispered about aud she faded and
died One Christian gentleman arose at the
funeral in the presence OF those who talked
ABOUT her and said only; 81 thank God never
saHi an unkind word nj her
This movement saves the liquor sellers, for
many In Montana have closed their saloons
and l believe Il has closet some ia this city At
| one meeting in Montana there was big fellow
the chief OF the fire department, who said he
would not sign the pledge because co.ored my
mustache-
another big man walked mp to me and looked
hard at my face and said; 81 see your Iaustachs
Amt colored. | am getting tired OF selling
LIQUOR hen can q fellow see youY''
| said al O'Clock Then at O'Clock three
men came up 70 my room in q hesitatiug way.
The other two said TO the liquor seller: .'You
brought rs here, you sign arst-" Then he
Il SCHOOL