The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1892-03-31

that thsl.in we " were to entertain him.
[ was a girl then, not yet IN
society, timid and appalled, at the pros
pect OF entertaining so distinguished,
guest. But [ shall never forget the
grand head, the noble figure, the splendid
presence of that glorious poet. And L
have thought many times since now de-
lightful it would be to visit the city IN
which he lived. But as | visit this city
today it is not alone to pay tribute at his
shrine, but to look another living nero III
the face, the man through whose e11orts
the curse of the drink traffic has peen
broken in his own splendid state saw
as l passed through your streets the
statue of your great poet Ana IN your
traffic, in the brightness and prosperity
of this beautiful town | find an even
nobler monument to Neal Dow.
'sAs | have travelled through this great
| new world, as [ have seen all that your
grand, on-coming civilization meant, l
| have felt that the great agencies OF this
| civilization were voices of prophecy OF
what is to Gomez The speaker said
| that the patriot, the man who pleads the
| ills of his country for their amelioratIon,
| the philanthropist, who acts as mediator
between the rich and poor, will soon De
| figures of the past For the time IS
coming when we shall have the true
brotherhood Of man. The great social
reforners are necessary to clear the way
| for the millennium
| The submerged tenth is the great ques-
| ton of England. Yet our rich are so
contented that they do not realize the
nemesis that will come if this class are
not elevated. The time will come when
| England must elevate them, or the so
| called higher classes will be dragged
down as in the French revolution.
/ Lady Somerset spoke of the excellent
effect of a partial prohibition which they
have in Liverpool. She is a firm believer
| in prohibition and other governmental
restraints Of this sort. The hlghest
duty of government" she said, lis to
mother its people,
In speaking of the sweating system she
caused a thrill of horror to run through
the audience when she told OF finding
one morning in London young woman
who had been sitting up all night max
ing ladies' waists, all tucked and band
ed. at II cents a dozen. Her children
were lying on a cot, paralyzed because
their mother could not get the time to
take them into the sunlight, but must
sew increasingly to get bread even.
| And this was in thai metropolis where
SO much wealth was piled up.
Of General Booths work. she spoke in
the highest terms. She said that when
his famous book, s'In Darkest England,
came out much money was contributed
| to alleviate the distress described. But
the great cause Of misery still went on.
| They are looking in England for the
remedy. The worthy classes of England
are getting ready for it.
This remedy is the killing of the drink
traffic. She believes that legislation is
| the only way, and that it must be
| stamped out with the iron heel of law.
1--WE are anticipating" she said, from
the liberal party-I appreciate the prim-,
rose as, flower, but not as political
badge-which we hope will soon come
| into power, local option law, which we
believe will be stepping stone to prohi-
bition. We hope local option will relieve
us from our licensing system, which puts
the saloon next door to the poor mans
home to suck the life blood from the ma
| tion."
In concluding Lady Somerset said few
words on woman suffrage. The women
| there already vote in the municipal coun-
ellis; and she believes that they will have
full suffrage before the American women
receive it. 'sAll over my land,'' she said,
| s'the womans voice is heard; and on the
| 9th of April the Conservatives are
bringing in bill to give women full par
| lialnentary suffrage; and on the 18th of
May the Liberals are doing the same.
The lion is lying down with the lamb
lis it not fair, men Of America, that
she whom you ask to be life giver
should not be law giver also"
Some Testimonials.
| At the close of the address, which was
listened to with the most perfect atten-
ton, there was an interesting presenta-
ton of bouquets from the Maine Board
of Worlds Fair Managers, through Miss
Eva Parch er and from the National and
Portland Woman's Council, through
Mrs. Margaret T. W. Merrill. Some pine
cones used in the decorations were pre-
sented as souvenir Of Maine, and finally
Mrs. Stevens presented. in behalf of the
! w. G. r. u, an album containing a pic
ture of Neal Dow and his home. where
the first prohibitory lawawas written, a
! bound copy of the present law with all
its amendments, a, picture of Longfellow
and his home, the Deering woods, and
photographs of various of the local Off
GERS Of the w. G. T. U. For all these
Gifts the recipient made graceful ac-
acknowledgements.
The choir then sang "God Be with
You Until We Meet Again. Lady Som
erset pronounced benediction, and the
meeting was ended.
Highland Castles Anniversary.