Waterbury evening Democrat., 1893-10-17
MURPHY's NINE HUNDRED.
You Can't Change a Man by vltuperatlon, You Must Make Him Feel at Home, Like the Saloon Keeper Does.

Nou Can't Change a Man by Nituperattoni | You Must Make Him Feel at Home, | Like the Saloon Keeper Does.
 Jacques auditorium was filled to the | overfowing point again last night to hear | the popular temperance orator, T. E. Mur- 1 phy. The choir were hard at work for | some time before his appearance, en- deavoring to enthuse the audience and Rev | MT Hollister was not at all satisfied with l the way they were succeeding when Mir Murphy and wife with a number of the | local ministers came down the aisle. A ripple of satisfaction came over the an- dience, and all was changed. People began to join in the singing, but not with the ardor that suited Mir Murphy for he shouted: "Sing, everybody; sing"
 ''Glad to see you all this evening"" came the words of greeting, framed in his char acteristic smile, as the orator appeared on the stage, and the audience dropped a large chunk of it's coldness. Mir Murphy an- nounced that he was accustomed to take charge after the first meeting and he was therefore director. Without further cere- mony he proceeded to make up his pro- gramme, calling for hymn, eXhorting all to sing, for a reading from the scriptures by Rev Mir Barton and n prayer from the Rev Mir Buckley, and another hymn, and all the time he seemed to be working on  Wherever a cool spot was discerned, there he seemed to turn his attention to speak in a more direct manner. He Is one of the old time revivalists in style and manner and believes in reaching mans brains through his heart. Let us applaud" he remarked after the choir had sung "Throw Out the Life Line" "I like that hymn. Why there are lots of men that won't be reached by any argument from this plat form, but they will be touched by the beautiful, simple lines which they heard as children and which carry them back to home, and mother and innocence"
 The hymn put him in mind of n story, and in fact everything seems to remind MT Murphy of story. It is a way he hns of getting his arguments to the minds of his hearers. No matter how bitter a pill he wants you to swallow he will sugar coat it so with story that it is easily taken.
 By the way. have you heard that Lord Dunraven has petitioned parliament to change his name to Lord Doneracing. and he is telling his English friends that the Vigilant must be counterfeit because he could not pass her"
 Dr Davenport was called forward and spoke a few words for the collection to be taken up, and Mir Murphy insinuated that he had all the buttons that he needed. The Rev Mir Barton made a short, but earnest
 
 lest he become an immoderate drinker. Sam D Armit, who has accompanied Mir Murphy through Connecticut and who is engaged in the business of curing men of the drink habit. was dragged out for few words. Everyone wanted Murphy to go on himself, however, and was pleased when he began by thanking the audience for turn ing out in such numbers.
 II am thankful to the ministers for their hearty cooperation. They did not tell me to say this, but I stand in with them. l believe they have more to con tend with than you aIe aware of. 1 re- member a minister who once preached d good strong temperance sermon to his congregation and the next day he was asked to be more moderate. He replied that he had spoken according to his best judgment. His resignation was asked for and given. He secured the chaplaincy of a state prison, and his farewell sermon was preached from the text: I go to prepare a place for you, that where l am you may be there also.
 But We are not here to talk temper ance to you as Catholics or Protestants, but as American citizens, and as such we invite you to cooperate in this work. I am not here to ridicule the men of drink ing habits. l am here to preach the gos- pei of charity and good will. The fellow that says, Murphy Is n good fellow. has lots of brains. When we go astray we know it. It is not necessary to die to go to hades; We can be well roasted here We can have heaven or a hell here as We make it for ourselves. We hear a great deal about reading books. The practice is q good one, but we should read ourselves, and help one another. There are people who want to hang every saloon keeper and bury every drunkard, but they are not yet ready for such entertainment. You cant change man by vituperation. You must be kind to him: make him feel at home like the saloon keeper does. Don't let him feel that he is q stranger when he goes into your churches, and don't stand on your dignity so much yourselves when you go to church. Gods work is done by human instrumentality, and the best way to serve God Is to help one another. Man is not frightened nor coerced but led by love"
 The speaker related an instance where a man had acknowledged that his heart and brain was willing to sign his pledge, but his stomach persisted in objecting He pictured the success of the man who has his head, who is in the full possession of his faculties, and the degredation and the misery of the man who loses them. And don't go around to the saloon after you have takeI the pledge and say. Give me a bottle of ginger alc?' For the first you know you will want d little hard cider Oh, this damnable curse of drink is a de facer and destroyer of the home, of the man, of everything. Let us fight this evil in our midst and 20 on in this work until it is dethroned and righteousness Is attained"
 Mir Murphy then read his pledge md asked his hearers to come and sign it. About three hundred accepted the invita- ton.