Smyrna times., 1894-10-03
Prohibition Meeting.
SPIRITED MEETING AT THE OPERA
HOUSE


HOUSE.
The Prohibitionists opened their
campaign Monday night by holding a
mass meeting at the Opera House. 1t
was we'll attended by all parties and
proved to be an interesting occasion.
VIM. FAIRIES was chairman of the exer-
clses. On the platform were Rev. s.
Mowbray, of Newport; Rev. Ralph
Coursey, Snow Hill; Presiding Elder
Smith, of Oxford, and L. M. Price, G.
II. Register and Rev. w. r. Mowbray,
of this town, loyal workers for the
Temperance cause.
The exercises opened with a duet by
Messrs. Ralph COursey and A. S. Now
bray, followed by an invocation from
w. r. Mowbray. The chairman in a
few brief remarks introduced Rev. A.
S. MOwbray, of Newport.
Mr.. Mowbray spoke for over half
an hour for the cause of prohibition,
taking as the key note of his argument,
the responsibility of our government to
it's citizens. He did not 60 into detail
and name a string of illustrations where
the influence of liquor eliminated in
the death of so many souls. This, he
thought was evident to most every
reader, or citizen. The number of
lives that are being lost through liquor
amounts to 800 per day, for which be
said the government was responsible,
and as for the great mOnetery evil
which it produced, the amount of
money spent for the liquor traffic would
fill string of wagons stretching from
here to Chicago filled with nothing but
silver dollars, and line a street on both
sides with saloons alone 800 miles long.
In locating this great responsibility, he
could not place it upon the saloon
keeper for he paid licence and there
fore carried on legal business; he
could not place the blame upon the
Legislators, for they were elected by
| the people who gave them the right to
grant such licenses. Therefore the
only place he could center the blame
was on the voters, who sent men to
legislate and make our laws.
The remedy for this evil is to pay for
the sacrifice and wash your hands of
the completely of the busines and then
after doing this. pray. He urged the
christian voters to look upon these
things seriously, the amount of ruin
that is being done daily and then when
they have paid for the sacrifice and
washed their hands of the completely
in the business, we would have a grand
and noble government, free from the
vices of this damnable traffic.
Some more excellent music followed
this, after which Rev Alfred Smith was
introduced. He said he had not pre-
pared speech nor bad he any thought
that he would be called upon to speak
but whenever he had an opportunity
to talk for Prohibition he felt it his duty
to do SO, as he was in heartfelt SYM
pathy with the movement. The theme
of his discourse might be termed "the
conscience of christian voters" He
urged upon the good people to take the
matter in hand. Not to act for the
Republican or Democratic parties that
gave legal licenses to support the
saloon, but to stand up for temperance
Some people think the Republican
, party, where good men head the ticket
is for temperance. This was an abso
lutte fallacy a1d he went on to show
where at the last Republican conven
tioD, the committee on resolutions ruled
out temperance plank presented t.
them for insertion in the platform
: When asked the reason for this move
: ment, the reply was, 1--WE need all tht
votes we can get" This Mr.. Smitl
t said was the fight going on in the Re
; publican and Democratic politics O
} this State to-day, both on their knee
. before the saloon power. He finished
his discourse by urging the conscen
tiOus christian voters to get togethe
) and down this liquor traffic. He sal,
. if every christian in the land woul,
S vote against this traffic, we woul,
have prohibition.
Rev. Ralph T. Coursey followed Rev
Alfred Smith in few spicy remarks
He is an affable speaker, and inter
; sperses enough applicable jokes in hi
: desultOry remarks to make it interest
= ing. He did not talk long before b
merged into the object of his remarks
He was representing the PeninsuI
= Press, temperance organ, that b
: wished to circulate. AS compared wit
= the solid draughts of the other speaker
! his was the "ginger pop" of the oC
! casion; the audience manifested a d.
= cided pleasure in his effervescense.
: The meeting throughout was an il
= teresting one, the duets by Ralph
) Coursey and A. s. Mowbray were ric
= and amusing which made happy b
: before the audience. On next Monda
= night the Prohibition enthusiasts wi
: hold a meeting in the Cooper buildin
= = to organize for the coming campaign
. They hope to be able to hold meeting
:. every week from now until election.
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