Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1895-02-14

Mrs. LeaVitt. Miss Alderman.
no end of trouble and bother with them
But never mind that" said one of them
today. If the thing will only do some
good
The Boxes Are Heavy.
There are stout hinges on the lids OF the
five boxes. and also stout hasps and
tumbler padlocks no two locks being alike.
The boxes are of different slzes-one very
big one. about three feet high and wide
and four feet long. containing the names
of the people of America; another, about
as large. contains those secured from the
countries of Europe; three smaller boxes
contain the petitions circulated in Asia.
Africa and South America. One of the
boxes is open about an inch, and the snow
white folds of the long roll of muslin on
which the names are pasted can be seen.
A red edge has been pasted along to the
sides of the yard-wide roll of muslin, which
makes a pretty border to ii. The weight
or the petition on the scales IS tSo pouhus'
Its moral weight may be something in ex-
cess of this.
The ladies who are assembling in Wash
ington to present this huge appeal for re-
lief from the bondage of opium and liquor
have been ten years in getting the names
signed to the long roll. Never before in
the history of the world were many
people united in prayer. The first
woman to embark in the service of this
polyglot petition was Mrs. Clement Leavitt
of Boston, who set out in 1SSi, under the
auspices of the Women's Christian Tenn
pcrance Union. For seven years she trav
eied in every part of the globe and visited
nearly every country in Christendom.
Travelling to Get Names.
She went 10 the largest cities of Europe
and Asia, to the jungles of the Congo and
Madagascar, through China, atong the
Great Wall. across India, and up and down
South America. She set out alone, gray
haired, woman of culture, sweet hearted
and dtvout, Drawing the ills and terrors of
constant travel, encountering cholera and
yellow fever more than once. She found
wherever she wen, people were enslaved
by drink, and there were millions glad to
sign the petition. Thus there are over
100000 names in those five boxes. The
words of the petition ale translated into
every known tongue on earth, and the sig
natures are in all sorts of queer handwrit-
ing, from that of the queen of Madagas-
car to the mystical hieroglyphics of the
Chinese. the Hindoo and the Turk.
Following the example of Mrs Leavitt in
the work of securing signatures. Miss .Jes-
sic Ackermann of California, in 1887 went
TO Alaska and began task to which she
has given several years of her life. In 1883
she m lde world organizer and started
Immediately for the Hawaiian Islands. She
has Travelled in Australia, Japan, China,
India and Africa, and has organized
branches of the w. c. T. L. extensively
in these countries. She was for time
president of the federated Australian prov
inces and greatly strengthened the work
there. She is tireless worker, an excel
lent organizer, while her unusual expert
ences. joined with her native platform
ability, give her thrilling power as a speak
er.
Presenting the Petition.
The petition will be delivered tomorrow
morning at Convention Hall and in the
hands of Mr.. George Kraft, the profess
sional draper, will be hung in festoons
around the hall and from arch to arch of
the immense roof. Intermingled with the
endless stretches of the white petition will
be the flags of all nations. Such sight
will he historically memorable. But two Pc
titions anything like as long or large as
this were ever before secured-one was
displayed some years ago in London and
one of 100000 names was feStooned around
the walls of the Illinois state house two or
three years ago.
The Program.
The program for the eXercices which be-
gin tomorrow follows
Metropolitan NJ. f. Church, morning ses-
sion, 10 a.m.-Address of welcome. Mrs. NJ
e. Griffith; response, Mrs. Clara c. Hoff-
man. 1880 a.m.-Praycr and conservation
meeting. conducted by Miss Elizabeth w.
Greenwood, II m.-Noontlde prayer, Mrs
NJ. Z. Griffith.
Afternoon session. go p.m.-Devotional
service. Mrs. Helen NJ. Barker; address.
1.-The w. c. 7. U. Has Attained Her Ma
jcrity; Is She Worthy Of CitiZenship?' Mrs.
Margaret B. Plat; address. Mrs Emily l..
McLaughlin; address, Mrs. Matilda b.
Carse; music. Adjournment.
Convention Hall. evening session, I:3O
pm-Grand mass meeting; devotional ex-
orcises Mrs. Katharine Lente Stevenson;
music, Moody choir of 300 voices; address,
Origin of the Petition" Miss Willard: ad-
dress, Its Value AS An Educator" Mrs.
cn1f Eath ar IL
lard: address, What the Petition VIII
Mean to the World" Lady Henry Somerset;
address, Its Relation to the Final Victo-
ry," Mrs. Clara c. Hoffman; music, Moody
The Marine Band will furnish music at
all of the meetings.
The Invitations.
The text of the unique invitation extend
ed to the President ard Congress to attend
the exercises connected with the presenta
ton of the mammoth petition is as fol-
lows:
1.-THE President of the United States and
members of the cabinet, the Senators and
REPRESENTATIVES of Congress. are specially
invited to be present at Convention Music
Hall Washington, d. c., on Friday even
ing. February II, 1895, at 1:30 O'Clock, to
listen to addresses by Miss Frances E..
Willard and Lady Henry Somerset, in the
interest of the polyglot petition, signed by
4 600 600 of people. addressed to the heads
Of the governments of the world praying
for the withdrawal Of their protection
from the opium and liquor traffic wherever
Iegalized. Please present this at the door
and platform"
Miss Willard, who is TO present the pc
titon to President Cleveland, will arrive.
with Lady S1Aerset, from Boston this
evening and vii be the guest Of Miss
Olive Risley Seward at Wormey's. Mrs.
Carse the custodian Of the big petition,
will today take rooms at the Ebbitt House,
where the Woman's Council will have its