The Portland daily press., 1896-10-05
A GREAT REFORMER.
Miss Agnes Slack, Secretary World s
w. C. T. q.
What She Told a Press Reporter-Speaks
at the Second Parish Church-Helped
Spill Liquor Saturday.

Spill Liquor Saturday.
Miss Agnes &. Slack, woman much
Interested in temperance and general re-
form work has recently come to Ameri-
can shores and is now making tour of
the United States aud Canada delivering
addresses on behalf of the work, and OBJ
tanning information relative to the oon-
Gitions that affect humanity here as
compared with the condition of affairs
throughout the British Kingdom.
Miss Slack was born at Ripley, Derby
shire. England, and is secretary OF the
World ". @. Z. u. and honorary score
tary OF the British W. c. 7. U.
AS secretary of the Worlds association
she is in constant correspondence with
workers In Australia, India, the Islands
Of the Sea and in America.
10 PRESS reporter Miss Slack Sat-
nr6ay afternoon said, 81 have been in.
terested in temperance work since was
very young girl and resolved at very
tenaez age that God willing would
devote my life and strength to the work
Of overcoming the evils Of the rum traffic.
and 10 assist In the work Of uplifting hui
maniAy.
eMy interest in the temperance cause
was strengthened. by the peculiar ciroum-
stances and opportunities that have sur
rounded my life. In that, for a great
many years have been what Is termed
by English phrase poor law guardian
The duties of persons in a position of
that kind require that they shall distrib-
ute from the government to the people
such charity as they need. Investigation
as to the causes of poverty and suffering
developed the fact that the greater per-
centage of these cases were caused by in
temperance. Realizing this decided to
devote my life work to the cause Of tenn
per rance.
ssMy first public speaking was on the
political platform and in fact my interest
is conferred in any subject of reform, or
for the uplifting or beneflting OF human
ity. Last year it was my privilege to
organize Catholic society of the W. C.
L. U. in Ireland, beside addressing 152
public meetings in various parts iof
EUROPE
"What If any, is the difference in the
conditions of the people here with that
Of England as regards the temperance
evilf" .as asked by the PRESS man.
"Bor the length of time that I have
been in America l can say that have
seen less of the effects of intemperance
than it is possible to see in England,
and particularly here In Maine I must
say thaS the prohibitory law infinitely
surpasses my expectation; not that liquor
is nos sold here, but the fact that the
as in other parts of the United States. I
dined today with Gen. Neal Dow and
this afternoon have been enjoying ride
through your beautiful city. I have
also had the privilege Of witnessing the
liquor deputies as they spilled large
quantity of liquor at City hall today and
had the opportunity of assisting the
work, which accepted and have spilled
rs bottles of lager and 10 bottles of spir-
it's besides collecting large number of
the labels from the bottles. These labels
propose to send to our workers at
home.
Tine Rev. Hugh Price Hughes is an
intimate acquaintance of our family, and
upon learning that contemplated trip
said, My friend you will find that there
is no spot on earth like Portland. You
will think yourself in q heaven on earth. >
And SO have found It,, said Miss
Slack, las 1 have enjoyed every moment
of my visit here.''
''Hew do you regard Lady Henry Som
erset and Miss Frances Willard who are
eagaged in the same work?"
II regard Lady Somerset and Miss Will
Lard as doing pre-eminaltly more for the
uplifting of women ell over the world,
than any other women"
Miss Slack leaves at O'clock this
afternoon to attend the Ohio State ON
ysntion. Sha SAID 81 have received let.
ters of introduction to prominent people
of Canada from Lady Aberdeen, wife of
the Governor General of Canada. who is
interested in our work and has proffered
hei assistance upon the occasion of my
visit there.
During my trip shall visit the W. O.
r. U. state COW ention in Brooklyn, N.
Y, and in various cities and places in
the Vest prior to my return home"
Miss Agnes Slack addressed large
Rucience at the Second Parish church
last evening. She spoke for nearly an
hour ana held the closest attention of
her audience. Miss Slack has fine
voice aud manner for public speaking
and is thoroughly oonversant with her
eunject.
In opening her address Miss Slack said
it had taken the world nearly 1000 years
to find out what Christ meant by say
ing q We are the salt of the earth.' Salt
Is Substance we call an antseptic and
is used to scatter corruption. You are
the salt of the earth and should do like
wise and that Is what Christ meant
when he said eye are the salt of the
eazth.' The Christian church has been
to much afraid of the world politics and
white we do not desire to see this church
allied with any political party we do
desire it TO awaken to full sense of its
responsibility. We owe every institution
IA the world today which is caring for
the miserable or the unfortunate to the
teachings of the Christian church. 1t is
bsosuse believe tine Christian church
is the greatest power in the world that
] feel constrained TO urge this church TO
x,za pOUer the fem ppraura nuaGtinp