Evening star., 1896-12-03

Gently held their annual sessions Rev.
Howard H. Russell LII D., national super
'ntendent OF the American League is also
state superintendent of the Ohio League
Bishop Galloway of the Methodist Episco-
pal Church South is a member Of the ex-
ecutive committee of the American League
and an enthusiastic supporter of the anti
ialoon movement.
Work of the Convention.
The headquarters during the convention
Will be in Calvary Baptist Sunday school
hGuse, where the league was organized last
year, and most of the sessions will h. hold
here.
The morning and afternoon sessions of
he COZ vention will be devoted to husi
less. while public meetings will be held
IN Tuesday and Wednesday evenings. Thar
of Tuesday will take place in the Mount
Vernon Place Methodist Episcopal Churrh
South. On this occasion President Hiram
Prlce or the executive committee of the
Dlstrlct league will preside. and a num-
Der of addresses will be made one of the
speakers Will be Rev. Howard H. Russell
ID, OF Columbus. Ohio. national super
ntendent of the league, who is also super
.ntendent of the Ohio Anti-Saloon League
Dr. Russell's theme will be The Church
versus the Saloon There will also be two
companion addresses, the subjects being
The School Versus the Saloon" and The
dome Versus the Saloon" respectively
The speakers to make addresses on these
SUBJECTS have not yet been selected
The program for the rest of the time of
the convention will, 1t is expected, be ar
ranged during the present week
Origin of the League.
The present active efforts in behalf OF
the Anti-Saloon League movement origi-
aated with a conversation between Arch
bishop Ireland of the Roman Catholic
Church and Rev. DR.. A. j. Kynett, chair
man of the committee on temperance and
prohlOItlon of the Methodist Episc opa |
'hurch. These two eminent dvines hap
'ened to be travelling together and natural
conve"sed about temperance and the
suppression of the drink traffic, in which
Goth are greatly interested. They agreed
that platform on which all opponents
II the saloon could stand for united ag-
sressive work was practicable and very
desirable subsequently. Rev. Dr. Kynetf,
While travelling in like manner with -Re.
Dr l.. b. Wilson. president Of the District
Of Columbia Anti-Saloon League was in
formed by DR.. Wilson of the large degree
Of success that the District of Columbia
Anti-Saloon League had met with in bring
tnS together representatives of different
denominations, of all political parties and
Doth white and colored, and Dr. kynett
suggested that the District of Columbia
League take the initiative in securing a
conference of leaders preliminary to ma
tional anti-saloon convention. This con-
versation took place in the spring of last
year, and the suggestion was laid before
the executive committee of the local
league. 1t decided to undertake the
work and arrangements were at once be-
gun for a conference to meet here the last
three days of May, 1885, and invitations
were sent out all over the country east OF
the Mississippi.
The Movement Grew.
From the responses it soon became evil
dent that a number of prominent speakers
and writer's could not attend at that time.
which included Decoration DAY, owing to
previous engagements elsewhere. There
upon the conference was recalled and the
committee in charge undertook to endeavor
to settle the prelminaries of a national
convention by correspondence. Having re-
ceived what were considered a sufficient
| nlmter of Signatures, the call for the con
Nention was given to the press October 1e.
Names continued to arrive subsequently
including those of Rev. James NJ. Clcary,
president of the Catholic Total Abstinence
Union Of America; Rev. a. j. kynett. ID.
D., above mentioned; Rev. S. NJ. Newman,
ID. D., pastor of the First Congregational
Church, and Major George A. Hilton, pres
ident of the National Gospel Mission Union.
Excepting Individual represent tativeS of the
| religious denominations, the committee only
asked for signatures of the heads of ma
tlonal End lnternati tionaI temperance soci-
eties and national organizations known to
, be in sympathy with anti-salocn work and
to the national organization which is eX-
pected to result from its deliberations.
The promotion of the convention has
been managed by the District of Columbia
Anti-Saloon League and its executive
committee ihe manner in which its du-
ties nave been performed can easily be
Inferred when it is stated that one year
ago the orly anti-saloon leagues in the
united States were those in the District
of Columbia and the state of Ohio, ana
roW they are to be found in almost every
state and territory in the Union.