The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1896-03-30
NO-LICENSE MASS MEETING.
Well Attended Exercises at Roger Will
Jams Free Baptist Church.


Jams Free Baptist Church.
The Roger Williams Free Baptist
Church was comfortably filled last even
ing and at the close of the service the
verdict was that it had been very enjoy
able. Rev. DIR. Francis A. Horton pre-
sided and explained that the no-licen Sc
folk had frequently complained that they
were not heard and II was to give them
an opportunity TO be heard that the meet
ing was called. The speakers had been
chosen mainly TO tell the congregation
something about the slum side or life, or,
rather, the work being done among the
outcast by missions and kindred socle-
ties. The speakers were Mr.. William q.
Lawton, VINO spoke FOR the Randall
Square Rescue Mission; Miss q. Il. At
kins, representing the Y. w. 9. Il. u;
Mr.. L. C. Corbett of the Sunday Break
fast Mission, and Mr.. James A. Williams.
the Prohibition candidate for Attorney
General. They spoke after the manner
following:
MIR. Lawton said the reason why he Is
interested in the rescue mission work Is
because he has received the Holy Spirit OF
the Lord Jesus Christ. He got interested
in the work I'm the Bethany Mission on
South Main street. He told about open
ing the mission on Gladstone avenue at
his own expense, In response to crying
need from North End citizens. The room
became SO attractive that thousands OF
people have been In the little mission
during the past IL months; many were
converted; drunkards made sober and in
dustrious, the avenue has been improved
and macadamized and the whole neigh
borhood where sin abounded has been
benefited. He believed there should be
more OF these missions in Providence to
advance the cause of temperance as 1t
should be advanced.
Another good thing is to try have
an organization formed, composed OF
churches, to look into these rescue Is
sions, the Sunday Breakfast Mission and
others of similar character. Look into
their needs and give them help, so the
superintendent will not be obliged to go
round soliciting.
Y. w. q. I. U. Is "By love serve one an
as that was the beginning of all their
work. That was started because OF the
need OF something being done for girls
und to obviate the practice that used to
obtain among store girls OF having beer
or other stimuiant sent in TO them satnr-
day nights, after hard days work. In
the library are more than 60 chosen
volumes. She told about the success OF
the summer home for the girls; the ice
water fountain on the great bridge lead
ing TO the city, erecting five last year and
promising to increase the number TO an
even.dozen this year; the social commit
tees entertainments and addresses given
by ministers ana others, including Lady
Somerset, Mrs Livermore and Miss Will
lard.
The coffee wagon on South Water street
was described, where a good strong cup
OF coffee can be obtained for penny.
roll or saussge for a cent each and she
stated that the rumseller across the way
is getting worried.
Mr.. Corbett said previous to three
years ago he had spent thousands OF dol
lars and "a years. time in search OF pleas
ures which be never obtained, and drank
everything, from beer TO Burgundy, from
seltzer TO champagne. Then he gave an
interesting description of how he came
10 establish Sunday breakfast mission,
what II had done and what he expects
to accomplish. From the first II was sue
cessful. During the past three seasons
more than 2, 900 persons have been fed and
little moro than 1900 have signed the
pledge. lie believed that every Christian
minister Is doing more for temperance
than be receives credit for. In speaking
OF the signers OF the pledge he knew that
many Of them fell back, but some he
knows kept IL. The grace Of God, the
speaker said, beats the Kelley cure. He
asked whether his work has not demon
strated that he had done somsthing for
Providence and said he knew he mad
shown during the past three seasons that
there was something TO be done beside
looking for bacchanalian orgies.
A case was cited where a drunkard was
saved from becoming suicide by the mis-
zion and is now a sober, industrious and
respected business man.
Mr.. Corbett said he makes the men
shake hands (he calls them tourists) and
a nf orr -
Prayer, coffee and sandwiches, while
snusic is enjoyed during the process OF
mastlcation.
They are asked how many are tired Of
eating liver while the rumseller eats
tenderloin steak, cut thick, and II results
IN from five-to II taking the pledge.
Mr.. Williams spoke from the Prohibit
tion stnndpoint. He was very sorry that
IL was necessary for any of therl TO be
there 10 discuss this old wornout thread
bare question which ought to have been
settled years ago and would have been
settled II there had been any courage in
the Christian church as big as a grain OF
mustard seed. And we have no courage
today. Within a stones throw Of this
church he said, II a Baptist minister, who
coolly says. al favor high licensen; over
on the East Side is q Congregational mil =
lister grinding out theological discourses
every Sunday who says, 81 favor high IL
ceDse, and there is an Episcopal minister
who says "This selling liquor isn't such a
bad thing when such stores as r. l.. Rose,
where trade, sell IT,
We should create sentiment whicb D
will make Il impossible for any minister
60 stand up for high license. Deal courag-
eously.
The brewers and distillers are consider.
"a giants ana Christian men stood falter-
Jog for fear; In they should go against
these people Il would injure our political
parties. And we've said we can't drive
II out. 80 let's license il and get sl3s, ,00l
out Of II and sIf down while the officers
81 the city allow 500 more places to run