The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1898-01-02

sway and bend an audiences sympathies
and emotions at his will. His eloquence
was Of that electric. thrilling quality which s
seats and rush forward to affiza their names
to the pledge Of total abstinence. The vast
crowds that would surround him wherever
he might be would hang upon his words as
though their lives We're at stake, laugh and
into their minds with flashing blows his pa
thetic stories and fearful tales of the drunk
ards life.
temperance agitation was yet to be written
1t is the most interesting chapter of ALL
and concerns the coming to this country in
1849 of Father Matthew, the Irish Catholic
priest, who was hailed the world over as
1.-THE Apostle of Temperance" When
Father Matthew arrived in America he was
about forty years of age, a tall, dis
tinguished appearing man with long, black
hair, waved back from his forehead, and
with eyes and mouth that wore a never
dying smile of kindness. He was one of the
most magnetic men who ever appeared on
the lecture platform of this country. He
seemed to positively hypnotic his audi
ences. For ten years previous to his COM
ing to America Father Matthew had
labored for the cause of temperance in the
British islands, although it was in Ireland
that his efforts achieved their greatest re-
sults-results that are startling in their
In five months he obtained 10000 converts
in Cork. 1t is recorded that one day he
started at one end of the city bent upon
walking straight aleaQ 10 the opposite IN
order to see just how many sighners to the
pledge he could obtain without swerYing to
the right or to the left. His striking, al
most majestic figure, his smiling ana DeneV-
olent face looking charity upon all who met
him. with the brilliant eyes and loVable
mouth attracted and held the attention OF
everyone as he passed down the middle of
the streets. That march through Cork was
an astonishing individual triumph for one
man with the power TO enlist me Inc lnIer rite
end of the city a procession OF 10OO0 folloW-
ers had fallen in behind him. Going to
Galway, he set the little county on fire with
the wonder of his own personal magnetism,
for he laid no claims to being a great
orator. He was followed by throngs when
ever he walked out. He was prayed for in
the streets Men and women kissed his
hands and the fringe to his clerical coat,
and in two days he had obtained lVo'VOO
FATHER MATTHEW'S ARRIVAL.
Father Matthew's fame reached America
before he did, and when the striking figure
ran down the gang-plank of the ship to the
New York dock, with hair streaming and
face flushed with excitement, the streets on
the water front were blocked by thousands
who stood there awaiting his arrival, Just
to see him" Before setting foot on Ameri-
can soil he had reclaimed six million fallen
men and women in different parts of the
world, and in recognition of the great serv-
ice he had done humanity, the civil authori-
ties OF New York rendered him public re-
ception Thousands met him, shook his hand
and received mis- God bless you.
Then began his tour of America. He trav-
eled everywhere. No hamlet was too small
or no city too large for his great personal
work not to be felt. Crowds throng9d his
places of meeting and he had but to kneel
himself for his audiences to kneel. 1t was
while his converts were in that position that
he administered the pledge; lie would Walk Walk
in and out among thousands repeating with
them over and over again his verbal pledge,
then he would place his hand upon the head
and signifying the symbol of the cross. say,
slowly BLESS you my children" Every
large city had him for an hour at least. He
left the impress of his unique personality
greatest figure in the agitation of rhe peri
Cd Women lowered about him and mothers
with children in their arms pushed their
way through jams of hundreds that ne
might kiss their little ones. He loved chill
dren, would throw pennies among them
when he found them playing together, ana
for those he might meet in his wandefings.
He visited Washington intending to re-
main there hut a few hours, but he was
prevailed upon to extend his stay over sew
eral days. Every conceivable honor was
shown him. The houses OF the Presiden NJ
were thrown open to him.. He was given
the freedom of the city. He was honored
with a seat on the floor of the House OF
REPRESENTATIVES and he spoke from the
floor of the Senate chamber Senators TOOK
his pledge. o,.o
Then he went to Ph1ladelpnla ana SPOKE
before an audience in Independence Han
that was so large the police were forced to
keep the people away from the puliding
after the speaker had commenced talking
for fear the applause and coTnmotion would
bring the walls about their heads. In Bos-
ton great throngs jammed their way INTO
Faneuil Hall and at the conclusion OF the
priests address hundreds with tear-stalned
Cheeks and in voices trembling with emo
ton fell to their knees and repeated AFTER
him the verbal pledge.
cnn 600 CONVERTS
From town to town all over the country
he travelled gathering together great
army of recruits to the cause and zealously
advocating it's principles. More than Co.,
600 persons enrolled themselves under his
banner of total abstinence record the sta
tistics of the time. The story is told, to
show that his converts did not relapse to
their former habits after he had left, that
while going down the Mississippi he stopped
over one night in one of the vicious little
valley towns of the period. OF course he
lectured The whole village was there ana
at the conclusion of his address seven hum
dred persons knelt and accepted the pledge
Revisiting the town on his way back he
himself was amazed to learn that out OF
that number there had been but three cases
of relapse.
Catholic priest who gave the cause or
temperance it's greatest impetus in America
and the results he achieved and the IN
pressions he made are felt even to the
present day in this country. Since those
exciting days in the history of the temper
ance cause in America many societies nave
sprung up either to flourish or to fall back
to earth for lack of support. Cough, Dele
van. Briggs and Matthew are dead, ana lone one
m Ilt1 of their cause died with them, though
a quarter of century ago the Murphey
movement as it was called, created some
commotion in this country. It's insignia
was bit of blue ribbon tied to the lapel,
and to-day the agitation of its period is
ment' than by the name of it's originator.
This agitation was widespread in America;
but its interest was quiet" as compared
70 that enlisted in the Matthew and Haw-
lxins crusades Monster meetings were
held, and the pledge. of the society gained
hut the country had not had time to re-
cover from it's previous excitement to give
70 the agitation any of that NOISY" quail