The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1901-01-14
Francis Murphy
Scores a Big
Victory.
STIRRING SCENES
AT CENTRAL UNION
One Hundred and twenty-five
Agree to Abstain From
Liquor.
The Beginning of Crusade This Week
In the Cause of Total
Abstinence.

N ESPITE the rain and iYclement
IL weather, people from all parts of
IL the city gathered at Central
Union church last evening to
listen to Francis Murphy in his open
ing lecture in support of temperance.
Old and young, rich and poor, all made
their way through mud and water to
pay heed to what Mr.. Murphy had to
say, and in many instances to sign the
pledge of total abstinence.
The big auditorium was crowded, and
many a man who entered that edifice
last night drinking man, left it with
the firm intention to forever abstain
from the use of liquor, and a stead
fast resolve to lead a better life.
Mothers with tears in their eyes
watched their son march UP to the
altar and place his name on the little
piece of cardboard that meant so much;
sons and daughters watched their
fathers stand forth in their resolution
to abstain from strong drink, and
many family that has been miserable
in the past saw sunshine and happiness
before them; and all due to the inf1u-
ence of the speaker.
Beginning at the first with humor-
school boy, and telling many funny
instances that had occurred in those
happy days, the speaker led up to that
period in his life when he had been
tempted and had become a victim of
the drinking habit. With a force of
manner and a clearness of description
that only Mr.. Murphy is capable of,
he described scenes that he had wit
fao RI ha
of all within his hearing.
There was no storming at those who
did drink; no threats in regard to the
terrible end that they were slowly but
surely drifting toward no five-minute
entreaties to come up and sign the
pledge; but in a style all his own and
with a personal magnetism that few
could resist, Mr.. Murphy closed his talk
with the words: Say, want you to
sign this pledge. Don't leave me-
The words were scarcely uttered when
first one arose and then another, and
soon the little tables were unable to
accommodate the numbers that were
waiting for a chance to place their
signature at the bottom of the pledge.
Mr. Murphy said in part:
'I am very, very glad, and very thank
full, my friends, that in the gracious prov
idence of Almighty God 1 have been cast
away In these Islands. / don't have much
control over where or how 1 go, but l
let the Lord manage that, and keep go
ing on and telling the gospel story wher-
ever happen to be put. l am glad that
/ happen to be put here on these ISLANDS
lust now; it Is a beautiful place and I am
filled with it's beauty. When stepped on
the steamer I didn't count On staying
here for but a day, but 1 counted with
out my host My host was my good old
friend the Rev Mr.. Kincaid, and when
/ got up to his house on the hillside
found 1t was a beautiful house indeed,
and it pleased me; I like to see ministers
nicely located, in beautiful homes on hill
sides, where they can have such views
of the grand old ocean; it's a good place
for them to stay in and hatch out SER
mons.
well, when 1 got there the next thing
I knew was in the hands of the minis
ters and they wouldn't let me go away II
l wanted to, and 1 didn't want to: so
here I am. When / was in Pittsburg
once I didn't intend to stay either, but
friend of mine got hold of me and
took me to minister and pretty soon
they had me in a church and I was
preaching; I kept preaching, glory be to
God, until $500 souls signed the pledge.
1t was the time of big strike and Ia
borers were starving-great big fellows,
as big as the engines they used to run
why, they were walking UP and down the
city, shaking the houses with every step,
but, bless your hearts, their stomachs
were empty, poor fellows. We didn't go
out and howl temperance to them; not
much, we fed 'em; that's what you have
got to do; you have got to feed men be-
fore you can do anything with them.
You can't get people together on fire.
works all the time. Food is what they
have to have-Jesus Christ had to have
it, the greatest Preacher that was ever
on earth had to be fed. That is what
they had to do to me when they saved
me-they had to feed me, and to clothe
me, too, glory be to God for the memory
of it.
.I have come to stay with you for a
little while I don't want to offend any
one I know what 1t is to go into a
mans garden and weed 1t for him. It's
a mighty delicate task, and the weeds
hurt when they come up. I don't want
to offend anybody, but maybe will. I
tell you what you do-why if you hear
me say anything that offends you. you