The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1907-11-19

The prohibition movement has been
launched in earnest in this city AM
n hot campaign, under the direction
Of Rev. F. d. Hale, pastor OF the First
BAPTIST Church, Evangelist Nordlcal
Ham, and the anti saloon league OF
this city. will be carried on. At the
mass meeting at the First Baptist
Church last night 388 signatures were
secured to the petition TO the board OF
aldermen calling for a prohibition ele'-
ton in Wilmington Ii a systematic
canva will be made by the executive
committee Of the anti-salOOn league
10 gain other signatures until the re-
CURED one-third of the registered
voters nave put their names on the
petition. If successful in this the pc
titiOn will be submitted to the board
Ct aldermen at their January meet
ing.
The petition reads as follows:
ITO the Honorable Mayor and Board
Of Aldermen of the City of Whining
r ton, North Carolina,
1--WE, the undersigned registered W.
tiers, who were duly registered for the
preceding municipal election IN the
city Of Wilmington, North Carolina.
which was held on the eth Gay of May.
A. D., 1907, respectfully petition your
honorable board to cali a local option
election, as provided cor by the laws
OF the state Of North Carolina, and
1yIap on nlnHtiDn ntynr fhjTty- in VIC
notice, as provided for by section 2O69
of the revisal of the laws of North
Carolina, 1905, and chapter 100 Of the
public laws of North Carolina, session
1907, for the purpose Of determin-
ing:
First. Whether Intoxicating II
qUOrs shall be manufactured in the
city of Wilmington, North Carolina.
Second. Whether intoxicating Ii
Guors shall be sold in the city OF Will
mington, North Carolina.
And we further petition your hon
authorized by law Cor holding said
election and declaring the result there
CT"
The following report of last nights
meeting was made Tor The Messen-
ger:
The revival at the First Baptist
church last night took somewhat OF
a sensational turn, DIS least so far as
prohibition is concerned.
Evangelist Ham, under the direc-
ton of the anti-salOon league, formally
opened the prohibition campaign by
delivering an effective and telling talk
on the moral issue involved in the
legal sale of Intoxicating liquors.
Long before the time for the open
ing Of the meeting the big auditorium
was being rapidly flied by the inter
ested men OF the city At 1880 p. m,
the seating capacity Of the church was
taxed to it's utmost and standing room
was at a premium.
The entire lower floor of the church
was packed with men while the gal
leries We're crowded with women and
children.
The meeting opened with gospel ana
temperance songs by the Junior
Choir which occupied the south end
of the gallery.
The evangelist stated that he would
call his talk Facts and Rene
dies"
Mr.. Ham said: I'm not here to
abuse anybody. I was sent here to
bring you a ray of nope. | have nc
abuse for the liquor man He is your
agent. He pays you so much money
and you give him the privilege of sell
ing it. / have no abuse for the poor
fellow who drinks it.
Now, what is causing this moral
wave all over the country? 1t is
because men ave begun to study this
question.
II find that drunkenness is the
curse of this town. Most Of the con-
verts of this revival are the victims
of the drink habit. Every day I have
broken hearted wives and mothers
come to me and ask me to pray for
their sons u husbands; that drink
is their besetting sin.
did you know that 1t is conceded
by people who know that it takes %
new converts to the drink habit to
keep them coming, therefore you
have here 1900 new converts to the
saloon annually and it is running your
citizens and those all around you.
THAT is one fact, but it isn't the
only one that We have confronting
us here. Nobody wants the finished
product of the saloon If o open
kind of business you expect the product
to be in demand. But no II want
the saloons product. Isn't it a very
poor business that no one will take
the DrO6uct of