The Ocala evening star., 1910-10-26
HEARD BY FULL HOUSE
Address Of Mrs. Curtisa at the Temple
Last Night


pie Theater last night on the temper
ance question. She is here at the urg-
enr request OF Miss Minnie Neal of
Jacksonville. president of the Florida
w. c. T. t. 20 aid them in their ef-
forts 70 vote out the saloon in this
state.
Or, W. Fl. Dodge made the an
nouncement that she would speak from
the band stand this afternoon and
would meet the women of Ocala on
Thursday morning at 10 o'clock at the
VI. F. church. The Baptist and Meth
odist choirs then sang a number of
temperance songs. Rev. H. E Gabby
offered a prayer. when Mrs. II. c.
Packham. president Of the Ocala ". c.
IT. L. introduced Mrs. Curtis in a few
we'll chosen words. emphasizing the
| fact that Mrs. Curtis was the woman
who met the legislature two years ago
and spoke to them for the privilege OF
granting 10 the voters of Florida the
opportunity of voting on the present
proposed prohibition amendment. and
tuo doubt her touching words OF home
and purity had much TO do with the
passage of the bill.
Mrs. Curtis received with ap 1
plause She spoke for two hours and |
the longer she spoke the nearer she |
got to the hearts and heads OF her au- |
dience and we believe had she kept on
an hour longer she would have induced |,
every man in the house to pledge his !
vote for the amendment.
Mrs. Curtis labored under very Sc
we're cold. but that didn't seem to
make much difference. She opened her
address by quoting the words Of Tim
, othy. Look them up. She gloried in
the fact that not a distillery existed
in Texas and said ii wouldn't be long
before there wouldn't he wet coun-
ty in the state. She spoke OF the
. spirit and worldwide sentiment that
was abroad in favor Of temperance
and how that spirit has grown. Said
. that a petition weighing $1,000 pounds
was presented to Parliapent in Eng
land asking the abolition Of the sa-
loon: that the Emperor Of Germany
was a white ribboner: France had
awakened TO the terrible effects OF al
cohol on her people and Russia would
s not allow the national emblem to float
over spot where liquor was sold and
that every bottle of vodka was labeled
with the skull and crOsS-boneS.
She told how small evils grew and
in time became so gigantic that they
appalled, the world and destroyed gov
ernment. It all started from a barrel
of cider in New England cellar and
II sideboard in a Southern home They
had created mercenary spirit that
has disgraced the land with diStilleries
ness degradation and lost manhood
tite that has drenched the land in sOr-
row and tears.
She then formulated this question:
- What are the elements and character
? istics of the cOntending forces in this
great contest? On one side are ar
iraved the church. the schools and the
home: on the other. saloons. gambling
dens and houses of infamy. She ask
1, ed what element and character main
tairs and supports them. Everything
that represents manhood. Christian
virtue and the saving grace Of woman
hood are on one side. while drunken
ness. degradation and lost manhood
and womanhoOd represent the other
- side. She lined them up with graphic
description that made the blood creep
Speaking of the growing sentiment
II in favor of temperance. she enumerat'
ed 4s big daily papers that were wide
open in their plea for it. naming {
- number that had openly fought th'
- fight to drive out the saloon Sh'
gloried in the fact that conscience ant
not dollars was on the side OF decenc!
~ and sobriety. Not only 4S big dailie
supported prohibition. but also Al o
90 the leading magazines.
She showed how the local optiol
forces of Alabama contaminated tn
. press of that state by sending ther
- 500 to advocate that issue and wit
"a promise of more to follow il NOR
space used. She said it was don
not only in Alabama. but in Florid
and other states.
She said what a glorious thought
p'- that twenty-five million schoC
&. the curse of rum. but how it wOul
wreck every man and every hOm
where an appetite for whisky existed
leF She said she had great curiosity I
eS, know how the 10000 teachers Of he
30. state stood on this burning questio
. and out of that number only four or
posed the issue.
III She then paid her attention to til
u local option crew in Florida and did
MN so naively and good-naturedly ths
she set the house in a roar. when sf
showed the pictures of the leader
g. She then took a shot at the franchis
la saying. oh. yes. the lords Of creatio
had the ballet and exercised it. b,
70 instead Of protecting the home. II
wife and children. they protected II
to saloons. She was in favor of equ
rights 80 all and special privileges
none. Then why not permit in Oca
- as many saloons for women as f
- men, if the mems saloons are not d
II cent places for women TO go. She sa
III was il possible for men to SO low
III themselves. when in the next brea
III they would die for women. Yet with a
| their chvalry and love for wOme
III permit this wrong and insult to sta
III her in the face and not wipe it off Il
/ face of the earth.
III She then took up the illustration
n revenue gotten from the saloon.
III this revenue were equally distribute
III in Ocala it would only amount TO %
III head. She said, why men. hogs a
III worth zoe. a pound. She drew mo
II laughable picture Of hen and n
~ chtckens and a hawk. How she gat
ers her chicks under her wings VIII
- the shadow of the hawk Is cast Ov
< her. Then she realizes that she car
p. fight the hawk with the chicks und
Ia her wings. She gives a signal. {
~ little ones scatter in all direction
e seeking places of refuge. and she tn
e poses for a battle royal with the haw
- But where. she asked is the rooSte