Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1910-01-26
DRINK EVIL STAGED
"CoIumbia's Congress" Pre-
sented by w. c 7. U.
PROHIBITION is ITS THEME
Deals With Liquor Traffic in Ma
tional Capital.
SYMPOSIUM OF OPINIONS
Prominent Advocates of White Rib
bon Cause Express Impromptu
Views at Mock Congress.
SYMPOSIUM OF OPINIONS

King Alcohol was theoretically de-
throned last night, ANONYMOUSLY chased
out Of the District of Columbia with
| following of sixty saloons trailing be-
hind, and on the vacant throne was
placed the twentieth century ideal, Queen
Prohibition.
1t all happened at the presentation of
"Columbia's Congress- a temperance
drama written by member of the Wash
ington w. c. T. L., for the first time last
night, in the National Rifles Armory.
"Columbias Congress- met with an en-
thusastic reception, and will be repeated
tonight. The proceeds are for sinews of
war in the fight against the liquor traf-
fic III Washington.
Written by Mrs. S. B. Blaine.
Mrs suessa Balridge Blaine, the author,
wrote the story at the suggestion of Mrs.
Clinton Smith and other w. C. T. u. Of
ficers, with the idea of producing some
thing unique to provoke interest in the
cause of temperance. "Columbia's' Con-
gress' provides a stage entertainment
portraying the evils of drink.
The story Is built around the idea or
Uncle Sam and Miss Columbia participant
| ing in the deliberations of a congress
called to settle the liquor question once
| and for all. The climax comes with
denunciation by Uncle Sam Of the liquor
pass suitable prohibition laws.
| The entertainment has no plot to speak
of. A series Of scenes, beginning with
state representations, depicts present con-
ditions ascribed to the promiscuous sale
of liquor, the gradual advance of the
cause Of prohibition and the final demand
to eliminate legalized liquor trade from
one end of the country to the other.
Symposium of Opinions.
| In these scenes are a number of prohi-
bition songs and choruses, temperance dec
lamations and a symposium of all the
evidence pro and con on the liquor ques-
ton. In the symposium appeared the
opinions of Washington men prominent in
all walks of life. from the medical pro-
| fession to the judiciary. The speeches
were impromptu and gave the respective
ideas of the speakers who took part on
the liquor evil
Near the close Of the entertainment
| Mrs Blaine was called before the curtain
and given an enthusiastic reception by
the audience and players alike. Later She
was the recipient of congratulations by
active W. c. T. u. workers and others on
the success of her work.
/ Among the best individual numbers Of
| the entertainment were: solo, THE
Drunkard's Child" adapted to Schubert's
| Serenade," sung by Master Joseph e.
Merrick. former chorister in ono Of the
Washington churches; several selections
Of the Nordica Mandolin and Guitar
| Sextet. a recitation The Drunkards
Wife," by Miss Grace Ross. and solo.
a Hymn mt, to the Flag" prelude to the
The prohibition battle song was sung by
a chorus Of seventy-fiye feminine voices.
Players and Speakers.
Those who portrayed the characters
and participants in the symposium were
Miss Lula Waters. George Spiedel, An
drew Wilson, Alfred Wood, Creed NJ
Fulton, Edward Braithawaite, Stanton
Henry. Richard Mattingly. Earl G. Tor
bour.- Miss Ethel LASER. Miss Olea NJ.
Wood, Miss Edith Maddox, B. P. En-
trikin. Harry Bowen, Miss Lille Town
send, Miss Ella Allen, Mrs. Samuel Koo-
kogy, Rev. Arthur w. Spooner. w. w.
MILAN. A. W. starrat, William A. Nor
ris. L. NJ. Bragier. Rev. p. c. Dinwid-
die, A. E. Shoemaker, Mrs. Charles P.
Grandfield, Miss Eleanor e. Walker, Mas
ter Albert Phillips, Miss Gladys Emig,
Clarence e. Fries. Samuel Hardy. Mary
Hardy. E. L. Finch. o. c. Cowans, D. J.
Finn, Arthur Guilford, Miss Regaina
Fries, Miss Annie Lawson, Master Will
liam Ferguson. Mrs. Elsie F. Moore Lin
liam H. De Lacy. A. NJ. Keppel, Ed
ward Tarring, Louis F. Zinkham, Capt.
John c. Daley, Rev. Zed H. Copp, Miss
Hattie Worthington, c. e. Beckett, Miss
Helen Hall Henry. Emery LASER. G: w.
Hancock, U. S. A.; e. Stewart Wiley,
w. H. Evans, E. l.. Finch, Hoyt A. Hol-
ton. George T. Ash, Miss Grace Ross,
Master Joseph E. Merrick and Mrs. Ar
thur G. Dunn.
The states and territories in the several
choruses were represented by Misses Nell
lie McClaren, Lawanda II. Strait, Miriam
Kramer. Eta Jackson, Reva Sammis,
Edith Athey. Mabel Thompson. Elsie
Thompson; Carrie Dunn. Florence Jett,
Dick, Katherine Reber, Helen Woods.
Annie Lawson, Sallie E. Beamer, Frances
Johnson, Claire Lusby. Georgianna Locke,
Lula Roberts, Olea NJ. Wood, Lena NJ
Nellie Sebastian. Ella Allen. Kathryn
Murphy, Gwynette w. Christian, Ruth G.
Buzzard, E. Pearle Grigsby, Henrietta E.
kluge, Maud Donaldson, Ruth Talbot.
Larlmore, Florence Simpson. Florence
Evans, Helen Grandfield, Ella Falconer,
Bertha Frances Drew. Agnes Shiel, Mercy
Adkins. Edith Maddox. Katie Woods,
Zerilda Logue, BERTHE Zellers, Mrs. G. H.
Montgomery and Mrs. Ethel v. Fowler.
The production is under the direction
of the following committee Of the W. c.
T. o.: Mrs. Don P. Blaine. Miss Eleanor
E. Walker. Miss Olea NJ. Wood, Miss
Naomi Seltzer Miss E. Pearle Grigsby,
Mrs. A. c. Giles, Miss Mamie Heiser,
Miss Nellie Dom, Miss Mabel Thompson,
Miss Florence Jet, Miss Alta z. CoblentZ,
Miss Irene Umberger. Mrs. Robert Jen-
kins. Mrs. Annie E. Grigsby. Mrs. Frank
Higgins, Mrs. r. A. Talbot, Miss Ethel
LASER, Miss Agnes Shell. Miss Hilda
North, Mrs. Sidney II. Phillips, Mrs. NJ.
G. Copeland. Mrs. NJ. E. Henry. Mrs. Clin-
ton Smith and Mrs. Jennie W.. Robinson.