Albuquerque morning journal. [volume] (Albuquerque, N.M.) 1903-1926, 1915-04-02
Convention on Wheels Proves
Most Remarkable Event of
Its Kind in History of Al
buQuerQue,
HANLY BEARS DOWN
HEAVY ON SOB STUFF
Auditorium of High School Is
Packed to Its Capacity at
Final Demonstration of Pro-
hIbition Orators.

Before one of the largest crowds
ever assembled in Albuquerque
crowd that filled every seat in the
high school auditorium and formed a
deep fringe against the wall in the
rear and on the sides of the hall, for
mer Governor Frank Hanly of lndi-
ana brought to q close the three days
session Of the Flying Squadron---a Sc
ries of meetings which has no parallel
in the history of this city and which
is part Of one of the most remarka-
Bile movements that the United states
has ever known.
The most noteworthy fact about the
convention on wheels was that it
brought together in a common cause
men of every shade of religious and
political belief, men who had nothing
else whatever in common, men who
had held lifelong grudges and who
had barely spoken to each other for
years. Democrats and republicans
We'd with each other in making the
meetings success. Protestants,
Catholics and Jews spoke and prayed
for the achievement OF the pur-
poes for which the meetings were
held Whatever may be said of the
merits of the movement for nation
wide prohibition, there is no doubt
ing the intense earnestness of a large
and formidable element of the people
of Albuquerque in the belief that it is
righteous cause, nor the determina-
tion on their part that it shall sue
ceed
The Meetings in Retrospect.
At all the meetings held here, there
was, as was to have been expected, a
predominating attendance of women
but at the same time the number of
men who attended all the meetings
was large. and the close attention paid
by the masculine portion of the audi
ence TO the utterances of the orators
was marked. Men and women from
every walk Of life combined to make
up some of the most cosmopolitan
gatherings ever assembled in this city
The fame and ability of the speak
ers who composed the squadron un-
doubtedly had much to do with the
size Of the audiences but there was
no doubling that those who heard the
addresses were overwhelmingly in
sympathy with the cause for which
the orators spoke. To deny that a
very decided impetus was given TO
the prohibition movement in Albu-
querque by the efforts of the MEM
bers of the Flying Squadron would he
to refuse to look facts in the face.
II is probable that a retrospective
glance at the series of meetings by
those who attended all of them would
result in verdict that high tide was
reached on the second day of the ses-
sion, when DR.. Carolyn Geisel and
Rev. Ira Landrith were here. The
crowds yesterday were larger, but it
would be impossible for anyone to
work audiences to a higher pitch of
enthusiasm than did the speakers on
the second day. This is no dispar-
agement to the speakers who were
here on the other days. They were
all able and eloquent, but the combi-
nation Of DR.. Geisel and DR.. Land
rith seemed to be particularly happy
and a specially effective one.
Hanly's Handicap.
Former Governor Hanly was, with
the possible exception of Rev. c. M.
Sheldon, the best known of all the
orators composing the squadron, and
it was in some measure due to this
fact that the record breaking crowd
was out last night. The lndianan
possessed all the zeal and earnestness
of those who had preceded him, but
an unbiased review of his effort last
night compels the statement that GER
tain handicaps under which he
seemed to labor rendered his speech
a disappointment to many of those
who heard him.
In the first place, the speaker
seemed to be struggling un0er. a
weight of gloom which nothing would
tighten. From first to last there was
not cheerful utterance to put his
hearers in pleasant frame of mind.
He didn't even get fighting mad-~he
was merely plunged in the depths OF
dependency. A voice strongly sug-
gestive of the ante a,dlum circuit-rid-
er preaching lakes of fire and brim-
stone and the worm that dieth not
did much more to heighten this effect.
Then again, the former governor
gave the impression that he was striv-
ing for dramatic effect. As sob
artist he was a conspicuous success,
and many impressionable women and
few men were seen to sneak their