Omaha daily bee., 1917-01-07
By EDGAR c. SNYDER.

congressional temperance meet
ing to be held at the hall of the
house of representatives on SUM-
day evening, the 18th instant, at
7 o'clock to encourage by your
presence the effort to stay the
progress of the tide of intemper-
ance which is now devastating
the land.
That is the text of document ap-
pertaining to the most striking cpl
sode in the social history of the con-
gress of the United States. 1t is I'M
official, but its Importance as illustra-
tive of the characters of some of our
American political leaders will be rec.
ognized without any serious intellec-
tual embarrassment The meeting for
which the invitation was extended
took place duly and quite successfully.
1t was attended by an overflow crowd
of members of both houses OF con-
gress, citizens of Washington and
visitors to the national capital. The
president of the senate presided and
spoke at length. The speaker of the
house, senators and representatives
delivered earnest addresses, all OF
which aroused great enthusiasm.
Many signed a pledge of total absti-
nence from all Intoxicating beverages.
Should such an invitation be sent
out at this time for temperance or
prohibition meeting in hall OF con-
gress and result in having Vice Presi-
dent Marshall preside and speak and
Speaker Champ Clark participate in
the oratory, Washington and the rest
of the country would take lively no.
tice and want to know all about it
The meeting for which the invita-
ton quoted was issued was held Just
about fifty years ago-February II,
1867. The invitation bore the sigma.
lures of Speaker Schuyler Colfax OF
Indiana, Senators Samuel C.. Pomeroy
of Kansas, w. E. Dodge of Iowa, J:
w. Patterson of New Hampshire and
Richard Yates of Illinois. -,
No reference. was made in the
Washington press to this famous
Temperance meeting. 1t had not been
foreshadowed in the printed news OF
the day, except such as was suggested
in a fve-line advertisement which ap-
peared prior to the occasion in the
Washington National Intelligencer.
The proceedings of congress had long
been reported infinitely and exhaus,,
lively by the local press, as compared
to the treatment they receive now
adays from that source, but social
affairs were never in the least degree
topics of publicity unless of unmistak-
able political significance, and then,
like as not, in mystifying guise.
At that meeting of fifty years ago
ito stay the progress of the tide OF
intemperance," of which the only mar
rative extant is its secretarys report,
which exists in pamphlet form in the
library of congress, long before the
assembling hour, as the reader is in.
formed, the hall of the house and
the galleries were filled with senator's
and representatives, their families and
friends and visitors to the city, while
hundreds, unable to get even stand
ing space, were turned away.
The meeting was called to order
by Senator Henry Wilson of Massa-
chusetts, afterward vice president,
who, after prayer by the chaplain OF
the house, delivered a long address.
Mr.. Wilson stated that the meeting
grew out of the determination of sew
eral members of congress to form a
society ito put from US forever the
fatal cup of intoxication. | bid you
one and all welcome" he said, ION
this occasion, which we humbly trust
in the providence of Almighty God
will contribute toward correcting the
multitudinous evils of drunkenness
, that in this age are sweeping over the
land"
Representative Hiram Price OF
Iowa, the next speaker, devoted him
self mainly to warning his hearers
of the dangers exuding from the ex-
ample of the moderate drinker." A
huge proportion of the drunkenness
prevalent in the land he charged to
the complacent indulgenees of the
moderate drinker" E... T +
Representative Samuel Mckee OIL
Kentucky contributed the reflection
that most unhappy train of evils
proceeded from the social allurements
supplied in the all-round good fel,
low" kind of man. ~
Judged by the frequent laughter
and applause" bracketed in the re.
port the most interesting speech Of
the occasion was by Senator Rich.
ard Yates of Illinois, who, then in
the prime of life, had long been
prominent in the affairs of his state
as legislator and as its governor. He
gave some of his personal experiences
He had been one of the moderate
drinkers" possibly one of the "good
fellows" and again something else
He had known occasions when. his
most genteel indulgences had turned
up unexpectedly source of annoy
ance. 1t had subjected him to mis-
representation; it had flung upon his
name shadow it did not merit. But
he confessed there had come time
when he realized that for him one
drink was enough, two were moi
enough, three were entirely INSULT
Gent and four were chaos. Then il
was-and recently; he determined
never again to touch; taste or han
die the unclean thing Thinking o.
Katie and the children, he sat dowr
and wrote his wife what he had done
The senator took. letter from hi:
pocket and read:
Dear Richard: How beautiful is THU
morning! How bright the sun shines! How
sweet the, birds sing How happy Is m!
heart, I see the smile of God, He hal
answered the prayer. Always proud o
your success-you have achieved a success
which God and angels bless; you have con
ouered yourself All who love you will
aid you to keep the pledge. love you
dear boy. KATIE
First Congressional Temperance
Wave.
Many of that meeting of fifty year.
-, r.. e IL i,a., IL,