Rensselaer Union, Volume 6, Number 25, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 12 March 1874 — THE PRAYER MOVEMENT. [ARTICLE]

THE PRAYER MOVEMENT.

Continued Spread of the "Woman's Praying Movement—lts Progress in Ohio, and Its Appearance in the East and the Far West—A Graphic Account of the Work in Richmond, Ind.—The Crnsade Began in Chicago—An Incident of the Movement at Xenia, Ohio. The Temperance Praying Movement grows' apace. From almost every portion of the country reports are received of the progress the ladies arc making in the work of shutting up saloons and converting their keepers. Of course the largest measure of success attends their labors in Ohio, where the movement originated, but even there the novelty of the movement has to a certain extent worn off, and in some localities the ladies have abandoned the gentler weapons of prayer and song and laid hold upon those furnished by the laws, the latter being used only when the former are ineffectual. It is estimated tbat up to the Ist of this month over 1,500 saloons had been closed in Ohio alone, and their death-dealing contents emptied into the public gutters. The machinery of The law has in some cases been invoked to stay the-efforts of the ladies, but so far, up to this writing, no injunction has been granted which has been able to stand the, test of judicial investigation. The case at Hillsboro was decided in favor of the praying women, but an appeal was taken to a higher court, and the matter is yet undetermined. At Oxford ofae Blander berg bad a petition filed for an injunction, but oo the 2Stb ultimo, pending Its consideration, the Jodies assaulted him w'ith godly weapons, and be surrendered, signed the pledge, emptied the contents of his saloon into the street, and abandoned his attempt to obtain on injunction. Tho bells of

the city wore rung and there was general-re-joicing. c In New York City, Philadelphia, San Francisco and Louisville, Ky., meetings preliminary to a crusade have been held, and it was thought on the Ist that active praying assaults would be made during the first week in March. The following account of the experience of a prayihg band at Richmond, Ind., as detailed by a Chicago correspondent, will prove interesting: With drooping heads and funereal tread we crunched the frozen snow beneath our feet, atfd'thue moved along, wheeling Into a cross'fitreet; and.then, the head of the procession sank to its knees. A moment later and the party had grouped itself upon its knees close to the wall, in front of a disreputable-looking whisky-shop, whose door was locked. A tremulous voice iu prayer rose ’upon the air. The rabble gathered from every direction and soon tire prostrate group wag fringed by a dense mob of jostling hoys, of men and women. The sidewalk opposite became speedily lined; vehicles stopped in the street; and there was formed a semicircle of several hundred around the praying women. “Dear Jesus, may not this man find the door shut against him when he seeks to enter at the last great hour,” was the theme of the first woman’s prayer, and it was taken up by all the others. A couple or three prayers, and then all rose to sing, and then down they sank again on the icy stones, and with upturned faces pleaded with Heaven for forgiveness of the barricaded sinner who furtively peered at them from a fissure in the window. The outlying mob was simply tolerant — nothing more. It did not jeer or scoff; but it retained its bat on its head, it continued to smoke its abominable pipe, it did not omit its conversation, it looked on without conviction, without appreciation, without feeling. In about thirty minutes the procession moved on. Four saloons were visited, and to but one was it given admission. This one was a German saloon, whose owner shook hands with all the ladies as they entered, and then considerately slammed the door in the face of the rabble, which thereafter amused itself by banging the windows and rattling the latch. Ineffectual attempts were made by prayers and earnest personal solicitations to induce the proprietor of this saloon to abandon the traffic, after whieh the ladies returned to the church, where there were a few fervent prayers, a few hymns earnestly given and then an adjournment. The sensationat Xenia, 0., is a little boy of seven years whom the ladies had found in one of the saloons visited and now closed. At the first call the little fellow joined them in importuning his parents to quit selling liquors, and when the ladies noticed this they asked if he would join them in praying to God to lead his parents to quit, and after an affirmative answer lie knelt and intelligently joined in the prayers. Afterward the ladies asked him if he knew the nature of a pledge, and if he would like to' sign it himself. After they became satisfied that he was acting he took the paper and wrote upon it very legibly James P. Foley. After the surrender be was very ambitious to help pour out the beverage, and himßelf discharged the contents of several bottles of liquor. He is a very interesting and precocious child, and is made tho special subject of prayers. His parents almost idolize the boy, and a little child is leading them in a better way. —— 1 '■ m . On the afternoon of the 28th ult. a prayer meeting was held in a saloon in Chicago, located on the corner of Madison and Clinton streets. Three ladies only joined in prayer, and the exercises were interrupted to some extent by a crowd of boisterous and unmannerly roughs. The ladies have promised to thoroughly prosecute their work in that city, but the most hopeful of the temperance reformers are not sanguine of great success. The Indies of Columbus, Ohio, commenced active work in the cause of temperance on the 3d. Prayer-meetings were held at 10 a. m. and at 2 p. m., and about 3 p. m. 200 ladies left the church and n. arched to the American Hotel, headed by the Chief of Police and one patrolman to keep the streets open, leaving the church filled with people to pray for those who went out to work. The bells of three churches were tolled while the procession was moving. They called upon several saloons and hotels, prayed, sang and appealed to their proprietors to abandon the traffic, and then the procession returned to the place of starting, where they were heartily welcomed and congratu-: lated. Letters were read from a prominent saloon-keeper stating that he had stopped selling liquor, and from a brewer, sayiDg he would never lirew another keg of beer. The ladies were greatly encouraged, and would renew the warfare on the following day. The movement was inaugurated also in various other portions of the State. In Indianapolis a Women’s Temperance Union w,s organized and the prayer movement would soon lie started in that city. In Waukegan, 111., the temperance question was the issue in the municipal election. The temperance candidate received 384 votes and the aßti-temperance 391. A majority of the Aldermen were understood to be liquor men.