The Providence News

THE WATCH AND WARD SOCIETY.

Interesting Addresses Made at Meeting in the Banigan Building Yesterday Afternoon.

A meeting of the Providence branch of the New England Watch and Ward society was held at 4 o'clock yesterday in room 102 Banigan building, with the president, Stephen O. Edwards, Esq., in the chair.

Among those present were the following members of the clergy of this city and prominent business men connected with the movement: Rt. Rev. Father Doran, V. G., of St. Joseph's parish; Rt. Rev. William N. McVickar, D. D., bishop coadjutor of the Episcopal diocese of Rhode Island; Rev. Edmund S. Rousmaniere, rector of Grace church; Rev. Willard Selleck, pastor of the Church of the Mediator. Rev. William Sheafe Chase, rector of All Saints' church, Woonsocket; Charles Morris Smith, Jr., of this city; Professors J. Q. Dealey and Winslow Upton, of Brown university; Frederick H. Jackson and Robert P. Gifford.

Dr. James E. Sullivan of this city also showed his interest as he has heretofore, in tendering the use of a room in the Banigan building to the Watch and Ward society free of charge.

The meeting was called to order shortly after 4 o'clock by the president, after which the report of the last meeting was read by the secretary, A. W. Fairchild.

Mr. Henry M. Chase, the agent of the New England Watch and Ward society of Boston was then introduced and spoke interestingly on the work. Mr. Chase, by the way, is 78 years of age and has been the agent of the society for a period of 25 years. He was therefore able to present the subject in a most practicable and convincing manner.

He told of the character of the work which was being done by the society and of the great good which had resulted. Attention was called, however, to the fact that in beginning the work it was found necessary to secure certain changes in the laws of Massachusetts in order to obtain convictions.

In enlarging upon the difficulties of the work the speaker told of the difficulty of obtaining evidence in the suppression of gambling and houses of ill fame, etc.

Rev. Frederick B. Allen of Boston, the secretary of the New England Watch and Ward society, also spoke of the work but more in a general way, however. He dwelt more particularly upon the great need of such a work as that of the Watch and Ward society in all large cities, and emphasized the fact that a part of the great work of the society lay in the removal of the glaring temptations which surround young people and children, such as the suppression of improper shows, indecent pictures, as seen upon the bill boards of the streets, etc.

In closing he urged persistent determined work on the part of the promoters of this society work that should result in the city of Providence being made a cleaner, purer place in which to live.

Bishop McVickar was the final speaker and he argued that there is just as much necessity for vigilance and work in this city on the part of the Watch and Ward society as in Boston or elsewhere. He believed that the work of the recently appointed police commission was a step in the right direction.

At the close of the public meeting a meeting of the board of directors of the society was held.