Conway's Views

Dr. Conway, the teinperance revivalist, lias been peculiarly unfortunate since he began the work of snatcliing Michigan trom the hands of Satan, in that he lias been continually beset by a deluge of adverse public opinión. Whether he appears to be borne down In my degree by it or not, to stem it as he seems desirous of stemming it, by soaring above it, must requtre an excrtion which greatly adds to the herculean labors neces.sary to the accomplishment of his great wort Of sa ving fallen humanity. But Dr. Conway is not an ordinary man. Perhaps the w.iil of the multitude therefore has not the weight In his mind that it would in that of the ordinary man. There is evidence to enCOUrage this belief. Tlie ordinary ma: after the onslaught of Dr. Pope, ofAnn Arbor would have at least been extremely cautious how his feetwere placed, extremely caut ons of liis acts or the acts of those who associated with him and extremely cautious of wliom those associates were. The Doctor seems to have none of thecantious Instinct of the ordinary man and in addltlon to this appears wholly indilt'erent to what the public may think or say. Heing a public character and in a work where the eftect must be far froin permanent unless the conception of the ideal is ful tilied, and knowing this, the Doctor's position is all the more puzzling. When Dr. Conway carne to Port Huron lus introductory work was to provide tlie necessary vocal and instrumental accessones to a temperance revival. In niaking these steps he was introduced to a young lady of considerable accomplishment, both in vocal and instrumental music. This young lady was living with her married sister, and althotigh of age was practically under her sister's fjuardianship, and so her parents considered her in consenting to her residence here. The greatest coulidence existed between these two ladies and it was ahvays the younger sister's custom to consult her eider sister and to be guided by hercounsels. The eider sister was also a vocalist and the result of the Doctor's introduetion to the family was that both ladies were invited to assist in the meetings. They accepted, being associated as colaborers with Dr. Conway In a cause they feit deeply interested in. It is not strange that the usual circumlocutive methods of arriving at intímate acquaintance were lost sight of. The young lady's sweet voice, winning manneis, poetic beauty and lady-like hearing and her enthusiasm in the work seemed quiekly to impress the Doctor favorably, and he soon began to tind it convenient tocallupon herself and married sister. These calis were always looked upon by the married sister as unobjectionable from the claimed fact that the Doctor early announced that he was married, and that his conversation was burdened with the great work he was dolng. Then visits became more frequent as thedays went by and the interest in the good work increased. It was one of the last calis the doctor made prior to his departure from Port Huron that he suggested, so the married sister state?, that he would like to have the younger lady to assist him at Ann Arbor. She was enraptured with the work and had great faith in the doctor and seemed far from unwilling to accept the invitation, but the married sister made some objection and the matter dropped. Soon after Dr. Couway left the city. At Ann Arbor Dr. Conway resumed his war on intemperance. But a few days elapsed and the young lady received a telegram from the doctor askiug her to joiu him at Ann Arbor. The married sister objected. The younger sister thought that it would not do to say no without a provisión, so a telegram was sent by the married sister, stating that the young sister couldn't go as she had a sore throat, an actual fact. Dr. Conway linished his labors at Ann rbor and removed his tent to Flint where he at once began anothercriisadeon king ilcohol At the height of the battle he one day bethougtit himself, it is presurnable, of those whom he liad placed in the riht path at Port Huron and determined"to ome over here for a few hours and sec that all was passing on. While here he dropped in just before dinner at the residence of the sisters and asked tor a private interview with the younger sister after he had dined at the Huron House, so the eider sister says. After his departure the eider sister objected to the interview on the grounds, among others, that the young sister was already engaged I to be married and the intimacy with the doctor ought to go no farther than it had onealreidy. The interview occurred, ïlowever, she states. A few days a te ra telegram' for the young girl arr.ved I tro m Flint Thia telegram invited her, the eider sister states, to take part " a concert The eider sister objected but the "irl decided to go. She did go, and on fc'av ng said ttatTf she did not return the next day it need cause no surprise as she w is 1 kelv to go on to Toledo as she had onVèx 'eyctedgl0 do, and visit her father flus was two weeks ago to day. The vouiH'lady di'I not return. 'Ihe eider Jis ter was Li worricd becm.se she thought her In Toledo with her father. Her smDriH WM great when she received a letter from the doctor dated Flint, Jan. 21, vhïïh began "DearFrlend. Don't be alarmed at thecontinued absence of Miss - - because she has been of material assistance to me in oor sncoessfnl work in tliis city." The letter goes on to rate the sister's woik high, to say that the sister lias rontracted to travel with them. Tlien lie incidentally mentiona Airs. Conway und that slie ''travele with us. " XV hen the eider sister had tinished tlie letter her surprise was greater. She at onoe telegraphed lier sister tocóme home. The telegram did not reach lier. Then she advised with a tady frlend and that lady escorted her frieuds to Sagin&w Saturday In hopes to meet the doctor there as he had tnentloned Kast Snginaw in the letter. She met him on the stairs of the Everett House. The doctor who had known her welldid not, as stated, recognize her at first. When he did, aecording to her stor}-, he appeared dazed. When she inquired for the young lady, he appeared to her to reluctautly direct lier to the young lady's room. The Interview then was unsatisfactory, the young lady who was an intímate friend saying little and that constrainedly. She did not see Mis. Conway, nor hear of lier. Home again. Sunday she called on the married sister. The first train to East Saginaw Monday had both friends as passengers. There was a stormy interview at the Everett house, verystormy. The doctor was denonnced, in the eider sister's wrath, as a hypocrite; as having palmed him=elf off as a single man and afterwards clainiing tobe married; as representing to liave the girl under the protectiou of his wife, mil ypt. t.hnre was 110 wife there; as dishonorably inducing tor to take a step, which however free froin error, was calculated to throw damaging suspieions on her. There was much of tliis sort of talk, she says, and the eud was that the younger sister remained with the doctor and the eider sister and mutual friend carne home, both distracted and both far trom holding Dr. Conway in liighesteem. Last night when the eider sister was seen b3r a Tekgraph reporter she said : " I have wrilten my father and brother. My mother suffers trom heart disease and tlie shock would probubly kill her were it to come suddenly. My sister has marked talent for the stage. She loves public applanse. Her mind is one easily intluenced by a stronger and more subtle one. Dr. Conway knew her ambitions and temperament. His influence over lier is therefore very great. It bas made her brave public opinión aud travel with him and Mr. Welinore without fcnialc coinpanionship. Mr. Jones, by the way, has fallen out with the doctor. I have reason to believe that kindly advice giveu my sister, and objections raised by him to the course his leader was pnrsuing, brought about the separation. My brother once told my sister that if she went on the stage lie'd shoot her. Yet the stage, unless one wills it, does not necessarily injure a girl's reputation. l'm sure that my sister is true to her womanhood, but she is evidently under a spell and what it may result in unless broken I tremble to contémplate. What my brother will do I know not. l'm of the opmion that he will consider her present position hardly equal to one on the stage, l hope he'll do nothing rash, and be able to briiig the dear girl back again. Dr. Conway protests bis innocence of bad faith and says his wife is delayed by sickness from joinIng him at East Saginaw. He showed me a telegram to that effect. But it said she was to be there Saturday and it was Monday atternoon when I saw it and she had not yet come. What adds to my anxiety is the fact that my sister unexpectedly seen in the Everett "House by our mutual friend when out from under Dr. Couway's eye, said that Dr. Conway had promised to marry her as soon aa he could get a divorce." Dr. Conway's peculiar views on public opinión may have blinded him to his young vocalist's position. The public will wait impatientiy until Peb. 6. when his general vindication is to be made at Ann Arbor. He will greatly disappoint if he does not give a few woids then in explanation of his connection with the circumstances so fully noted above, To snpplement the above the Saginaw Daily Courier of Feb. 2, says: WHO TELLS THE Tnl'TII? Another Chapter in the Conway Matter- The Statement Made by the Parties Ilere Flatly Contradicted. The Port Huron Telegraph of yesterday, coinmentingon the article appeaiïng in the Saginaw papers, relativo to certain charges made in Port Huron against Dr. Conway, now in this city, says: "Dr. Conway does not state why be represeuted, as the sister of the young Port Hurou lady stated to a Telegraph reporter, that he said to her, that he was not married. Ho does not state why he wrote the lady's sister a letter, stating that Mrs. Conway was traveling with him, when, as construed from above, Mrs. Conway was in Philadelphia. The Telegraph wants to believe that Dr. Conway's acts are prompted by noble and unsellish i motives, but wishes he would encourage it more in that direction. Of the young lady there is not much to say. Until she so peculiarly engaged herself as an assistant of Dr. Conway in his temperance work, no occasion had been given for even gossip in regard to her. It is probable that lier intentious are good. Her past conduct will go a long way toward supporting her many friendsin this belief. Yet the Telegraph still feels willi the public that whatever blame there exists should rest with Dr. Conway, who, bemg a man of the world, must know better than an innocent young lady how readily the tongue of the busybodv wags, and who should at least have advised her to await his wife's coming before entering upon her contract. Had this been done, no matter what objections the eider sister might have raised, all possibihty ot a public misconception of motives must have been swept away. A reporter of the TelegrapU called on the married sister last night. She seemed alinostheartbroken. On beingshownaSaginawpapershesald.insubstance: ' 1 Uon t want to say anything that will briiig out a newspaper wrangle. Everythmg I haye said and done has heen with onlv one lect in view-the girPs benefit. I love her more than I do my own life. She isdearer to me than any one else in the world. 1 did no more than lier own mother would do Tliere are no corrections to be tnacle to the article appeaiing in the Telegraph. The doctor did very positivey declare himself unmarried during lus labor here The statement were true, and no amount of mere denial will prove they are not. The stories told to the Saginaw paper deny everything point-blank. I he girl herself, if not under his control, could not speak as she did The marmert affection and firmest conlldence existed between us. We had no secrets, and as she was younger than fj. her, and ber parents understood this. btie has never contributed to tny extent to the support of the fatnily, nor lma she been asked to. It is but recentlv that slie lias been in :i position to do so. In regard to Conway's not asking lier to go to Aun Arbor, this telegram is pertinent: Axn Anr.on, Micli., Dec. 27.- Mis? : Expeet you for concert to-morrow iiight. - Leave Fort Hnion on early mornnr train. Chango at junction before yon reaob Detroit, so you sret Michigan Central train that reacties liere 11 o'cloek to-morrow. Biing lots of music. Will pay your expenses wlien you reacli liere and moet you at depot. Dr. J. II. Cos wat. "Tlus ménage seeraa strange indeed if we take the view th.it he had never broaclied tlie subject before. Here is the telegram the Doctor sent from F! int : "Fi.int, Micli, Jan. 15.- Miss ■ - : Will you condescend to sing at grand concert Wednesday ? Answer. J. II. CONWAY." "I reluctantly consenled to let her go for one uight, as the message asked. That the plan of her continued stav with the Doctor was arranged during the private interview he held with her 011 his flying visit herethere can be no doubt. I knew nothing of this. Her denial of being asked to return home, and of the nature of my visit to East Saginavv, I can hardly believe. I can't say anything kind about Mr. Conway, but I oan't say anything harsh about my sister. All I want is for lier to come home and not break her poor niother's heait and drive me distracted. If she will ouly come home, 110 one will say aiiythinsr to her about the unfortunate afluir. I tlon't raind the cruel things she said about me in the Saginaw papers, for it was not ia her own kind heart to say them." By the foregoiug it will be seen that some one is laboring under a grcvious mistake, or else utterVng delibérate fulsehoods. The end is not seen. Several copies of the above paper were received here last week and it was soon followed by a letter to one of our citizens from the mutual friend referred to. He substantiates the account and adds : I sent yon a copy of to-day's issue of the " Port tluron Telegraph " exposing the oondnct of " Dr." James H. Oonway. The artlole is correct in every particular exoent one. viz : in the statement that the Dr. gave the " married " sister to understand that he was married. The fact is he told the married listor in the presenoe of my wife, that he was not married and was not a " manying man," or word to that effect. Having been intímate with the fauiily some ten years, we concluded that some one ought to try to induce the girl to return home. With that end in view we went to East Saginaw last Saturday (20) - having traced the part}' to that point. Ve fonnd them occupying adjoining rooms at the Everett house, bilt the girl was apparently so completely under his influence that we eotild do nothing. I pictured to her mind the perilous position she was in, how her reputation would be ruined it' nothing more serious occured, but it had no effect. She declared that the Dr. had promised her to immediately get a divorce from his wife and niarry her. He is a man of mucb magnetic influence and he seems to have her eompletely under his power. Duiing the six hours we werc there he would not allow her to go out of his sight. We eould not obtain a private interview with her. Pertinent Querles. Do the persons responsiblefor the present management of the Union Temperanee Party Club wish to promote temperance and moralily ? Can tliey still believe that any good cause is ad vaneed by the employment of such a man as Conway ? Do they not know that they are more and more disgusting decent people, and repelling their confidence and support in any work the club undertakes? Are they prepared to introduce this man into Ann Arbor homes? Are they willing to take the responsibility of further outraging the sense of deceney of this community and furtber damaging the work of moral reform ?