Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1881-11-24
Washington Letter.
TmE GREAT WoMAS's TEMPERANCE Con-
vEHrros-LADIEs At THE GUITEAU TRIAL.
WAsuISGToS. Nov. |

WASHINGTON, Nov. II.
The Womans National Christian
Temperance Union has recently ended its
annual convention here, and Judging by the
crowded houses day and night, was success.
Washington needs to be preached to on the
temperance question rs much,-perhaps
more,-as any city in the Union, for it has a
saloon to every lGs inhabitants, and nearly
every grocery store in the city sells liquor.
As I attended the meetings and learned
what immense organization this
Temperance Union 10. and the extent Of the
work in which it is engaged, | thought that
all this labor, this self sacrificing votion was
for what? to put down the traffic in a poison
a. deadly as any drug marked by the
apothecary with the skull and cross-bones;
to prevent the sale Of this poison to our
husbands and sons. to the men and boys all
over the land! A poison that is Of no earth
" benefit except in rare cases when doubtless
q substitute could be found; poison that is
manufactured TO the amount of millions of
dollars worth every year only to degrade
and ruin all who have anything to do with
II. We cannot go on the street without see
ing wagons marked Fine family groceries
and liquors at No" Suppose the word
"liquors" should be painted out, and dead
~ Poison" put in its place? How quickly
Mortified community would investigate the
owner Of that wagon
when | expressed my adm ration for the
general ability Of these women, one of the
prominent delegates said to me: "You must
not suppose We have brought here all our
ablsst women. These only represent hun
dreds as able rs they are. We could send
you two hundred and fifty every month in the
year rs eloquent, as forcible, and rs capable
Of good work
The lady who told me this has been her
cause for many years. She is Mrs, Henry.
the widowed sister Of the Chief of the Bureau
Of Engraving and Printing. and evidently
shares her brothers extraordinary executive
ability for il 10 we'll known that of all the
Departments in Washington. not one is man.
aged so systematically and economically as
that important branch Of the Treasury De-
partment
had the pleasure Of listening to a won
derfally suggestive discourse from Mrs. Hen
~ upon the question; ''What are Our Boys
WORTH" You can imagine what an eloquent
Christian woman would make Of such a sub
jscs The applause Of her large audience
testified to the able manner in which she
handled IL.
Beside Mrs. Henry on the platform, sat
Miss Cleveland. delegate from Dakota, a
hearty, good-lookiag woman. With . serious.
earnest face which yet could beam with fun
and good humor. Her work has been on the
frontier among the back woodsmen and
miners Of the Black Hills. just think Of the
devotion which stimulates young woman to
travel unattended through the Wild regions
Of the West, and. protected only by her
strong womanhood and her religious purpose,
enter saloons and gambling halls, and invite
their inmates to come to her meetings But
am wrong in saying she had no other pro-
lection than her own purity and courage.
All honor to our American men good
woman bent on good work is protected
everywhere by the native chivalry of the
men Of the land. however rough they may
be. This. vas told, Is the universal ex-
who have visited unframed places police
man could not enter. Still, it must re-
Quirc high resolution to do it.
Did my space admit Of ii I could give
some interesting items about every one Of
this little army, which may be called ar
my of occupation in every sense Of the word.
for its representatives all affirm that on this
great subject Of Temperance they have come
70 stay, and will never quit their ground un-
til they carry with them the unconditional
surrender of their enemy. Talk Of romance
and adventure! Why, these women could sup
ply enough from their personal experiences
for dime novels for . decade to come! But
this temperance organization works different
" now nom formerly, aiming now at the
laws which permit the liquor traffic rather
than at the men who engage in il.
Every day has increased the number OF
1~dsas affpudin1 the trial of the Wrpfchexl