Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1881-04-06
Wine in tn. White House.
MISS wILLARD'S ADDRESS.

wine Ill tnH NnlIe House.
MISS wTLLARD's ADDRESS.
Mr.. PRESIDENT: We are here to pre- |
sent to the nation, through its honored |
chief, temperance testimonial from the |
men and women, high and low, rich and
poor, fortunate and unfortunate, who have
loved her whose pictured presence is now
before us, because they have felt that she
was the defender of our homes; because
amid the fogs of a time worn social con
servatism she held steadily aloft the torch
of an example safe, gentle and benignant
We stand in the preence of one whose
utterances and character are known to all
the nation. l do not forget how in the
tumult and strife of great political con.
vention James A. Garfield, of Ohio, said.
" Remember it is in the home where the
sovereign citizen has his wife and children
gathered around him that God prepares
the verdict of the American people" !
do not forget that he reminded the women
of Cleveland when they came to Mentor
with their congratulations, that in every
army there are three classes: the scouts,
who go ahead; the soldiers who do the
| lighting and, within ALL the home guards.
and that he said God bless the women,
they are Americas home guards | do
mot forget that in his inaugural he remind
ed us by the sacred words "A little child
shall lead them,' that the tenderness and
sweetness of childhood had IL place in his
thought in that sepreme hour; and so
standing here feel very much at home as
do we all in this kind and brotherly pre-
sence. Mr., President, whom do we rep
] n ora ri Of it,n
ency, and we represent II great deal of
earnest hard work done in the name of
God, and home, and native land We re-
present volume of prayer rising like
incense to God from the very first hour
that we knew the burden which had been
laid upon you; and always have we sought
a blessing also from on high upon her who
is the mother Of your sons and your sweet
young daughter, and upon her who
bore and cherished you. We represent
that numberess throng who have
Alright to be heard inths presence
because of all that they have suffered
We cannot speak to you of the graves
Iof the living and the graves of the
dead that have strewn our pathway, be-
cause of the cup that tempts only to de-
stroy. Our principles and our endeavors
are the inevitable outcome of the philosophy
Iof our century. Wen is it understood by
the scholar president! For one dominant
purpose runs through all our modern civil
ization. Science spells it out slowly from
the writing in the rocks-from scattered
monuments and fossil languages and pro-
nounces it the unity OF man. Statesman
ship discovers that the woes of one nation
are the misfortune of all and so frames
treaties and forms alliances of mutual de
ience aud service in the name of the
solidarity OF man, but Christianity perceiv-
ing the higher significance of all these
studies and their practical results, prays,
f pleads and labors for the uaiUerSal brother
hood Of man. Among the applications OF
this great underlying principle none is
, gaining ground more rapidly than the
. practice OF a free and voluntary total
abstinence. for our own and others sake,
from those alcoholic drinks which have
Iaienated more hearts, dissolved more
homes, poisoned the air with more cruel
words and moved kind hands to more
} hateful deeds than any other agency out
} side of Pandemonium. "Where is thy
, brotherp' is to day the central question in
that larger home which we call social life,
answered by IA thousand kindly charities,
, but most significantly answered, as we be
lieve, by the great army of total abstainers
which in the present military exigency il
calling all up and down the land for volun'
teers. We are here to leave in your care
the picture which symbolzes so much o
hope and glad expectation for the future
We are here because it is women who have
, given the choicest hostages to fortune. BE
= yond the arms that shield them long the
boys 90 forth and come not back again
and the mother heart prays that society
may hedge them round about with loving
safe guards and restraints; and fervent i:
, our hope that steady signal light may
. shine forth for them from the conspicuou:
windows of the presidential mansion. As
, members of the church of Christ, we appea
to you to help hasten the time when al
mems veal shall be each mans care, anC
we pray Gods blessing upon you, upor
your wife. and upon those that cluste
around you in your home. Well has thu
, laureate said concerning the good time
coming" which the triumph of the
temperance cause shall help to usher in
Ring out old shapes of foul disease,
Ring out the narrowing lust OF gold,
Ring out the thousand wars of old
Ring in the thousand years of peace.
Il Ring ont slowly dying cause,
Il And ancient forms of party strife,
Ring in the nobler modes of strife,
With sweeter manners, purer laws
Ring in the valiant man and free
: The larger heart, the kindlier hand
5 Ring out the darkness of the land,
Ring in the Christ that is to be-"