News and citizen. [volume] (Morrisville, Vt. ;) 1881-current, 1883-12-20
Temperance.
CONDUCTED BY THE LAMOILLE COUNTY
GOOD TEMPLARs' UNION.
Tenth Annual Meeting Of the Ma
tIonaI w. c. T. u.

tIonaI w. c. r. U.
The annual meeting of the Woman's
Christian Temperance Union held in De-
trOit October 81 and November l, 2 and
3, was very remarkable gathering. The
convention was composed of delegates
from nearly every State and Territory in
the Union. AS we looked upon the faces
of the brave women who had travelled
from the east and the west, the north and
the south. to sit in council together to
plan for the defense of their loved ones
and their homes, we were led to eXclalm
''What hath God wrought? How wonder
fully He is leading the womanhood of
our land into a large place.
One has said there are good many
ways of getting at the temperance ques-
ton. A physician sometimes approach
es it by the hygienic method and shows
the evil of dram drinking upon the
health. The political economist views
the manufacture, sale, taxation, eXporta-
ton and consumption of liquors precise
ly as he would if the products were so
much wheat or corn. and puts the result
into statistical tables. The domestic
economist considers the expense of So
cial drinking and the magnitude of wine
bills. The State takes the consumption
of spirituous liquors into account as at
fecting the physical and mental vigOr of
its citizens as the producer of pauperism
and crime. The moralist beholds the So
cial and domestic wrecks that lie along
the course of weak indulgence, and the
preacher eXhOrts his people to avoid
temptation from the enemy that doubles
the sins of the world"
All these ways seem to fall within the
scope of the WOman's Christian Temper
ance Union. The reports and debates
covered wider range than any body of
men would have dared to venture upon,
aud vet thnv all had some bearing upon
/ the main purpose f the association.
tn IN reports ~ -6liffefent-Sr,r,crirr-
tru,I,=5'tS of tue dv'tuTLrnenL OF work
. 3a-~.t..T hygiene, scientific instruction,
~aIHay s,.oU. wu~a uvenile work. tenn
/ ptrauCe literature. influencing the press.
relative statistics, training schools, evan
geliC work, prison and police stations,
work among Incorporate women, sol
dierS and sailors. untermented wine,
young women's temperance work. parlor
meetings, evangelistic work among Ger
mans. flower missions, State and county
fairs, relation of iutemperance to labor
and capital, legislation and petitions.
franchise, southern work. work among
the ScandinaYianS. work among the col
ored people.
These papers and many others, with
discussions OF plans of work. resolutions
and miscellaneous business occupied
every moment. No room for mirth
and tritling here" but all were intensely
interested. And no wonder. for many
of these dear women represented homes
that had been robbed of all Joy and hap
plnesS by this enemy whose overthrow
we are striving to accomplish. And
| MANNED
prayed, thought of her dear, bright boys
at home and wondered what their fate
would be. Would they be sacrificed by
the nation to help swell the revenue. or
will this mighty evil be stayed. And as
Julia Ward Howe could see in the camp
fires of the Potomac. i'll the battle fields
of our rebellion the coming of the Lord
in truth and righteousness, and the free
| dom of the slave, so we, in the midst of
the blOodless battles, fought by the 100
| 900 cOnsecrated women, by prayer and
faith, gainst the great destroyer, alcohol,
can discern the dawning of that better
day when our nation shall be free from
the yoke of the liquor traffic.
1t means something when these devOt-
ed women feel compelled to leave the
protecting shelter of home and the low
| ing embrace of little ones, to mediate a
long and tedious journey to attend this
annual gathering. God is hOnOring their
faith and courage and giving them mar
velOus success in all their efforts.
| The world has never known such a
company of workers as was here present:
Frances f. willard. Judith Ellen Foster.
Mary II. Hunt, Mary Z. Woodbridge,
and Il score of others who are only sec
ond to these, have been raised up, each
one to fill her particular place.
That was Il wonderful meeting on Sun
| day afternoon in the Opera House, which
was packed from floor to ceiling with
men, women and children, who listened
gladly to the eloquent words of Mrs.
| Foster. Mrs. Hunt and Mrs. Mclaughlin.
We could not help thinking how the
world moves on. Only a short time
since LET the women keep silence" was
Numbered forth from pulpit and press
To-day the Christian world is calling
upon the sisters for help, especially in
the church and missionary work 1t
would not be strange, therefore, if they
We're called very soon to help cleanse
the nation from the liquor traffic and its
unjust and unequal laws. God grant
that the women of Vermont may see that
it is their duty to go forward in the battle
of truth and progress.
MARIA l.. II. HIDDEN.