The Corvallis gazette. [volume] (Corvallis, Or.) 1862-1899, 1883-05-11
MIss FRANCES E. WILLARD OF CHICAGO.
The Leader of the Hosts of rfiria1n and
of Deborah, in g new Crusade for
God and Gorca and Naive
GaIS

G0l SluI E-rJG1 ItIlu NGJlSC
Land.
Miss Frances E. Willard is of New
England parentage, her parents be.
ing natives of Vermont. She is now
President of the National Woman's
Christian Temperance Union, and
has held the position tor nearly four
years past, having been unanimously
reelected at Louisville by delegates
from thirty states. She is highly
educated lady, a graduate of an East
ern college, and has studied in Paris
and travelled extensively in Europe.
After returning to the United States
she was President of the Womau's
College at Evanston (the leading
suburb of Chicago), and editor OF the
Chicago Post, having taken charge
OF that paper on the death of her
brother, who was its editor until his
death. Miss Willard and her BROTH
er's wife took editorial charge of the
paper and displayed a high order of
talen. in it's conduct. After retiring
from editorial work she took the field
as lecturer in the temperance
cause and worked with Mr.. Moody
for time in Gospel temperance work
in the City Of Boston. While en-
gagged with Mr.. Moody she met Miss
Gordon, her efficient secretary.
Miss Gordon is native Of Massa-
chusette, the daughter Of former
treasurer of the American Missionary
Board. Miss Willard recognized in
her the one she needed as a C, work
er in her temperance labors. Since
that time she has been the private
secretary, beloved friend and con-
slant companion of Miss Willard IN
her labors in behalf of temperance.
She is a skjllEui organizer, as is
shown by her great success in enlist
ing the interes! Of young ladies in
the cause. She is also very inter-
esting speaker, and recently address,
ed the young ladies of Cleveland,
Ohio, by invitations, from one Of the
pulpits OF that city with great effect.
She is enthusiastic in her devotions
to Miss Willard and the grea: work
she is acconp ;shing.
After finishing her labors with Mr..
Moody, Miss Willard returned to
her work in the W. G. T. U, and in
the fall of 1880 was elected to the
position of President of that organi-
zatiou, which Office she now holds.
In this position she has shown re-
markable craftsmanship and unequal
ed executive ability. To her energy
is due to the prosperous condition Of
the organization which she represents
and which has now attained TO a pos.
ition to accomplish the greatest possi-
BILE amount Of good, and is the larg-
est society eyer organized and con-
trolled exclusively by women, num-
befing $4,000 members in the United
States. She has organized for tenn
perance work thirty-two committees
which are planned to represent and
care for every possible phase of tenn
perance work and under her manage
ment there are now state auxiliary
societies in tllirty-five states and
several territories, all of which are
fully equipped for labor, and each
state has its own subcommittee
which report to the national society,
that it is ''doing more for the tenn
perance cause to-day than all others
combined"
Miss Wizards object in coming to
Oregon is to strengthen the work
already done and assist IN every way
in advancing Christian temperance
work. AS a leader and organizer
she has displayed an ability not
equaled By any other leader who has
ever been engaged in temperance
work, and her generalship has not
been excelled by any teacher on any
moral question. She has conceived
the necessity of employing adequate
means for overthrowlng the traffic,
and of establishing national sobrlety;
of eradicating the fountains OF evil
which are sapping the life of the ma
ton. She advocates total aostInance
for the individual and prohibition for
the state.
Miss Willard is the lady who car
ried into execution the idea of per-
petuating the memory of Mrs. Pres
ident Hays for the noble stand she
took in banishing wine from the
White House, which has endeared
her to the hearts OF every Christian
in the land.