Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1883-12-28
THE ". G. r. U. ANNIVERSARY.

The anniversary exercises held Sunday
in the Congregational church, commemora-
tive Of the Womau's Crusade in Ohio we're Of
an interesting and uplifting character. The
pastors Of the several churches occupied the
desk and platform, and large and intelli
gent audience were present and listened with
marked attention throughout the services.
Mr.. Lucien Howe opened the program Of
the evening by a voluntary upon the organ.
Rev. Mr.. Lee followed by reading the Cru
SADIE Psalm (l46) aud an earnest prayer.
Give to the winds thy fears, was then sung,
after which Mr.. Lee made some telling re.
marks concerning the origin OF the Crusade
This he could well do as he was at the time
in the near neighborhood of this remarkable
movement and had personal acquaintance
with many of the women engaged in IT, He
said that when any one pronounced the wom
en- who closed the rum shops of southern
Ohio by prayer, "a set OF fanatical ranters'
he made a great mistake. The spirit of
God was the force that called them from tn cir
quiet fresides and home circles to do his
work in so novel a manner. They answe red
the call, not blindly, but as moved by faith"
Mr.. Lees remarks we're succeeded by sing
ing, after which Miss Alice Mann rad an Ac-
count of q crusade which arose in Greenfield
Ohio, soon after the close of our civil war,
and antedated the movement of 1873 some
eight years This paper was a record Of the
facts, written not long after they occurred by
a lady now resident in this village who was
an unprecedented participant in the scenes
related. 1t was only the old story of outraged
mothers, wives aud sisters who ceased to en-
dure quietly, and for one day uttered a forci.
BILE protest against rum selling by reversing
the usual order of things and putting the
drink in the cutters instead of the drink.
ers'
Mrs. f. I. Housh then read a very able pa
per entitled What hath the Lord wrought p
She took up the story Of the crusade of 1873
and from its consecrated spirit found the true
reason of its wonderful success and the
growth Of the Womans Christian Temperance
Union, which was the legitimate result of the
uprising in Hillsboro, Ohio, and took form
and shape al Lake Chatauqua the following
August where some Of the Crusaders" talk.
ed over their experiences. A call for a con-
vention soon followed, and the convention
met at Cleveland in November, 1874 aud was
composed Of delegates from temperance
leagues Mrs. Housh here paid u feeling
tribute TO Mrs. J. NJ Haven of Vermont, one
Of the delegates to this first convention, and
ever afterwards, until her death, a devoted
leader in the work of the organization
glowing picture was then given of the growth
OF the W. g. L. o., its many departments OF
work superintendent by women Of rare gifts
Of mind and education. Its inspired leader,
Frances Z. Willard, and many names of grand
women who have been familiar friends to ell
w. G. T. U. women in our land were men.
toned, and the speaker then said reverently,
Il have looked into tine faces of these women
and read their grand mission there, referring
20 her attendance at the national convention at
Detroit last November as delegate from Yer
mont, and the meeting of odd soldiers" upon
that occasion. Even the white. haired Mrs
Eliza Thompson was there who led the march
from Hillsboro church, Dec. 23d 1873, when
the women made the first assault OF prayer
upon King Alcohol Mrs. Housh forcibly
brought out and illustrated the idea that un.
derlying the plans aud work of the w c. T.
U. there was deep spiritual foundation
which would sustain the workers and make
success matter only of time. God inspired
fostered by his and led by the white
! plumed Prince Of the Cross, the battle must
be theirs. She closed by reading an original
/ poem, The Banner and the Cross" The
| thought which she thus embodied in high po-
etc language. she said, had slumbere long
1t covered the past score of years, and WAS
replete with suggestive pictures drawn from
our latest war and the struggle woman is
making for moral aud spiritual reform
Rev. s. NJ. Crothers read a crusade poem
written by Mrs. Mary Lowe Dickinson for the
national anniversary. An autograph letter
from John G. Whittier to the w. G. T. U.
was read from the Union Signal by Mrs Hen.
/ ry Tucker, in which the writer after allud.
| ing to the crime, pauperism and moral de-
basement induced by the drinking and sale of
alcohol, says the outlook would appear al.
most hopeless to him were 1t not for the w.
/ @. T. U. The women of the country will
| yet save the men" he says. GIVE them but
/ the right of suffrage and they will abolish the
liquor traffic As this letter was a voluntary
/ tribute to woman's plans and methods in TEN
/ perance work 1t carries with it great moral
/ force Rev. F. Z. Tower made a brief aud
stirring speech in which he spoke OF the
/ Christian side of this temperance work among
women as its most hopeful feature, and closed
/ by quoting notable saying of VIM l. Gar
risons illustrative of the Indifference of the
! people upon this great subject, viz The
| apathy of the people is enough to make every
statue leap FROM its pedestal and to hasten the
/ resurrection"
/ Dsa. @. F. Thompson, in extending the
thanks of the W. c. T. u TO the pastors of
the several churches, the organist and all vino
contributed to the keeping OF this memorial
/ occasion, in happy manner turned the
thanks to the W. c. T. U, for the services of
the evening. Rev. A. B. Truax, always
ready to ask for contribution, " in a hearty
and irresistible manner presented the need
the organization had for money to carry on
its work, as well as the purposes for which
this collection in particular was to be used
and asked for $50 for the national treasury
Singing Of the doxology and the bsnediction
closed the services.
THE RECORD MATCH AT OAK GROVE RANGE,