St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1884-10-26
THE GREAT CONVENTION.
National Woman's Christian Temper
ahce. Union at st. Louis.

special Correspondence oil the GLOBE.
ST. LOUIS, Oct. 23-My best wish for your
readers to-day is that they might have had
the privilege of attending last evenings ses-
slons of the w. G. I. U. convention now
being held here. Pickwick theatre was the
place of emblage, and at an early hour
every available seat was occupied and the
aisles from stage to- door were densely
packed, Even the stairway was crowded, and
fully 500 persons, unable to gain admittance
were compelled to return home. Mrs. Caro-
line B. Buell.. of Connecticut, presided, and
Miss Jennie A. Duty, of Ohio, conducted
the devotional exercises. Considerable diff
Guilty was experienced in making way for a
procession of 200 school children who
marched up the centre aisle, to the music
''Preeious Jewels as sung by the audience.
Each little hand held aloft banner bearing
the motto, s'For God, and Home, and Native
Land.' Upon reaching the stage they sang
their song of s'Welcome, ~ written especially
for the occasion by Miss Anna Gredon, of
Wauston, Ill. Their sweet childish voices,
singing their plea to their parents to remove
temptation from their path, least in later
years they fall victims to the direful curse,
touched the hearts OF all the hearers, and
from many went up the prayer, "God bless
these women in their grand work
for our children Mrs. II. Ii.
Wagner, of this city, made
the address of welcome in behalf of the
local W. CT T., and Mrs. Clara Hoffman
in behalf of the state union Efforts are
being made to secure Mrs. Hoffman for a
series of lectures in st. Paul and Minneapo-
lis. She is one of the grandest workers,
well as one of the most eloquent speakers in
the white ribbon army-a veritable queen
among women. Mrs. Mary B. Willard, of
Chicago, editor of the Union Signal, followed,
addressing the audience in her own bright,
sparkling manner, completely winning all
hearts as she spoke. Her happy reference to
the ''big bridge.'' which makes all Chicago
green with envy, brought down the house,
to use slang expression, as did that of
another speaker, who in order to learn all
about st. Louis bought lot of Chicago
papers on her way hence. After referring to
the work accomplished during the past de-
cade, CONCENTRATING the women on their
past record, and urging renewed zeal in the
future, she closed with Mrs. II. B. Stowe's
pathetic and comforting words: Friends,
everything that ought to happen is going to
happen This is the firse year We have had
representatives from California, and as Mrs.
Emily Pitt Stevens, of San Francisco, rose
storm of applause greeted her. Her
fine presence and earnest voice proved
irrisistable, and as she spoke in glowing
words of her own beautiful California, its
fruits and flowers and sunny skies, a new
inspiration came upon US. Bat when in tones
of sorrow she told of her own city, with its
$500 saloons, and its 10, 900 boy drunkards,
under eighteen years of age, and pictured to
us the misery and woe she had witnessed our
hearts sank within us; and as she spoke We
thought, is this to be the record of our own
! beloved and rapidly growing city. Shall St.
Paul vie with San Francisco in the number
of its saloons. And are our little boys, now
so tenderly protected and cared for, soon to
reel upon our streets, and into their homes
bring sadness and misery and despair! God
forbid! Mothers! you are doing a grand
work for your children when you make your
homes attractive and beautiful, with your
willing hands and loving hearts. But do not
forget the boys who haye left loving mothers
ana Deaulllul MONIES III the east 10 seek Inelt
fortune in our midst They are assailed
upon every hand and beset with terrible
temptations, and right here is work for
! you TO do. ''Home's not merely four square
walls, but our whole city, our whole world.
Miss Willard is right when she says:
''Woman will make home like every
place she euteA, aud she will enter every
| place on this round earth.' If Mrs. Hoff-
man is ''queen among women, +" truly Miss
| Willard is ''queen among queens" She
always seems to say just the right thing and
in just the right place. Her address, which
was the closing one of the evening, was bril-
liant and logical, womanly and true. AS an
organizer Miss Willard has no equal. As
a leader her clear perception of the needs of
the cause, her thorough knowledge of the
whole line of work as represented in its
thirty-three distinct departments, and her
ability to marshall her whole army of workers
on to the foe she has no peer. She is 4
| General to lead, a veteran to stand.