The Republican journal., 1884-01-03
The Temperance Work.
THE MOTIVE AND SERVICE OF THE WOMAN's
CHRISTIAN TEMPERANCE UNION.

THE MOTIVE AND SERVICE OF THE WOMAN'S
CHRISTIAN TEMPERANCE UNION.
Mrs. Frances f. Willard, President of
the National W. G L. t., makes in the
Century the following statement con-
cerning that organization:
The Woman's Christian Temperance
Union is the lineal descendant of the
woman's crusade Of 1874, whose first
'praying band was led from the Pres
byterian church Of Hillsboro, Ohio, by
Mrs. Thompson, daughter of Gov. Trim
ble. 1t is, in fact, ttthe sober second
thought" OF that marvellous uprising by
means Of which woman uttered her pro-
test against the torgettulness and the
neglect as the result Of which home has
lacked protection from the dram shop
The ''praying bands" earnest, impetu-
Gus, inspired, have become the woman's
Christian temperance unions, firm, pa
tient and persevering. Thirty States
are already organized, and three thou
sand local auXliaries, dotting the CONT
nent, fulfill the Bible injunction 'Make a
chain, for the cities are full Of blood and
the land of violence" Our methods of
work are quiet practical and systematic
We have learned by the argument of de-
feat and the logic of events what not to
do, as we'll as some things TO attempt.
The evolution of our activities has been
from the individual to the home, thence
to society, and finally to the government
itself.
The w. c. 7. L. stands as the expo
nent not alone Of that return to physical
sanity which will follow the downfall of
the drink habit, but also of the reign of
a religion of the body, which shall CORE
late with Christs wholesome, practical,
yet blessedly spiritual religion of the
soul. The kingdom of Heaven is with
III YOU shall have new significance to
the clear eyed, steady limbed Christians
of the future, from whose brain, blood
and Drawn the faint of alcohol and nico-
tine has been eliminated by ages of pure
habit and noble heredty. The body is
the temple of the Holy Ghost will not
then seem so mystical statement nor
one indicative of a temple so insalubrious
as now The women Of this land have
never had such training as our "Topical
Studies" furnish, in the laws by which
childhood shall set out upon it's endless
journey with q priceless heritage of pow
ers laid up in store by the tender, sacred
foresight of those by whom the young
lmmortaPs being was worked. The laws
OF health were never studied 10y so many
mothers, or with such immediate results
for good on their own lives and those of
their children. The detOrmed waist and
foot Of the average fashionable woman
never seemed SO hideOus and wicked nor
the cumbrous dress OF the period so un-
endurablc us now, when from studying
one "poison habit our minds bv the in
evitable laws of thought, reach out to
wider researches and more varied deduc-
tions than we had dreamed of at first.
The economies ofa simpler style of living
never looked so feasible as to home max
ers who have learned something about
the priceless value of time and money for
the purposes of a Christ. like benevo-
lence. The value of trained intellect
never had such significance as since we
have learned what incalculable advan-
tage results from a direct style; what
value resides in the power to classify
facts.
The puerlity of mere talk for talks
sake, the unWorthiness of idle words"
and vacuous, purposelesS gossip; the
waste Of long and aimless letter writing
never looked so egregious as to our work
ers, who find each day too short for the
glorious and gracious deeds waiting for
them on every hand.