Morning journal and courier., 1884-12-05
Friday, December 5, 1884.
WOMEN TEMPERANCE WORKERS

WOMEN TEMPERANCE WORAEASs Yesterday Observed As The National l Day of Prayer By The Women's Christian Temperance Un1on-Meet. ing I'm This City,
 | A small party of ladies met yesterday after noon at the Y. M c. A. hall to engage in | prayer for the work of the Womcn's Chris l tian Temperance unions throughout the coun- try in response to the following address which was sent to the various unions in the United States by the president:
 Beloved Sisters of the Local Unions: These are the times that try women's souls. ! To be tolerant toward the intolerant is a diff icult grace and yet its exercise is impe -ative- | ly demanded of us.
 l party long accustomed to success is in Y defeat. Thousands of lea1ing men see their hopes blighted, ambition overthrown, per | haps their occupation gone. Party journals | denounce the Prohibitionists as having caused l all this, and ''fellows of the baser sort" hang l ex-Governor St. John i'll effgy. The ". .. ! T. U is termed "a political party" and sub ! iected to the sharpest criticism by men who | found no fault with our societies in Iowa, | Kansas and other States, where they 1 f1ent their infuence' to the Re | publicans. Free speech and "a free ballot" have, within fortnight, cost many a voter dear, in the good will of busi- | ness patronage of his neighbors, while obedi- ence to the most profound convictions has called down bitter imprecations on many an earnest woman's head. Our own familiar friends in whom we trusted have uttered these words in public print and private rep riInand Not from the ignorant or base, but from cultured scholars and Christian
 gentlemen have come these words and deeds.
 Not in generation has such crosS-fire of
 denunciation whistled through the air as that now aimed at those of us who "lent their 1n- fuence" to the Prohibition party.
 All this you know from the things that you have suffered.
 But what is our duty in the strife of tongues!
 Dear sisters, we stand before the people as followers of him "who when he was reviled, reviled not again, when he suffered he threatened not, but committed himself to him that judgeth righteously." Let us,
 therefore, pray nightly to God that we may
 be replenished with heavenly grace according to our need, so that the law of kindness still shall dwell in our hearts and on our tongues, and charity Cor love) which tvaunteth not it. self, is not easily provoked, doth not behave itself unseemly," :" shall control our every ac- tion. Next to Gods spirit dwelling in our own nothing will so help us to be con- siderate and patient, as to pray for and speak gently of those who, in our judgment, have done injustice to our motives, our record and our character Let us be careful not to do them parallel injustice, but by recalling their noble qualities and their kindness in the past, keep them hidden in the citadel of our generous regard and confidence until this storm be overpast.
 Let us try also to put ourselves in their places and to realize that they too are sincere, even as we are, and acting, the great majori- ty of them at least, from patriotic motives. We seek the same goal, but have chosen diff ferent roads, each one of us believing his way the best. In time we shall agree to disagree
 IL IL eyTNff swer turneth away wrath, but grievous words stir up anger" May God fill our mouths with soft answers ill these wrathful days If we women cannot mitigate the asperities of politics, woeful will be the day of infiu- ence therein, whether that influence be indi- rect, as now, or direct as in some future time. But if God be with us we can save the country as sure as Joan of Arc crowned her king.
 That the infinite spirit of Christ may rule and reign in our hearts, making them tender, true and teachable, ask you to ob- serve as day of fasting and prayer the 4th of December, reading on that day those pas sages of scripture which relate to Gods power in the affairs of government and also such as illustrate the supreme fact, ''he who is slow to anger is better than the mighty" and
 ''he who ruleth his spirit than he who taketh
 city" Let us eXhort you more earnestly
 than ever before to observe individually the
 noont1de hour Of prayer. Our prayer for you, beloved friends, shall also be that you
 Est and fast in the liberty wherewith Christ hath made you freo," and 'Fhaying done all stand" Yours with frmness in the right as God giNes us to see the right. FRANCES E. WILLARD, President. Tn ladies who attended the meeting yes terdayspent assshort time in prayer. It was expecte to hold the annual meeting of the \ local unAn at that time, but owing to the | absence oAsome of the officers the meeting \ was pOstpoad