The Somerset reporter. [volume] (Skowhegan, Me.) 1868-1909, 1885-09-23
An Outline History Of tho W. O. 7. v.
CAROLINE -. ELL.

crown" Of the crusade.
The crusade lasted nifty days or more In
full forcc-six months before IL really
ceased. II sprcad ike wild-nre all over
the wc-t and north: closed the saloons In
two hundred and fifty towns and villages,
decreased crime to n minimum In all the
towns it visited and church, Sunday
school and public school attendance In
creased 10 maximum.
The crystallized systematic, permanent
form 81 the crusade j. the W. e. T. u,
national state. territorial. district. county
and local II i estimated that there are
over ten thousand in the United States
with following Of more than two hum
dred thousand women of all denomina-
tiOu-. races and conditions.
Tie preliminary committee TO organize
tho National W. {. r. L. met at Chautau-
qua August Is, 1914: Mrs. Jennie +.
Willing chairman Mrs. Emily Huntington
Miller. secretary.
The first national convention OF the w.
C. I. L. was held in Cleveland, Novem-
Der i, "a the second in Cincinnati,
autumn Of l-7j the third in Newark, N.
J autumn Of SO the fourth in Chicago,
autumn Of III; the nth in Baltimore,
~ the sixth in Indianapolis 1879; the
seventh in Boston. lss0; the eighth In
Washington. ls-I ninth in Louisville,
l--2: the tenth in Detroit, 1898; the
eleventh in 81. Louis, October, 1884; and
the twelfth j. 70 be held in Philadelphia,
October -.
Mr.. Annie Wittenmver, Of Philadel-
phia was president five years, and was
succeeded By Miss Frances +. Willard,
who has held that office for nearly six
wears.
Mis- Willard was the first correspond
ing secretary Mrs. Mary T. Burt, of
BROOKLYN the second. Mrs. Caroline d.
Buell.. Of Connecticut. the third-thc pres
ent incumbent u that office.
O'p t'aion. the national organ Of the
". {. T. /. was established at Philadel-
phia in l--j: Mr. J. r. Whiting, first ed
tor. Mr.. Mary c. johnson second, Mrs.
Marx T. Burt third, Miss Margaret E.
Win>i0w fourth, Mis- Esther Pugn fifth,
after which Miss Wnslow resumed the
position until the paper was consolidated
with The >tqaai Of Chicago founded by
Mr., T. b, Car>e and called THE UNION
SIGNAL. under the editorship of Mrs.
Mary b. Willard now absent in Europe,
and at present in charge of Miss Mary
Allen West. of Illinois.
\ petition Of thirty thousand signatures
VS., presented 10 Congress in 1877 by Mrs.
Wittenmyer Miss Willard and others,
asking for .hone protection" by means
Of woman signature to petitions which
should have the effect OF vote for or
against legalzing the liquor traffic, under
local option laws. \ hearing was had be-
fore the House committee on judiciary,
Hon. Proctor Knott, chairman.
\ petition Of 10000 names go, 900
name. Of voters wa presented to the
legislature of Illinois in 1879, making, in
effect. 4 similar request. save that the bal
lot for woman was asked for instead of
the vote by signature to a petition.
Petitions Of two and three hundred
thousand names asking for home protec-
ton and constitutional amendment were
presented in ohio largely through efforts
of the W {. T. L. of that state. under
Mrs Mary A. Woodbridge: Iowa. led by
Mrs J. Ellen Foster, and Massachusetts,,
BY Mr.. Mary \. Liverinore, have also
petitoncd on grand scale, the first for
wonan's temperance ballot and prOhi-
bition. the latter for constitutional amend
mcnt. Michigan W. e. +. L. also petit
toed Oh Il large scale in lssl-3, led by
Mrs. Mary T. LathrOp. Every state W.
G.. T. L. has petitioncd in some form for
prohibition. though not by such over
whclming numbers
The Hayes Memorial Portrait. first sug-
gc>ted by Rev Frederick Merrick of Ohio
and painted by ID. Huntington. president
Of the Academy of Design, New York,
wa> placed AT the White House on March
:, l>-l President Garfield responding to
Miss Willard'- speech of presentation.
The engraved copy Of this picture is be-
ing generally circulated under the au-
spices of the W. c. I. |.
State laws relating 10 scientific instruc-
81 in , l.4 pith1ip schools SacurnI
first in Connecticut in ISL. Vermont
l~s2 New Hampshire and Michigan in
l>>3 New York and Rhode Island in 1851,
Maine. Pennsylvania, Massachusetts, Ne
bra>ka, Missouri, Alabama. North Caro-
lima and Kansas. in lsSj. In two States
PENNSYLVANIA and Massachusetts,, schools
forfeit public money by noncompliance
with the law.
In Maine. the Prohibitory first enacted
June g. l>jl was embodied in the consti-
tuition in l>s4. and Mrs. l.. VI. \, Stevens,
president W. c, 7. l., was at the head in
this endeayor.
In ISL, California W. {. I. L, led by
MR.. 7. d. Browne, offered al 300 worth
Of prizes given by DR.. X. II. Mcdonald,
Of san Francisco 10 $4,000 school chill
drrn for best essay on effects of alcohol
and tobacco on the human system.
III 4NNf'. hlN~ " llltIN. Win mss
GorIan her secretary, visited every State
and territory Of the entire forty eight.
from Puget Sound to the Gulf of Mexico,
beside nearly all the Provinces of Canada
II. temperance trip without parallel in
the annals of the reform As a result of
their work and that in the south by Mrs.
: +. Chaplin. of Charleston, :. c., with
the pioneer trips OF Mrs. Mary F. Shields
II Wyoming. New Mexico and Arizona,
aud Mrs Mary Clement Leavitt in Cali
furnia. the decimal of the crusade saw
this gospel temperance society not only
introduced in the chief towns, but organ
lied by States and territories throughout
the United States. Meanwhile Mrs. L.
tta Youman>, of Canada had carried the
white ribbon all over the Dominion, and
in February. l>>5, the Dominion W. C.
I. l. was organized.
Mrs. Margaret Lucas SISTER Of John
Bright and Mrs Margaret Parker have
introduced it throughout England.
In the fall of l,S4, Mrs. Mary Clement
Lea1itt. being then on the Pacific coast,
sailed for the Sandwich Islands, on her
way around the world to carry the
/ banner Of the W. {. r. L. to every coun-
/ try ON the globe. and form the worlds w.
I c. 7. L Thus far Mrs. Leavitt has been
most cordially received. not only by the
people in these far countries, but by our
missionaries who have hailed with glad
ness her coming and been the right arm
of the service wherever she has gone.
The W. {. +. | has grown under her
>killful management and earnestness, as
is evidenced by letters received from
those she has visited, and by the same
means we hear that her coming is being
forward to by many who have heard of