The Monitor., 1888-11-02
The Fifteenth Annual Convention of
The National WOmam-s Christian
Temperance dTBiOn-EeW York.
October 1875


Temperance dTDiOn-EeW York.
October I9-25.
1t is a noteworthy page in history that
in 1888 the largest organized society of
women in the world should be invited to
hold its Convention in Americas S largest
city. For days, representatives Of over
250. 900 women, from nearly all thc States
and Territories-Alaska included-had
turned their faces toward New York.
Poetic justice, too, in the opening OF the
Metropolitan Opera House TO u body of
women only, since a no less distinguished
body of men lately convening within its
walls felt compelled to deny admittaEec to
women delegates A new definition of
chivalry, having a most kindly feminine
meaning, belongs to the encyelol@a of
this age, as our account will show. It
was most successful Convention in num-
bers, 405 delegates and officers being in at
tendance. besides hundreds of visitors from
neighborng States.
It is the hour of Convention, Friday
morning, Oct 49, The devotional services
have been conducted by the well-known
evangelist, Miss S. NJ. [. Henry, of Illinois;
upon the large platform are seated Miss
Willard. the National President, and by
her side Mrs Judge Thompson, the
mother of the crusade Before them,
upon the table, the old leather.covered
Bible. from which the Crusade Psalm was
40 I tIo4 r,om1ra bio p,oruiur Dan 90
1878, when the Seventy" went ont two by
two. The other officers are in convenient
nearness to this central table, and upon the
platform also Il score or more of distinguish
ed leaders of the W. c. T. L. The five
galleries are decorated with flags, and the
lower tiers with shield of States With here
and there a W. G. 7. L. banner. Near
200 lights ilumine the scene, bringing out
| the gold of the walls and balconies, the
maroon Of the upholstery, and the delicate
green OF the palms ranged along the plat
form. An organ occupied the left side,
and the cornet band near seems impatient
to test the acoustic properties of the i'm
mense building.
Miss Willard and Mrs. Thompson are
holding the old Bible, reading verse by
| verse with the audience the Crusade Psalm,
and ''Give to the winds thy fears" rolls
out from the golden cornets and hundreds
of voices. How different from the tremb-
ling tones of the few Crusaders!
| Miss Wizards annual address was re-
ceived 18th Tie closest attention, and fire.
quert and prolonged applause. We can
only quote few sentences.
Next to God, the greatest organizer is
the mother. She who sends forth from the
sanctuary of her own being little child,
has organized great spiritual world, and
set it moving in the orbit OF unchanging
law. 'When graduated
from college in 1859, there was not on the
face of the earth, I venture to say-cer-
tainly there was not in my native land, the
most progressive land of ala national
society of women. We worked on in weak
ness and isolation. But we learned at last
| the gracious secret that has transformed
the world for men and made them masters.
From this time on, the world
will have in it no active, organic force SO
strong for its uplifting as its organized
mother-heartS. You will notice the
breadth Of my generalization. do not say
| all nlotde1s because all women who are
technically mothers are not mother hearted,
while many woman is so, from whom tie
erisS cross currents OF the world have with
| held her holicst crown" = = X
THE person who would win must fol
low chosen path, as the engine does the
track, or tha telegraph message the wire.
This you have seen, and it has made you
| skilled laborcrs in the temperance cause.
It is hard to be patient with those who arc
| still in the A B's of total abstinence, when
you are away over in the polysyllables of
prohibition and its derivatives; bat we
were all there once, and it is a very hope
| fn place in the temperance spelling book.
'I.et us possess our souls in patience till
the storm be oYcr-past, confident that
those who begin where we began, with
personal prohibition, will, at day not
distant, see that national prohibition is the
necessary sequel of the law they have
made unto themselves, on the principle
that what is morally wrong can never be
legally right; what is legally wrong can
never be politically right"
The Convention adjourned at the close
of the address, and lunch was served in
the building to the entire delegation.
The Corresponding Secretary's report,
and that of the Treasurer, showed growth
in all the work. The forty national de-
partments were reported by their super
intendcnts in different sessions There are
sixteen free kinder -gartcns in the United
States, under the care of the w. G. r. e..
| Twenty five States and all Territories have
secured to the children in all public schools,
scientific temperance instruction. 200, 900
pledged children belong to the Loyal Tenn
perance Lcgions.
Friday evening was the crowning hour
of the Convention, with welcomes from
the Mayor of New York City, General
Fisk and Mrs. Bart, the President of New
York w. G. I. L. The Mayor thought it
took no courage to welcome MS, since no
society organized upon an opposite basis