Mower County transcript., 1890-12-10
NATL Wet. U. CONVENTION
An Interesting Report of the Sew
enteenth Annual National
Convention of the
W.C. r. u.

Convention of the
W.O. T. U.
On our way to Atlanta we stopped at
Chicago, to visit the corner stone Of the
Temperance Temple, recently laid in
Chicago, which is to be thirteen stories
high, at cost of $1,100,O0O. After
spending busy and profitable day, we
started for the Seventeenth National w.
9, TSU. Convention. We made but one
other stop of any length, which was at
Chattanooga. Here we visited two points
of interest, Lookout Mountain and Chat.
anooga cemetery. where rests 10000 OF
our brave boys in blue; IS, 900 known and
1000 unknown. Finally we reached
Atlanta with SO delegates for the con.
vention, where cordial reception
awaited the delegates from the north
with their seal skin sacques. and the del
egates from Florida with their baskets of
bright, blooming flowers. The conven-
ton opened Nov. Il, with the President,
Miss Frances E. Willard in the chair.
One of the Atlanta papers thus com
ments: MISS Willard makes a most
excellent presiding officer. She is a
thorough parliamentarian, and the
clear, precise and distinct manner in
which she speaks, makes it a real pleas
ure to listen" After the convention was
called to order, the beautiful hymn, Rock
0f ~
lace. the venerable mother of Lew WAL
lace. the author of Ben Hur, called the
blessing of Almighty God upon the con-
yyention in most eloquent prayer. Mrs.
Mary A: Woodbridge OF Ohio read the
nearly every state in the Union. from
stated that the convention, she was
happy to say, had the largest representa-.
ton it had eyer known at so early q
date. Of forty nine sections forty.one
were represented. In birds eye
report of the work of the year it was
stated that "the influence of the associa-
ton had done much toward crippling the
Louisiana lottery scheme. When the
secretary read that during the past year
more than 5000 new members had been
gained, there was long, continued ap
plause. The following impromptu poem,
by q resident of Pennsylvania. as the
response of the conventions heart to the
invitation of the general assembly of the
state of Georgia to come to this state
this year:
From the cold and frozen northland,
From the sunset of the west,
From the early eastern morning,
We are here At your request.
Here o sweet, beloved south land,
Here forgetting all the rest,
We your own through re.unitiou.
Welcome to your pulsing breast.
The notable feature of the occasion
was the address by Frances E. Willard, q
synopsis of which will be given in the
temperance column at some future time.
Sunday afternoon the largest audience
room in Atlanta was crowded and two
overlooking meetings. The speaker was
Mother Wallace, before mentioned. She
is lovely, silver haired old lady. She
talked, for over an hour on Woman Suf-
frage: "Our memory stretches back to
to war times, with its enthusiastic meet
ings. and all through the years since, it
has been our privilege 10 look back into
faces of great assemblies, when swayed
by intense feeling yet never, any where,
have we ever seen an audience so won
derOuslY moved as was that by Mrs.
Wallace's address and it was not an audi
ence easily moved. In the boxes and
the parQuet was COOL cultured cyniclsm
and all gradation from that up to the
rabble in the peanut gallery" yet all
were equally moved when she finally sat
down. Never did a prlmma donna
receive q more enthusiastic encore. An
encore it was, and nothing else would
silence it but to have her step to the
front again: This she did and said,
Il am too old to be flattered by this ap-
give to woman just little bit of suffrage
much value to be placed on your cheers,
but l should like to know how many of
YOU believe the doctrine I have just
preached, Those of you who do, rise. !"
Nearly the whole house rose, and from
floor to highest gallery. waving handker-
chiefs made it billowy sea of white. In
the evening we had the pleasure of listen
ine to Mrs. Mary T. Lathrop-"one of
the grandest temperance sermons ever
heard"--so said one of her listeners. No
one nodded in that audience, except in
assent to the great truths uttered. A
cloud rested upon the convention Mon
day morning, when it was announced
that Miss Willard was unable to be pres
ent, the first time IN seventeen years she
has failed to fill the chair. During her
absence, the election of officers took
place. The next morning, when she was
again to be in her place, she was intro.
duced to the audience as the newly
re. elected President. We would like to
give more of the convention, but cannot.
Said one of the speakers, 'praying for
the deliverence of an evil and clingine to
it with all our might, is not prayer and
we cannot expect to have such prayers
answered" Said another, '"The churches!
have they tined these many years to get
mems hearts right on the subject of
Temperament" Have they, these many,
many years7 It is interesting as we'll as
amusing to watch the evolution on these
occasions, Wis:
First stege-Complete Indifference.
Second Stage-"Had to 60 to bring my wife
hOme.''
Third staee:-"Huml Good takers, those
Fourth sssss-;"wen, we'll! Bright, should
R1RaI "a.