Belmont chronicle. [volume] (St. Clairsville, Ohio) 1855-1973, 1890-06-26
MIGHT BRINGS OUT THE STARS

Extracts from the annual address at
the opening of the Ninth District Con
vention Ohio w. c. I. U. by the District
President, Mrs. DIR. Walter, of Marietta,
Ohio:
The night of the Crimean war made a
brilliant star of Florence Nightingale.
She made herself immoral by her self
sacrifice. and her care for suffering hu-
manity
The night of slavery brought out num-
berIeSS stars. but one of the bright
est stars cleaning in the darkness of that
time was Lucretia Mott. = = She and
Lloyd Garrison were among the leading
AbolitiOnists. They were often exposed
to indignity and danger, but were always
calm and gentle amid the widest tumult
and with death before them, remained
unmOved. + In 1910 she, with Viii
liam LLOYD Garrison and others, was ap-
pointed a delegate to the Worlds Anti
Slavery Convention held in London: but
she was denied seat in the convention
because she was a woman. That settled
the franchise for Lucretia Mott Dur
ing the remainder of her active life she
was woman "suffragiSt." HoWeyer
she was hOnOred with seat in the gallery,
where she made the acquaintance of
Elizabeth Cady Stanton, who said to her.
I'm spite of the vote of eXcommunica-
ton, if the spirit should move you to
speak, which should you obey, the spirit
or the convention?" Her reply was.
where the spirit of God is, there is liber-
ty." The next morning, while breakfast
ing with people of rank, she arose and
addressed the brilliant assembly. Amaze
ment filled the audience, and they re-
manned spell by her wonderful
eloquence. Dukes and duchesses listen
ed with profound attention, bowling their
heads in assent. 80 She understood
the deep significance of life, and with all
her public work, was ever the sweet, gen
tie woman every mother should be. She
washed her own dishes, baked her own
pies, rocked the cradle, and cared for her
own six children; besides, assisting her
sisters, who were orphaned while quite
young. Her charity and courage were
unsurpassed.
Let those of our women who say My
heart is with you, but | am too busy to
do anything" imbibe inspiration from
this beautiful life. Our natures will grow
broader, stronger, deeper, and we will be-
come better wives and mothers by doing
some work for God and home and
humanity"
*** The night of the rebellion brought
out other stars, Grant, Sherman, Sheri
dan, and others; but the stars of the
greatest magnitude are our martyrs,
John Brown, and Abraham Lincoln, who
wrote the proclamation that set free
100000 souls.
Alas, a blacker night is spreading its
pail over us day-intemperance, with
its awful cruelty and shame. The dark
ness has already brought out bright con
stellations, and given us Cough, Blair,
Finch, Balm, and many others, including
the martyrs to our cause, Rev. George
Haddock and young Gambrell, the South
ern journalist. The intensity of this
night brings the mothers of our land to
shine in still brighter consultations,
among whom are Mary A. Livermore,
Sallie F. Chaplin, Mary Clement Leavitt,
Mrs Mary FL. Hunt, Mrs. Frances Harper
and our own Fannie w. Letter, who has
done so much for securing temperance
instruction in the public schools. In
Chicago there are seven sisters working
to dispel the gloom. They should be
named the Pleiades. Then there are
groups like Miss Mcdowell, Anna Cor
don, Jessie Morgan among the Y's, but
the brightest star in the armament of
moral reform is our Worlds President,
Frances Willard. x 4 +
We want myriads of little stars-a
milky way of willing workers-to carry
forward the work that she has so ably
planned, and is so skillfully directing.
One day we shall see that it is a
shame, and loss, and a wrong to have a
criminal or an ignorant man, pauper
or an idler in the land, and that the gal
lows and the Jail and the aims house are
a reproach. 4 Our hope of temper
ance victory lies in the coming genera
tions. We must educate and agitate,
agitate and educate. X Men of
sound Judgment and correct principle
are ready to give us the ballot if we want
it. We must prepare ourselves for it,
and at least not refuse it when offered.
x 4 1t is not mems rights we ask for,
nor wOmen's rights, but equal rights
Do MT be alarmed, gentlemen, we shall
still be the clinging vines, and ask for
money just the same, but spend it more
wisely, | trust. x
AS we drift into new years work let
us draw nearer to the Supreme Being,
and to each other, and join hands with
loving hearts to encircle woman's king
dOm-the home-so that the shadows of
the night of intemperance cannot pene-
trate its hallowed precincts, and let the
| light of our star outshine and dazzle the
gilded saloon.