Ellsworth American. [volume] (Ellsworth, Me.) 1855-current, 1890-12-25
National Convention ", c, T. U,
Portland Press
T. The Edjtor otthe Press

Portland Press
T. The hdtor ofthe Tr,ss
InasmuCh as many of the readers
Of the PRESS are members and friends
of the W. &. r. u, | venture to
ask YOU to allow space for a brief sketch
Of the recent national convention of that
great body, which met in Atlanta. Every
state, and every territory but two, had
delegations present. The delegates from
New England and the Middle States We're,
en- route, given a reception by the Presi-
dent aud Mrs Harrison. The train which
carried them was called the white ribbon
special ltS engine was enclrcled with a
band Of white, ending in an immense white
bow. Every official and cmploye on the
train tied on the white ribbon, the badge
Of the society. Atlanta, ''Gate City of the
South" gave a royal welcome to the 800
women who came as strangers within its
gates. Ii is indeed beautiful for stua-
ton" on a dividing ridge between the
Atlantic Ocean and the Gulf Of Mexico,
1850 feet above the level Of the sea, is
drainage being through tributaries of the
Ocmulgee and ChattahooChee rivers. 1t is
the centre Of eight railroads, and its 200
manufacturing establishment. employ
peaceful army of several thousand. While
its population is only about 10000, it has
the appearance of much larger city.
committee from the Georgia legisla-
ture then in session. visited the Conven
ton aud invited the members to come and
speak in the Capitol, mentioning specially
our national superintendent of temperance
instruction in public schools Mrs. Mary
H. Hunt Of Massachusetts. Mrs. Hunt
accepted the invitation, as did also Mrs.
7 Iathrap " Michiuan nud Mrs Hntftr, nf
Missouri.
Governor Northen gave a welcome to
the convention, and he and Mrs Northen
gave a reception at the gubernatorial man
sion.
The welcome given us by the press of
Georgia was most cordial. Four members
Of the Atlanta press, representing the
Constitution, the Southern Star the Atlanta
.idrOcdte and the journal, presented their
welcome at the first evening meeting.
Miss Frances Willard was unanimously
reelected president and the same corps of
other general officers who for years have
worked harmoniously together.
One of the most interesting members of
the convention was Mrs. Jane Hicks Sta
pier, daughter of the last hereditary chief
of the Cherokee Indians; she was born
near Atlanta, and went to the Indian Terri
tory at the great Cherokee exodus in 1885
| She has not visited her native state from
that time to this, when she came back as
president of the W. C. T. L. of Indian
| Territory. She is a cultivated. refined
woman. She spoke briefly and pathetical-
| ly, referring to her childhood DAYS, to the
Indian spring of which she drank when a
child, and in whose waters her mother had
padded, her light canoe.
| The plan of work is to carry on under
its thirty departments that of orGaniza-
tion, preventive, educational, social, evan
| gelstic and legal. We have not, and new
er have had, any department of politics,
but we are unalterably pledged to the prin-
ciple of prohibition. The prize banner,
offered for the greatest membership gain
made in the New England States, was
awarded to Maine.
Mrs. Gordon (wife of Rev. A. J. Cor
don, ID. ID. } president of Boston W. c. T..
IT,, invited the next annual convention to
meet in Boston. Several other invitations
were given, but the convention. accepted
the one from Boston, and set the time as
the second week in November, 1891. Af-
ter four days of convention work and four
days of executive committee work, and
one Sabbath upon which nearly all the
pulpits in Atlanta were occupied by dele
gates, adjourned the largest, most notable,
and perfectly harmonious convention the
National Woman's Christian Temperance
Union has ever held.
Most respectfully yours,
i LIN. N. STEVENS,
Asst. Rec. Sec. National w. C. T. U.