The Helena independent. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1875-1943, 1891-05-22
MRS. LARA HOFFMAN.
President Of tho Missouri State
Christian Temperance Union.

President Of tho Missouri State W0man's
Christian Temperance Union.
Mrs. Hoffman, Ia nm educator by q mag
nihoent natural endowment. She is prin-
cipnl of the Lsthrop school in Kansas City,
Missouri, a position she held for eleven
years.
When In 1882, at the national conven-
ton in Louisville, II was reported That Mrs.
M. M. Clordy, who had been organizing
Woman's Christian unions in Missouri and
had been appointed president, desired TO
withdraw from that position and do evan
a. TO who was fitted and able to take tho
management Of that u~norganized state.
One who knew her suggested the president
Of the Kansas City union, believing that one
who could direct q great public school, at
tend TO \ woll-ordored home, care for her
family and find time iii strength TO carry
on and teach almost unaided the w. g. Z.
u school, where fifty or sixty undisciplined
street arabs-newsboys and bootblnckg--
met six nights in the week to learn the
.thrae RS" and some ideas of manhood.
honor and decent living, and who.
many other branches of work
undertaken by that union, WAS just the
woman for state president. So without her
knowledge or consent Mrs. Hoffman was
made president of the Missouri state union,
consisting OF a dozen or more local unions
scattered over a territory of GS,OOO squire
miles.
They we're not disappointed in their choice.
She accepted the trust, and did what she
could to build up the work by letter, and by
personal labor whore she could reach them.
At the next state convention, held in Kan
sas City, June, 1883, the members of the
w. G. T.. U. prevailed Upon her, though re-
vvsnf 81 nj ~ -r,vo r.~, hnu rxtNo n..l lnvfok
herself entirely to temperance work.
he gave up her house also, as her two
boys had grown to manhood, and began to
canvass the state, speaking with great sue
cess in places to which her reputation gave
her ready entrance, and in fact in all kinds
OF places. organizing unions, bringing out
pu~blic-spirited women as workers, and put
ting them at the head Of state departments.
Missouri speedily took her place among the
more advanced state unions.
But this is by no means the last step; for
Mrs. hotfman's reputation speedily became
national through her ability as n speaker.
Possessed of a magnificent voice, her cul-
tured mind and ready common sense enable
her to command attention in all kinds Of
audiences, and she has already attained a
high place in the public estimation.
One half of the year she gives to Missouri
and the other half to the public. Summer
assemblies, prohibition campaigns and
AC8uAoA v OABuHSAhVNSS ouko'AN oOoA
her aid, and her commund of her. audiences
is wonderful to see. Much OF it is certain
ly due to her clear, penetrating voice and
her distinct articulation. People can but
choose to hear, and what she says is 20 we'll
worth needing that they cannot but choose
to remember. Even the man convinced
against his will'' hardly knows whether he
is of the Same opinion still' or not.
In listening to such orators, ono cannot
help being thankful that they are on the
right side; for it would be difficult to say
how far they might lead the people astray
il they were not. But Mrs. Hoffman, with
all her powers as a speaker, and ardent
prohibitionist as she is, still r%everences the
purely educational side of the work. Not
only does she speak with great acceptable
ty before schools and colleges, teachers
and pupils, but she expresses her hopeful
teacher. both in the schools and out of
them.