The Press., 1891-05-21
fContributed.)

vile.
 Enthusiastic delegations were present from Ellington, Vernon Center, South Coventry, Quarryville and Stafford. The success of the convention was assured by the careful preparations which had been made, from the platform with its potted plants to the bulletin board at the door announcing "W. c. T. U. convention" /" "All are welcome" and the tables in the parlors loaded with eatables waiting to be disburdened. Enthusiasm was the main feature of the day, showing in the faces of the officers seated on the platform and in the interest of the white ribbons and their friends in the audience. The morning session opened with consecra- tion meeting, led by Mrs. J. H. James of Rockville. The convention was called to order by Mrs. c. T. Chapman of Filing ton, county president, who presided with quiet dignity and grace. Mrs. James said, with the address of welcome which followed "You are not here in the M. E. church because the Union church did not
 want you, for they did; but we felt as if
 we must have you here, and, if we are not
 quite as elegant in all our appointments.
 we wanted company, too, and we bid you
 welcome" Mrs. Sadd of Ellington re-
 sponded. Rev. MT. James was called on,
 and echoed his wife's words of welcome.
 Interesting reports from the various
 unions showed an unexpected growth in
 membership and in new lines of work un-
 dertaken, giving the unions new ambi-
 tions and stimulating them to fresh activ-
 ity.
 Mrs. Hutchins conducted the noontide
 prayer. An appeal for more consecrated
 evangelistic work was made by Mrs. Chap
 man of Meriden. She said: "Hold gos- pei temperance meetings Sunday after moons, when people have leisure; hold them where they will be easy of access for the mass of people the church fails to reach. Advertise them; have gospel singing arranged for; use the word not to entertain but to convict. Have syste- matic visitation in the homes of the drunk ard; visit them from love, not duty; save your man, then bring him into the meet ing and use his testimony. :"
 After the bountiful collation. Mrs. Chap man gave most helpful bible reading, which was followed by reports of con- mittees, singing, etc. Mrs. Forbes, the state president, then made her address. She said: "Nothing would please the sa- loon element more than to see the white ribbon women give up. Hold your ground firmly. Is this time to give up when 80, 10000 souls perish every year? when out of every 20 men who visit saloons IT are young men, the future fathers of our homes? Is it time to stop when there are 25O,0OO saloons in the state ?-when children are crying fol bread, and moth CTS are toiling to keep soul and body to- gether ?-when the majority are indiffer- ent, is this time to stop? The waters of public opinion are in danger of growing stagnant and becoming the breeding places of sickness and death. It is the mission of the W. c. T. U. to ventilate, to agitate, to keep the waters stirred. Keep your trust in God-keep sweet and cheery; if we think differently, let us think sweetly:"
 Mrs. Quick, of South Coventry, gave fine paper on "The Bible Status of Wo- man." She said: sI believe there is enough strength in womanhood to over- throw the liquor traffic; but our women must come to believe that active work in the W. c. T. U. does not degrade but en- nobles.'
 After an address on "Social Purity" Rev. MT. Dingwell of Rockville was call ed forward, and responded with argument after argument in favor of intelligent pur- ity, effectively clinching every point made I by his predecessor. He said the man who cannot take his boy one side and looking him in the eye intelligently explain the laws of his physical being, is unworthy to be a father, and the man who willFnot, with the appalling state of affairs existing to-day, is criminally negligent. Rev. MT. Potter also spoke.
 The interest, which had been growing all day, reached it's height and burst into applause as Mrs. Mary Livermore appear ed on the platform. She spoke of her early associations in Stafford, of the pleasure it gave her to be again so near the ground where she and her husband fought their first temperance battles. She said: II have for years been white ribboner. 1 shall always remain one. Sometimes say I can't see that we are making much progress. said in one of my lectures, 'Iean see no good which came of the Washingtonian movement in which took part and one of the audience arose and said, Madam, cannot allow you to make that statement,' and calling on number of his companions to rise he said We are all living temperance lives as a result of that cold water army" Mrs. l.. also said, "You women may pray and agitate till the crack of doom, but men will care little about it unless you can vote. Our public men are thinking about votes, and when you can vote they will listen to you" She believes in preven- | tion rather than reformation. Educate the children-save the boys" Mrs. Liver more spoke in the evening to full house on 'The Boys of To-day"
 The officers of last year were all unani- mously reelected, Mrs. Chapman saying, | as she was recalled to the chair, ''I came 1 to the convention thinking I could not | take the leadership another year, but this has filled me so full of en- thusiasm I feel as if I must be in the | forefront of the battle."
 It is hoped that the county convention will be held in Stafford Springs next year. |
 VU;4b &Li- 4s&Io n |