The gold leaf. [volume] (Henderson, N.C.) 1881-1911, 1891-07-16

organization known as the WOman's
Christian Temperance Union, the fol-
lowing article compiled from 1.-The
Temperance Movement by Hon.
Henry w. Blair, ex-United States Sem
ator from New Hampshire, will per-
haps be read with interest:
The Woman's S Christian Temperance
Union is now the lead force in the
temperance reform. 1t is the greatest
exclusively woman's association that
exists, OF ever has existed, in the
world. AS woman and woman's posses
sions-child, husband, home-are the
prey of alcohol, it is fitting that her
sex should organize in masse for de-
fensive and offensive warfare against
| the destroyer Of all that she holds dear.
The w. c. T. U. is both a religious
and secular organization. In this
respect it differs from any other known.
1t can do anything of which God will
approve, within in the powers of hu-
manity, to accomplish its great end.
1t can preach and sing psalms; it
can watch and pray; it can lecture,
print and raise money; it can command
OF week day, there is 20 hour, when
its work is not in order, nor in which
it is not proceeding. All agencies be-
long to it, every profession and every
occupation pay it tribute when the
Union summons for assistance IL its
work of exhortation, enlightenment,
| administration, and charity. AS woman
is a part and fo. ce in everything, the
Union seeks to Utilize all that she is or
can be made to be, and all that she can
appropriate from the world around her,
in the great conflict that is to make
| her free indeed.
There are ten thousand local Unions
in this country: forty-eight which en-
brace these local Unions, each having
jurisdiction of a State Or Territory,
save one from the District of c Columbia.
The whole are merged in the National
Woman's Christian Temperance Union,
with over two hundred thousand active
members, who have also become the
great rallying and directing force of
| church action for the cause of temper
ance in this country; and already ex-
isting, expanding and rising like a city
of places, or a universal republic in
the air resting upon the pillars of the
| earth, is the Woman's Christian Tenn
perance Union Of the world.
This organization is the death of the
liquor tariffic, and of its associated
vices and crimes. The traffic never
before met such foe as educated, Or
ganized Christian American woman
hood. This is the great embarrass-
ment to those who are engaged in it.
None realize as they do the certainty
of it's destruction. They feel and know
it to be sure, for woman is against it,
and you will be told by any candid and
intelligent man in the trade that he
believes, for this reason, if no other that
traffic is doomed, and it's disappearance
| to be but question of comparatively
brief time.
The advent of woman upon the battle
| field has planted the bloody ground all
over with flowers Of hope, and filled
murky air with the ascending incense
of prayers and praise, which are an
swered by the descending balms and
perfumes OF paradise. 1t is war for
life-not against it; the great enemy
we seek to destroy is death.
There has never been a moment
! since ;his warfare begun when woman's
ballot would not have destroyed the
rum traffic and ended all this tremen-
dous conflict which engrosses heaven
and earth and hell at blow. Yet no.
where has woman voted on the ques-
ton. Statesman. philanthropists, cler-
gymen, priests and jurists, men
generally, hesitate, but the producer
and consumer of stiong drink do not
hesitate. Avarice, ignorance and drunk
enness know what would destroy them;
and these "Soverigns," still dominate
in Nation, State and municipality
still drag civilization and Christianity
and the ''ange! sex''-''dear, lovely
woman" as they are pleased to call
her-at the chariot wheels of runs
Juggernaut.
It is now sixteen years since the
organization of the Woman's Chris
tian Temperance Union. They have
been years of extraordinary enthu-
siasm, expansion and success. To
give and idea of the work itself read
the list of subjects over which the
Union takes jurisdiction.
| Juvenile Work, Sunday School Work,
Scientific Temperance Instruction,
! Sabbath Observance. Legislative Work,
Bible Readings. Evangelistic Work
among Railroad Employees, Efforts to
indnce Corporations to require Total
Abstinence in their Employees,
Friendly Inns, Flower Missions, Wo-
mans Exchange, Prision and Police
Work, Department ofStatistics, Health
and Heredity, Unfermented Wine on
the Lords Table. Work among Colored
People, State and County Fairs, Con-
! ference with Ecclesiastical, Educational.
Medical and other bodies. Franchise.