Nevada County picayune. (Prescott, Nev. County, Ark.) 1885-1???, 1892-05-05
w. @. r. u. COLUMN.
BY MRS. w. b. WALLER.
Why | Belong to the W. G, 7. u.

1t is a question busy women ask
each other, and ask themselves.
I'VE have all the duties there is
time aud strength to perform. Shall
we neglect our homes and children
for the w. c. +. W" say some Of
our best women whom they are ssked
to become members Of the Union.
There are two distinct reasons why
every intelligent Christian woman
should, because OF her relation to
her home, belong to the w. c. T.U.
1st. Home 10 the centre and
source of life, and woman 10 the
ome-keeper. Whatever concerns
the home, therefore, i, of vital i'm
portance to her.
2nd. The enemies of home are
her enenies, and she 10 called upon
to defend both it and herself against
them. Intemperapce i, acknowledge
ed to be the greatest enemy Of the
home, the leader OF vice. in whose
wake many deadly foes follow.
But why is woman called to com
bat the evil? Why cannet men reg
ulate the affairs Of the world and
leave us to the management OF the
homes"
Partly because they cannot; part
ly because they will not. The world
is simply collection Of homes. Pos
sibly for every ten happy and or
derry households, where man 10 in
dustrious and temperate, there are
five where man is improvident and
incorporate. The women Of these
homes are helpless, the children
grow up in tainted atmosphere, and
so go out to curse the world by their
own sinful lives, and by their inau-
ence eounteract much of the good
otherwise existing. 1t is very plain.
The mother-loya that shields her
own child must also shield her neigh
Dor. child. She ia prompted to de
this by her own self-prt servation and
that Of her.. home, and by that love
Christ like-which, for the sake
OF the lost, seeks to save them.
but intemperanee has always
been combated by good men and
women. why is the w. c. T. L. a
better organization than any other? y"
Because 1t is organized mother
love, and I'm union there is
strength" in organization there il
power Nearly two hundred thous-
and Christian women in the United
States have banded together and
say: I'VE are the home-keepers
the children are ours; the saloon i,
our enemy, and the saloon must 20 -
How has all thi. been brought
about"
The Crusade was the first personal
work Of women for temperance,
True, societies existed, and much
work was done in retaining drink
ing men. The Crusade women vir-
tually said; The drunkard must
not be made. We will pray the
saloon-keeper not TO sell Intoxicating
drinks We will save our husbands,
sons and brothers" The spirit OF
the Lord was upon them and great
good was accomplished. Into the
temperance work strong spiritual
element was introduced, and women
were shown the power Of organized
effort. The w. c. T. L. was the
outgrowth OF the Crusade. So ready
were women fer this work that twelve
States responded TO the call for the
first National Convention, held at
Cleveland in 1874. The blessing Of
the Lord has been constant, and the
esrnestness and devotion of the vo-
men without a parallel.
The Nations w. c. I. L. is now
organized in e y State and terrific
ry, with nearly 10000 local Unions,
Much Of this success is due to the
untiring labors Of the National Pres
idsSt, Miss Frances Z. Willard, but
much alse to the faithful women who
make up the rank and file of the
army. BY means OF these Unions,
the homes OF the women themselves
are directly influenced, children arc
better taught, public opinion is edu-
Gated, large amount Of temperance
literature is circulated, and the pow
er of the liquor traffic is being I'M
dermined.
What the hons keepers Of the
country decide must be done, will be
done. They have said temperance
is a part OF religion, and its blessed