Mississippi leader. (Jackson, Miss.) 1892-1895, 1893-05-30
ANNUAL ADDRESS
OF Mrs. Lavinia :. Mount, President OF
Mississippi W. G. T. T., Delivered
Before the state Convention at
Greeny,lIe Nav >, 1898.

Mississippi W. c. T. T., Delivered
Before the state Convention at
Greenv,IIe May ., 1898.
BELOVED SISTERS:-It is with deep joy
that greet you in this little city, where
| have spent five peaceful years. In
these years | have seen increasing con-
viction in the minds of the citizens
that the dram shop is not necessary
evil, and growing respect for the
opinion of the Prohibition fanatics.
Thanks to the dramshop law, Prohi-
bition has touched our borders. Three
adjoining counties have gone dry. two
within the last two weeks. Who knows
but your presence. your prayers and
your influence may be sufficient to
rouse our good men, who are not few.
to vote the curse from us; and its black
shadow may soon forever depart from
the hearts and homes of Greenville and
Washington county
We have many things for
which to return thanks at the
tenth annual convention. Missis-
sippi is being rapidly freed from the
liquor traffic. / saw it stated few
pays ago that ten counties have
Joined the no-license ranks within II
months and no county has gone the
other way. Prohibition sentiment is
growing in the Nation and the world.
Lady Henry Somerset says when she
needs encouragement she.gets 1t, not
from the temperance people, but from
the enemy. | think we have reason to
feel encouraged when we remember the
efforts made last year by the distilers
to get the tax on whisky doubled.
They realize that the revenue which
the United States derives from the
manufacture is all that justifiieS its
continuance. The w. c. I. U. is not
given to encouragement, beca use we
look not so much at the things that are
seen as at those that are not seen. We
know that the temperance cause is
Gods. and we 90 on doing the little
things that lie in our power. believing
them only parts of His great plan; try
ing to wait patiently until the day of
triumph, yet living in daily expecta-
ton of that day.
In looking backward to see what has
hindered the progress of the w. c. L.
U. in Mississippi, find several obstac-
les to which | will briefly allude. |
realize as always the need of leaders.
We have numbers of capable and con-
secrated women. No State is richer in
these, but they are deferred from TAX
ted by fear of being called strong
minded or unwomanly. This fear arises
from misconceptiOn of the require
ments of the w. G. T. L. Remember,
my sisters, that God made woman what
she is and not her surroundings. WO-
man is not home loving and dutiful be-
cause she has been confined to this
narrow sphere. If this were the case
the heather woman of the harem
would be higher type than her free
Christian sister. The w. c. L. U.
makes home the first consideration
and its duties most imperative. In
deed. it is for the purity and safety of
the home that all the numerous
branches of our work are undertaken
wrote last year urging faithful
president of local union to attend
convention. She replied that she had
the care of an aged and invalid step
mother who would permit no one else
to minister to her, and though she
earnestly longed to be present her
duty was at home. | commended her
resolution. 1t is the strength of the
w. c. L. U. that stress is laid on the !
nearest duty. Some of the women of
this city took step this year which
would once have been thought unwo-
manly. They actually voted! True, it
was only on fence or no fence" but
the process was just the same as if
they had voted for Mayor or Presi-
dent. One who had long desired to
exercise this new privilege found her
self on election day temporarily in
charge of sick baby. A friend who
did not believe in these news ways for
women called and found her holding
the child in her arms. He asked il she
had voted. and when she replied in the
negative. said: 1T will always be so
the women will have to stay at home
with sick babies" OF one thing we
may rest assured, whatever of advance
ment may in Gods providence come to
woman, the babies will not be uncared
for.
Politics is another and similar bug
bear with which many good people are
frightened from the w. G. L. U. Let
us look into this a little. Mrs. Smell
has told us of minister who was hor-
rified at her talking politics." as he
called it, ON Sunday; to whom she
calmly stated that if her politics was
like his she would not think it fit to
talk on Monday. What is usually de-
nominated politics does not in any way
enter into the work of the w. G. L. u;
but that we have 'gone into politics"
we Will not attempt 10 ueuy, because
the statute books of every state will
show laws passed by the efforts of our
women. Our department of Scientific
Temperance Instruction has secured
legislation making the nature and eff
fects of alcoholics and narcotics a
compulsory study in all public schools
in thirty-six States, all the territories,
including the District of Columbia, the
Naval and Military Academies and
Indian and colored schools. In as many
States we have secured laws against
the sale of tobacco to children. In as
many States the age of protection for
girls has been raised through the pray
ers of our women. Tennessee is the
last State that has yielded to the petit
tions of the w. G. Il. U. for this ad-
vance,
In some States all cities of 10000 in
habitants now have police matrons to
take charge of women and children
who are under arrest. In one State,
Massachusetts,. a bill has been passed
declaring that no woman arrested shall
be taken to or detained at any station