Mississippi leader. (Jackson, Miss.) 1892-1895, 1893-06-06
ANNUAL ADDRESS
OF Mrs, IaNinia =. Mount, President OF
Mississippi W. &. T. T., Delivered
Before the state Convention at
GrcenvIIIe May ., 1898.

Before the state Convention at
GrcenvIIIe May ., 1898.
Continued from last reek.
Another reason why women are
backward about assuming Responsible
ties is because they are not instructed
/ in the needs and possibilities OF the
work. They were perhaps organized
/ into unions by some brilliant speaker
who reused all their enthusiasm by her
| fiery eloquence. but herself knew moth
ing of the eminently practical plans of
| the National w. c. T. u, nor the neccs-
| sity for steady seed sowing and patient
waiting for the harvest which shall be
reaped in due season if we faint not.
! Consequently, hen the speaker took
/ her leave the women came together Il
| few times, but as no one knew just what
to do the meetings were drag and
soon given up. We must see to it that
the local unions are instructed and de
veloped. | shall have something to say
on this head further on.
A frequent excuse for not joining
the W. c. L. u. is that there are now too
many societies. 1t is urged that the
church should be sufficient and should
! include the work of all societies, such
as Temperance, Foreign and Homes
! Mission, Building Churches and Home
| for Preachers, Ministering to the Poor
and Sick, visiting prisoners and all Ell
forts to advance Christ's kingdom. We
grant this, but evidently the Church Is
not sufficient or there would be no
place for other organizations. y sig
niticant fact and one that should re.
ceive the serious attention of ministers
and church officials is that the same
men and women are keeping up all
these outside organizations, besides
teaching in the Sunday schools collect
ing the revenue of the church. helping
the pastor in his plans, and doing all
else that is needed. They are not the
majority of those whose names are on
the church register, frequently only
small minority. They are over-worked:
brain, nerves and heart are sometimes
weary. but what is to be done The
solution is not with me- This is the
day of organizing. AS yet we know no
better way perhaps it is sitting pro
cess God is trying His church. When
He finds out who will not shrink from
any duty nor waver i'll the face OF any
foe. He will let the half-hearted and
discouraged turn back and taking the
faithful few will go forth to the final
conquest of evil.
Another reason for decline of inter
est in the w. c. I. U. is that so much
Of Mississippi's soil is now free from
the licensed dram-shop. This is cause
for thankfulnesS which should not
make us careless, while there is moth
ing for our protection but local option.
We should never diSband nor relax
our vigilance until prohibition is en-
bodied in the constitution. Suppose
by the efforts of our Southern Govern
ors, the tide of immigration sets this
way and the hungry eyes of the vicious
| hordeS of Europe are turned upon our
fertile and sparsely settled acres? How
| long will it take these immigrants, I'M
der the present naturalization laws, to
out-vOte our people and get control of
the government Then will we awake
! like shOrn Samson to find our power
gone and for many weary days and years
may be compelled to serve at the will
of the alien.
But there is a better motive for con-
tinuing effort. 1t is that. as parts of
the great human family, we may work
for our brothers in that spirit of love
that leads those in possession of the
gospel to joy in sending it to those less
fortunate. Remember that the tribes
of Israel who received their possessions
East Of the Jordan did not settle down
to peaceful enjoyment, but pledged
themselves to go in the front of the
battle and never lay down their arms |
unit! their brothers had also received |
that heritage. Notwithstanding these
obstacles the w. c. T. U. is in full vigor
and usefulness. 1t is growing in favor
with good men and women and the |
smile of God yet rests upon it.
So much for hindrances. Now what |
is to be done during the coming year |
Miss Willard has something to say !
about the local unions, which meets my |
view, and | quote as follows The |
only new department of which L give
notice this year is the building up of
the local auxiliaries. The local union
is the unit Of power by its success or
failure everything in d movement which |
is now stretching out to every corner |
of the globe. is determined" She wish F.!
es that leafict on the local union |
might be written and 100000 copies be |
put in circulation. She says. 1T would |
mean more in the aggregate TO our
world -redeeming endeavor than nit
lion dollars in hand today. Effort bas-
ed on rendered reasons and work done
according to plan, with the spirit of
God in every heart uplifted to receive
it these make success in the trueSt
sense certain certainty is what we
want"
One of our blunderS in Mississippi
has been that the state union has at
various times added to the list pew de
partments of work at the solicitation
Of a National superintendent. or be
cause we felt that work in that line
was, needed, without fully considering
whether we were able to give it proper
attention. ] would suggest that the
Plan of Work Committee at this CON
vention carefully go over our list of de
partments and select from it not more
than half a dozen which they shall
deem most valuable and promising of
results and recommend these to the To-
Cal unions. The others need not be
dropped, only held III Obeyance for a
time, Let us cOnsecrate our efforts on
few things and every union do it's ut
most to perfect itself la these, and next
years reports will show more progress.
The benefit of this will be that the
work will be unified and there will be
stimulus and encouragement iii the
thought that every union is at work
for the same things at the same time.
The superintendent of these depart
ments should be able to send to each
union monthly the best helps to be
gathered from all sources The cor