Smyrna times., 1894-12-26
A Review of II Years of Woman's
Temperance Work in Smyrna.
AN INTERESTING HISTORICAL PAPER.


at the NJ. E. Church, on Wednesday
evening, which we present entire be-
cause of the interesting historical in
cident in connection with the Temper
ance work of women in our town:
The WOman's Christian Temperance
Union is so very busy making history,
that they rarely take the time to read
It. But tonight we will pause, cast
backward glance along the II years
that lie behind US, and make an at
tempt to answer the oft repeated query |
What are you doing?" Twenty |
years ago the women of Ohio went |
forth to measure with their own steps ]
the distance between the home and the !
saloon. Alas, they found them all too
few, and the saloons all to frequent
When the reports of the wonderful
efforts of the Crusaders, that electrified
the country from the Atlantic to the
Pacific, reached our own town, it found
an answering current in the hearts of
some of our women. Under date of
Feb. 18th, 1877, we find in the Smyrna
Times, the following:
THE Womans Christian Temperance
Union, of Smyrna, Del, after having been
in existence for more than year. a. a
distinct local organization, was re-orcan-
lied on Friday the nth Of Feb, lS-7, for
more efficient work, and became an auXil-
ary to the Womans Christian Temperance
Union of the State. They hold their prayer
meetings every Friday, from , to p. IN,
in the Young Mems Reading Room, on
Main street. The following officers were
elected Mrs. 5. p. Mason, president: Mrs.
Susan Fisler. vice president; Mrs j W
lnW7V i \
L. Jerman, treasurer. That the object of
the society may be understood, We give
place to the following constitution and by
laws:
Object-It shall be the object of this
organization to plan and carry forward
measures which, by the blessing Of God,
Will result in the suppression Of iutemper-
ance.
Membership p-Any woman may become
member of this organization by signing
the constitution and the following
Pledge.-We, temperance women Of
Smyrna, feeling that the use Of Intoxicating
liquor has reached point hO longer to be
silently endured, do, by the help Of God,
promise to use our utmost endeavOrs to
Danish this evil from among us. We
hereby pledge ourselves to discourage in
all possible ways, the use Of any -hng
which can intoXicatc. and i'm order t.
81 Gil tCll Jul l4lA- NhllNG ia ti4l5 ItSdII We
promise not to use any intoxicating liquors
as beverage, nor in cooking and not to flru-
ish them for social entertainments.
Beside those mentioned a. officers we
find the following named as charter
members: Mrs. NJ. E. Deakyne, Mrs
NJ f. Wells, Mrs. William Nelson,
Miss Mary Y. Spearman, Miss Ann
Patterson, Miss Mary Patterson, Aunty
Jones, Mrs. Elizabeth Smithers, Mrs.
Ellen CummiRs.
Well do | remember coming home
from school and seeing these women
vending their way homeward from
their hour of prayer. Although they
were not in the Crusade, like Cassie
| Smith, "the Crusade was in them"
The minutes of the meetings in those
! early days show that the time was
chiefly spent in prayer, but rem0n-
strances against liquor licenses were
circulated, freely signed. and usually
the license was granted. The aged
figure of "Aunty Jones, ''as she trudged
up and down these streets, going from
door to door for signers to these petit
tons, is well remembered She was at
that time the eldest member Of the w.
c. T. U. in the county, and was an in
defatigable worker These early
workers both labOred and prayed
They did much TO interest others ir
the work, and while Mrs. Mason was
president, she never allowed a meeting
to go by default If she should chance
to be the only member present, sht
opened the meeting by scripture read
ing and prayer, realizing that although
. but one, yet still she counted one, auC
one with God is always a majority.
An extract from the minutes of 1881
reads Having no business to trans
act, we had a season of prayer, askiui
the Lord to help our local union
also especially for our sisters in th'
church to realize their duty, and be
come workers in the temperance caust
and members of our Union. The rec
ords show that their prayers were bot
] heard and answered, as almost ever
J meeting witnessed an acquisition /
their membership, and by 1888, eigty
FIVE members were enrolled.
AS early as 1881 the society ha
placed boxes for literature in the sta
tiOns at both Clayton and Smyrna, an
the post office. A committee was ap
pointed in the same year to secure tn
5 influence of Mr.. James H. Groves Stat
Superintendent of public schools, i
the interest of Scientific Temperate
Instruction" in all our schools. whic
was finally passed by the Legislator
q in 1887.
The minutes TEEN with accounts
petitions circulated on numerous sui
jects, cigarette bills, social purity bill
petitions to Congress, and others to
numerous to mention, but which mea
any amount of drudgery in securin
signatures. Many of them have mt
with success, mainly, we think, becaus
of their importantly.
The Union has brought to our tow
some of the finest lecturers in tn
country, and while we decry niue
that is pnt upon the boards in the fOrl
of entertainments, we have not faile
to bring within the reach of all, til
best that can be secured. Among tt
speak ers that have been here are Mr.
WoodL ridge, late Corresponding Seer
tary of the Worlds and National v
G. Il. u, who was among the first,
not the first lady who ever spoke fro
a pulpit in our town. We have ais
had the best known and best believe
woman in the country-our Ov
Frances +. Willard. Also, Mrs. Bal,
win, in whom our Union always TAX
especial interest as once having live
in our town. Mrs. Leavitte our "rOuI
the world missionary" has been he
twice; once before and once since h
wonderful journey, which never b
been equalled For through her fal
Gus undertaking there are bands
ribbon white around the world. JOSEF
Cooke says nowhere on this globe CT
woman have just cause for complai
and tlis society not be able to 81
them voice that shall be heard at t
end of the world" The Woman
Christian Temperance Union is like
banyan tree, with its roots here
- America, but with daughter branch
in every land. We have also had N
Laverty, of Philadelphia; Mrs. J. Eli
Foster, Mrs. Barnes, of New Yor
twice; Rev. Henrietta G. Moore,
A. Ohio, twice; Mrs. J. T. Ellis, Of NJ
Jersey; Mrs. Barney, of Rhode Islar
Miss Narcessa f. White, twicel Mai
and Mrs. +, #. Scott, for a series
meetings; Mrs Lucy II. Washingt,
Mrs. Helen G. bullock, Mrs, Mary
Mt Hunt and Miss Belle Kearney. The
nl have been lectures upon Temperar
and upon different phases Of our wol
lrs Then we have had Col. Balm,
silyer.tongued orator of Kentucky,
two of his inimitable lectures. I
Rev. DIR. Todd In "Jauntings throu
m Ireland" Lectures by the Rev.
'VV w, s. Robinson, the Rev. DR.. Afr
=. Smith and numbers of others. Til
ith and space forbid even a mention of I
Ouroarous noaatin0s hold in the On.