Mississippi leader. (Jackson, Miss.) 1892-1895, 1894-07-03
NEW JERSEY.
"REDEEMMED,

Because of my long silence, is not a
proof that work has not been done in
my state, but rather that there has
been so much to do, that there has
been no time to make record; there
fore l ask pardon of those who in the
weeks gone by have sent me jottings
wherein l fail to represent them in
these columnS-for to do so NOR, would
be such state news for each days du-
ties have been so full of complications
hopes and fears, alternating, that it
has been impossible for me to do more
than use each moment as it passed,
then take up another that was passing,
not stopping to question but trying to
s'sow beside all waters"
Our work is not tagging but prog
ressing, public sentiment is aroused
as never before, license has had set
back in many places. Seed is being
sown everywhere and bearing good fruit
already in places not looked for. The
''winter of our discomfort is over" we
hope. Now that mills and factories
so long shut down, greet us with the
busy hum of work resumed, we take
heart of hope that our finances, which
suffered with the general depression
all over the country, may soon receive
the benefit of the revival of trade, and
the lesson taught in the midst of suf-
fering by our working brothers may be
them to refrain from that which intox-
icates, and thus by reflex influence
strengthen our cause.
Long before this sees the light in your
columns you will have announced that
New Jersey has been redeemed" as
Mrs. Hunt says, and is no longer among
the states not compelling scientific
temperance teaching in public schools
but short resume of how it was
brought about may not be amiss.
The complexion of our legislature
having changed from the year previous,
the outlook seemed favorable, and
Mrs. Hunt, National superintendent,
called representative people to con-
ference in Newark, and after several
meetings it was decided to push the
work.
The arrangement of lectures for Mrs.
Hunt and sending out petitions was
was our especial part of the work, and
right royalty did Mrs. Swan Brown,
state superintendenent of scientific
temperance instruction, attend to the
former, and Mrs j. T. Ellis, our CORE
spending secretary, the latter.
The opening day of the one hundred
and eighteenth session of the legisla-
ture saw Mrs. Mary Hunt and Mrs.
Bourne, state president, at the state
capitol, amid the surging crowd, sur
veying the field and taking their bear
ing-but 10! stone wall met them! "A
deadlock in the Senate!" And thus
for weeks it continued, but though try
ing and extremely crucifying to the
flesh at the time, yet noW we can see
Gods hand in it, for while the fight
continued, petitioning, interviewing
from constituents kept
piling up until, when the three months
had passed and the final vote was TAX
en-, it was surprise to the most san
guine. Only one opposing voice and
vote against its passage in the house
of assembly, and in the senate every
Senator answered "yea" to the roll
call.
The following day, April "a, Govern
or Werts signed the bill, and thus gave
to us law which Mrs. Hunt says is
Zone of the best, with scarcely weak
point" Thus after nine years of SOW
ing and working we reap victoryl In
the afternoon of the same day in the
governors reception room a number of
senator's, assemblymen and large
of our women stood by Mrs.