Mississippi leader. (Jackson, Miss.) 1892-1895, 1894-05-22

was called on; she made a stirring
talk for suffrage in which she said that
it was a we'll known fact that the W. G.
T. U. women of Mississippi were suffra-
gists and it was cowardly in them not
to declare openly for it. Immediately
upon the close of her remarks she left
the Convention, having to take the at
ternoon train. Mrs. Smell arose and
in spirited way declared that If sui
frage was endorsed it would injure her
as a worker in Mississippi and ended
by resigning her position as State Evan
gelist, and leaving the court room
where the Convention was in session.
Both resolutions went by default,
leaving the w. C. T. U. committed
neither for nor against suffrage; just
exactly the position it occupied before
the Convention met.
Different papers announced that 1.-THE
| w. c.. T. u. Convention broke up on
suffrage and all the delegates went
home mad" This statement is utterly
false. | have never seen a more har-
monious session than that of the fol
lowing day, nor more joyous. happy
crowd of w. c. 7. u. women than that
assembled Tuesday evening to witness
the exercises of the Young Woman S
Branch which were pronounced by all
a brilliant success The gOOd-byeS at
the close of the Convention were as
tender as in the years gone by for
neither death nor life-nOr principall-
ties, nor powers. nor things present,
nor things to come, nor height. nor
depth" nor disagreements in cOnven
tions nor any other thing shall be able
to sever the ties of comradeship that
bind the hearts of women round the
world, in a great work that brings all
true souls on common platform, hav
ing common sorrow and a common
hope, rejoicing in the fact of having
zone Lord, one faith, one baptism
the baptism of pain and suffering and
daily crucifiXion and final baptism of
glory in the ultimate triumph of eter-
nal and righteous principles through
Christ Jesus our Lord. This is the
day of freedom of thought and speech.
The w. c. T. U. lays claim to the pre-
rogative as we'll as other bodies of men
and women. The time has gone by
when it is impossible for women to en-
ter into a debate without losing con
troll of their feelings and regarding
what is said in a convention as a per
sonal affair The State of Mississippi
is filled up with loyal, splendid w. c.
T. U. women who are prepared at any
moment to enter the struggle for the
supre macy of the home, but, on ac-
count of the blessed condition now eX-
listing, in having so few saloons to
fight, they have allowed their unions
to great extent, to fall into "innOcu-
Gus desuetude." But at any blast of
the trumpet from their leaders, calling
to action, they would spring up as in
simultaneously and as numerously as
the followers of Roderick Dhu in the
rocky Businesses of the Scottish noun
tainS.
A number of w. c. T. us and US
have retained their vitality in spite of
the temptation to lassitude. The State
union today is in healthy condition
and is on a steady upgrade, and is in
creasing in membership as the late
convention showed. What is needed
is active organization number of
workers constantly in the field. Any
society, political, philanthropic or &c
clesiastical would languish if there
were no lecturers or ministers to agi-
tate the questions and keep things
moving.
The Mississippi Convention meets
next May in Natchez. We are already
looking forward to it with delightful
anticipations. Let us make this ayear
of marvellous growth, and forgetting
the things that are past, press on to
the work of our high calling"
BELLE KEARNEY.