Morris tribune., 1895-09-25
". c. I. U. COLUMN.
SELECTED BY NORRIS UNION.
EAsrNoR CASTLE, LEDBURY,
April %, 1896


native land greeting:
I have been thinking for long tim
to send few lines for your paper, t,
bring before the workers of Americ'
the pressing necessity of better organ
ization and more effective work along
the lines of one of the departments il
which so little is being done. And
write with the more freedom because
was made Superintendent of it at the
Chicago Convention of the Worlds
w. C. T. U. I refer to the Anti-Opi-
UNI work, and [ write after an obser-
walton that has extended over almost
every country of the globe, and am
ready to affirm that there is an evil
abroad in the lands more far-reaching
than the curse of incompetence, and
if possible, more damning in it's eff
fects. How little do we realize that
today one half of the women of all the
world are in misery and degradation
because of the blighting curse that
results from using opium. This is by
no means sconfned to the Oriental
nations, but has reached to every
corner of the earth, the most alarm
ing feature being the spread of its use
among our own people, by which l
mean the English speaking race. In
one night talked to forty-seven white
girls in the opium dens of Melbourne.
In Sidney saw the most awful sight
ever witnessed by me. 1t was the
passing into the great Beyond of
young woman, highly connected, and
who, with the fear of death full upon
her, died in agony from the use of |
opium.
In America by means of bribery,
smuggling and other dishonest meth
DDS, an amount of opium equal to
tons, as the official records show, finds
its way to every city where Chinese
are centered, Turing men and women
to their dens till we already count the
slain by scores each year in our towns.
The evil is steadily growing; and
when it once becomes matter of
revenue as the liquor is already
difficulties will be put in
our way by unprincipled men as we
try to stem the growing tide.
| earnestly hope that the women Of
the White Ribbon will be up and do
ing in the battle against the use of
opium in the homeland. I am not
calling you to speedy actions in the
name of distant countries in which
you may not be as much interested as
l am, but l plead with the sons and
daughters of America for the sake of
their own homes, to pledge them
selves against the use of opium, and
to teach the children so; and not to
forget that strength and vigilance is
the price of liberty from this insidi-
ous habit and traffic. The introduce
ton of Scientific Temperance Instruc-
ton into the public schools affords us |
our strongest weapon; and the circu- I
lation of the Polyglot Petition in for
~ languages has done incalculable .
good in bringing public attention to
focus. But we must constantly de-
wise ingenious and practicable meas
ures to carry ON our steadfast war
against the poisons that ''steal away
The BRAIN
After my long illness, which has in
volved much suffering, my strength
is SO reduced that | am, for time.
forced from the field of action, and
to seek seclusion and rest.
1t has been my good fortune, in with
drawing from the busy world, to be
invited to this charming retreat, where I
with Lady Henry Somerset, Frances
and Anna Gordon, I am try-
ng to grow strong. Miss Willard I
manages to keep herself, Miss Cor
Ion and two stenograp piers constantly
1T work, SO there is not much rest forl
hem, except when they go forth on
their bicycle. which pleasant form Of
seems to do them a world of .
good. Already | find myself on the
way back to health, though I fear |
shall never regain the strength of
hose days when / went from our
shores with youth, vigor and enthusi-
asm. Seven years Of unceasing work
hat have taken me around the globe
vice, and fora distance of not less
10000 miles, have left me but little
.eserve force. Yet, am hoping for
he best, and trusting God to restore
ne, in some measure at least, to help
c,1l oot;u;tv