The morning times., 1895-10-28

fsIopuent addresses Dy Mrs. Louise
Rounds, Mrs. Ben ja min, Mrs. Matrie
Mcclellan Brown, and Mrs. Kath-
arine Lente Stevenson.
The beautiful, impressive, and effective
manner in which the department of Chris
tan citizenship of the W. C. T. L. is
endeavoring to elevate tue civil char
acter Of the men and women OF the nation,
was exemplified most interestingly yes
terday afternoon at Metropolitan NJ. E,
Church. The exercises which were
there held have been eagerly expected by
very large part of this community, so
that the spacious auditorium was crowded
with the friends of the organization and
the special object it is now developing.
Very appropriately, one OF the object
lessons in the church for those who can
appreciate a singularly sweet and noble
woulanhood, was the splendid photograph
OF Miss willard, which occupied pronli-
nent position on the left Of the stage and
was surrounded with flowers and palms
and draped with the national flag.
NATIONAL COLORS EVERYWHERE.
This flag was also DIade another object
lesson in citizenship, and was displayed
every where A huge banner Of red, " lite,
and blue was festooBed at the rear OF the
stage, and tue railings OF the galleries
were marked by long line of little "old
giories.''
The stage was decorated simply and
taStefully with towers and potted plants
On the stage were Mrs. Margaret b.
Platt. president Of the District W. c. T. T.;
Mrs. La Fetra, the worlds superintendent
of the department of Christian citizenship,
Mrs. S. Nj. Beiler, ex-president, Mrs. M- Z.
Griffith, Mrs. Louise Rounds, president
of the Illinois ". C. I. T.; Mrs. A. :. Eenja-
min, president of the Michigan W. c. T. T.;
Mrs. Matte Mcclellan Brown. delegate
from Ohio: Mrs. Katharine Lente Steven
son, the silver-tongued orator of the W.
c. t o.; Rev. DR.. Hugh johnson and the
Rev. DR.. s. NJ. Beiler.
Mrs. La Fetra is the superintendent for
the District of the department OF Christian
citizenship, and Mrs Beiler. only a few
days ago at Baltimore, was elected TO
the high and distinguished position of
superintendent of that department for the
nation.
SINGING BY THE Y CHORUS.
A very pleasing and attractive feature
of the occasion was the presence and singing
by the chorus, with whose excellent
training and capabilities the public is
agreeabiy familiar. The young ladies OF
the choir, in their picturesque and dis
tinctive garb, occupied seats in front Of
the stage ard rendered their selections with
harmonious effect.
Another special incident of the meeting
was the welcome To the nUtables and the
audience which was pealed forth by Prof.
Gibson on the sweet chimes of the spire.
The proceedings were opened With prayer
by the Rev. Hugh johnson, who was also
selected by Mrs. La Fetra to deliver the
address OF welcome. This DR.. johnson did
in an appropriate manner, aking occasion
to refer to the grand possibilities of the
work in which the Christian Citizenship
Department was engaged. The Introduction
of the speakers was made by Mrs. La
Fetra. WHOM hercapacity superintendent,
presided
The first speaker was Mrs. Louise Rounds,
who entertained and instructed the au-
dience as to some of the more important
features of the recent W. c. T. L. national
convention
GOOD GOVERNMENT.
She also touched most interestingly on
the question of what is gund government
and what the W. C. T. L. was doing TO
secure good government at heme and
abroad. The main necessity in attaining
come from an understanding Of the life Of
Christ. The Holy One, indeed, is picture
OF the true citizen. She had been told
that on ten of the immortal pictures OF
Raphael appeared Christ as the central
figure. We may not be able like Raphael
to form with art the perfect man, but we
can initiate the great original as best we
can.
Mrs. benjamin is an excellent and able
ba int fIae srOp
the beginning with the great work which
in tw enty years had been done by the ". c.
I. Z. of Michigan, what the difficulties
were chat beset its early life, and also its
eventual triumph.
Mrs Matte Mcclellan Brown discussed
Christian Citizenship" The progress OF
the world, she said, is one of the highest
evidences of God, and through all the ages
has been moving in that direction and in the
interest of the perfect citizen.
THE IDEAL CITIZEN.
The speaker described the characteristics
of the citizenship of Greece and Rome, and
held that in old times the Hebrew come
nearest being the ideal citizen. Yet when
the ideal citizen did arrive they knew Him
not, but the priceless gift of that citizen
ship has descended to US through Greek and
Roman channels. Mrs. Brown discussed the
relationship of the citizen to the church and
then to the state. Current citizenship,
she said, could not reach the ideal unless
we rid ourselves of too much self con-
sciousness.
The supreme effort should be to get
beyond self, to be, in fine. a citizen of God
Love should be the primary ideal, life for
life's sake the secondary. Only in that
way could the idea OF righteousness be
realized. Gods power in making men His
citizens was eXemplified in the conversion
of the German tribes in Italy, and how hu-
manity had been elevated by the example
of Queen Victoria, the second angel of
the covenant"
The last address was made by Mrs
Stevenson, who is the corresponding sec
retary of the National w. c. 7. u. This
lady is a most entertaining speaker
MRS. STEvENs0N's ADDRESS.
She began by showing how sentiments
become fixed in the human mind and how
they are crystalized into expressions, such
as that OF Louis XIV: Il am the state"
or the Liberty, equality and fraternity
Of the French revolution. These ideas did
not, however, receive their fullest develop
ment contemporarily- A good deal has
been said about Christian citizenship, but