The Ely miner. [volume] (Ely, Minn.) 1895-1986, 1896-11-18
TEMPERANCE WOMEN.
White Ribbon Leaders Gather at
st. Louis.
Frances e. willard, tho Organizations
Famous President, Delivers an Inter-
esting Address-Proceedings
of the Meeting.

Famous President, Delivers an Inter-
esting Address-Proceedings
of the Meeting.
ST Louis, Nov. 14.-For the twenty
third time in the history of the or
ganization the Women's Christian Tenn
perance union met in annual conven-
ton Friday morning. The delegates to
the number of nearly 500 assembled in
Schuyler Memorial house at eight
o'clock and attended devotional -exer-
cises led by Miss Elizabeth w. Green
wood, of New York. Shortly after
wards the audience adjourned to the
music hall in the Exposition building,
which had been deliberately decorated
in honor of the conference.
Nearly 1000 delegates and visitors
were present when Miss Frances E. Will
lard called the convention to order at
9:45 o'clock.
The report of the executive commit
tee recommended that the w. G. T. U.
begin an active crusade against the evils
Of gambling, and the commit on leg
islation was authorized to take meas
ures towards the abolition of gambling.
After the usual committees were APP
pointed President Willard addressed
the convention.
Miss Wizards Informal Address.
Miss Willard said that her annual adj
dress was partly prepared when the call
came to work for the refugees in Mar
impossible for her to complete her
message, and she therefore gave ia
miliar talk to the delegates. of which
the following is an outline:
She expressed the warmest appreciation
of the White Ribbon women Of ST. Louis
who, undeterred by the calamity Of the
made generous and elaborate provision for
its entertainment. In 1884, only few days
previous to the presidential election. the
w. c. T. u. met here and ventured on
the high seas of political contention; they
had espoused the cause Of the prohibition
party and called down curses on their de-
voted heads.
She spoke Of the heroines of the rank and
file who had borne and labored and had
patience when the w. c. T. U. passed
under the rod of a nations criticism"
1--WE have marched far since then and
the alignments Of parties have changed
The labor movement has taken on pro-
portions so vast that no one speaks lightly
Of it any more. The people are forging
their way to the front, misguided often
making pitiful paths in the wilderness. fol-
lowing false lights and RELOCATING the
fight for a clear brain to the Spartan band
Of prohibitionists, when if labor would win
1t must make the temperance reform the
ark Of God to be borne in the very van OF
its swift gathering army.
'In 1892" Miss Willard continued, "some
of us sat up all night with the commit
tee on resolutions of the great labor con-
vention, with it's thousand delegates
pleading with them to put a prohibition
and home protection plank in their plat
form, and they would not. She said that
prohibition in politics has been and il
now and Is to be the embodied protest
of the home against the saloon; 1t held
up torch in the gloom. and 1t set the key
note Of divine anthem of liberty. When
| the White Ribbon women plighted theil
| faith to the movement, it had polled only
! 10000 votes. In 1884 the number rose to
LIZ, 900. and had gone on slowly increasing
| until 25O,OO0 had been gathered, but owing
| to the great controversy concerning the
free coinage of silver this party, like every
other had split in twain in this memorable
! year Of 96 and the vote had fallen off to
about 100000 out OF H.OOo.OO0 ballots
Position of the w. T. c. U. Politically.
when we were in st. Louis IL years ago
we declared for the only party that was
pledged to prohibition and the home pro-
|
PARTIES so pledged, we cannot in con-
science declare for either, but we are,
hope, the earnest friends of both, and shall
in this convention make it plain that we
will lend our influence to any party that
Incorporates our principles into its plat
form. | do not mean that we shall indorse
! all the planks in that platform, but only
those that embOdy our principles.
She gave notice that the National w. c.
T. U. would call upon all TEMPERANCE aho
| l1t1,y n neio iAti throughout
world to set apart March ~, the birthday
Of Gen Neal Dow. as Prohibition day."
Miss willard closed With If Gan
ada, the white ribbon pioneer in that coun.
try. and Mrs. Sallie Chaplin, the southern
pioneer. both OF whom have recently
passed away.
A Pretty Incident.
At the conclusion of Miss Wizards
address, a pretty incident occurred
Fifty-eight young lady pupils in local
seminary marched upon the platform
each carrying a huge chrysanthemum
which they presented to the president
in honor of the SO milestones which she
has passed on the journey of life.
The entire audience arose and again
waved the Chautauqua salute.
Evening Session.
The evening session was presided over
by Mrs. L. Nj. N. Stevenson, of Maine,
vice president at large. The devotional
exercises were conducted by Mrs. j. K
Barney, of Rhode Island. No business
was transacted, the evening being de-
voted to addresses of welcome and con.
graduation, interspersed with vocal
and instrumental music. Mayor Wal
bridge delivered an address of welcome,
followed by Mr.. T. p. Boyd, president
of the ST. Louis exposition. Among
those who made congratulatory ad.