Union County courier. [volume] (Elk Point, Union County, D.T. [S.D.]) 187?-1913, 1896-11-19

N'% Weria:, ": :: !;
nm FRANCES WILLARD poo,h " If Tho " Amsr.
lean Volunteers; Mrs. Gwyneth Vaughan.
OF Wales; Miss Rebecca Kirkorian, of
Armenia. and Rev. II. d. Greene, secre-
tary Of the Armenian relief committee,
New York. lhree sessions a day for
i've days will be held during the con-
vention.
Exercises were begun at 8 o'clock, a
prayer meeting being held in Schuyler
Memorial Home. Music Hall, in which
the convention met, was appropriately
decorated with the coiOrs Of the order.
white. Festoons of these colors hung
from the balcony, interspersed with the
stars and stripes. Over the immense
stage. between two immense United
States flags, hung a British flag, above
which was a large sign with the word
WELCOME upon II. Below these was
d huge banner bearing the words "The
Star of Hope of the Temperance Re-
form Stands Over the Schoolhouse."
1t was considerably after . O'Clock
when Miss Frances f. Willard. Nationa!
President, called the gathering to order.
Previous to this all the women identified
with the Original crusade were called
to the platform. As Miss Willard step
ped to the front she was received with a
salute of waving hankerchiefs. The ex-
~ercises began with the reading. respons-
lively. of the crusade psalm, the one hun
dred and forty-siNth.
y The report Of the executive committee
was in effect a report of what had been
done at the meeting Of the committee the
day before and related to the work of the
convention and the national union. 1t
was decided to make March 20. the birth
day Of General Neal Dow, a prohibition
rally day.
Miss Willard then made an address.
She snid her annual address was partly
prepared when the call came to work for
the Armenian refugees in Marseilles, and
since that time it has been impossible
for her to complete her message. She
therefore gave IA familiar talk to the dele
gates.
The speaker said that prohibition in pol.
tiles has been. is now and is to be the
embedded protest of the home against
the saloon. When the white ribbon wom-
en- planted their faith to the movement
it had polled only 10000 votes. In 1884
the number rose to 10000. and had
gone on slowly increasing until 2.O,OOG
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 the memor.
able year of 1896 and the vote had fallen
of to about 100000 out of 100000 0 bal
lots.
Miss Willard touched on the work lone
for temperance in the several States and
spoke at length of the Arnenians. and
on the excellent work done by Mrs. Ste
vens, of Maine, Mr.. Fessenden and Miss
Blackwell, of Massachusetts,. in finding
homes for the refugees sent over by her
self and Lady Henry Somerset. She
praised the Armenian relief committee
and the Salvation Army for the admir-.
able work dane by them. SO that nearly
400 friendless men had found friends and
occupation. She stated that the Worlds
Women's Christian Temperance Union
intended to take up the work for the Ar.
menians as an important part of its Ell.
deayor; they wonid probably found a col
.ony in Cyprus for the women and chill
dren.
A letter from Lady Somerset. Of En-
gland, was read. The reading of the va
rious reports was listened to with mark
ed attention. Helen NJ. Baker. of Hi
nois. gave the total receipts for the yeal
rs $27. 7OS; expenditures. $24, 11o: bal
ance on hand. S3,592. The report of tn,
corresponding secretary, Mrs. Catherin.
Stevenson, of Massachusetts, showed
that during the year LIS new unions
had been organized, the gain in member
ship being 15.SSS. The gain, however
had been offset by corresponding loss. A
gain in membership had been made il
New Jersey, Maryland, Michigan, Mas
sachusetts. Kentucky. Virginia, Louisi
ana. Colorado, Mississippi, Iowa. Mis-
souri,, Tennessee, New Hampshire, Tex
N, District of Columbia. South Dakots
North Dakota, Eastern Washington
Connecticut, Georgia No. 2, Florids
Utah, Arkansas, Wyoming, Indian Tel
ritory. Alabama, Oregon, Maine an
Rhode Island-the order of the States II
dicating the relative gain. There wer
losses in Illinois, Kansas, Nebrasks
mPennsylvania, Ohio, Wisconsin, Soutl
ern California, Minnesota. New Yorl
California, Vermont. Georgia, West Wi
kinia, Idaho, New Mexico. Nevada, Okl,
oma, Arizona, Indiana. Western Wasl
hgton, Delaware. Montana, North Car,
HH ~yl Co.kk Cnwn1srn4 SHaE*H