The Monitor-register., 1896-09-25
Official Call.

Wnose laGter naII we nave entered has
been most strikingly a convention year.
We have seen the splendid hosts of young
peoples societies. as they have set anew
their impress upon the Church of Christ,
affirming that its work for the future
must be, more and more, the practical
application of righteousness to the daily
life of man. We have seen the great
church conclaves, Sunday school gather
ings, and various reform organizations
which have arisen in great numbers
during the last quarter of a century.
Last. but by no means least, both
numerically and in the amount of public
attention ELECTED, we have seen the con-
ventions of the variouss political parties,
beginning at Pittsburg in May and termi-
mating at Indianapolis in September.
The results of these latter conventions
are everywh here present with Us. The
very air is electric with the fact that an
election is before us. The papers contain
little else. Each side is sure that upon
the adoption of its principles depends the
safety of the nation, and that their rejec-
ton can mean nothing else than absolute
overthrow and humiliation.
Into the midst of this universal unrest.
into this epoch of campaign buttons and
campaign yells, into this confusion of
discordant sounds, we are sending forth
our National Call; not disheartened
because of the clamor. nor downcast
because so many other issues are engross-
ing public thought, but sure, since God
is God and right is right, that the
principles we represent will in time come
to be recognized as the principles of
eternal righteousness: the issues we stand
for will be seen to be the only issues
worthy to be called dominant"
1t is a significant fact that our ANIMAL
Convention is this year to meet in the
same city where three great conventions
have already been held. The streets
which resounded to the tread of Republi-
can, Populist and free silver feet will
know now the tread of the white
ribboners, as from east and west, north
and south, they keep step in their grand
march toward the future. The roofs
which echoed to cries of sound money!
are to echo back our voices as we affirm
that neither the money, Dor the nation
standing back of the money, can be
sound if unrighteousness is placed before
righteousness, greed of gain before the
welfare of citizens. We shall meet not
as a political party, yet as those pro-
foundly interested in finance; not as
statesmen, but, we trust, as states.
women-the women of a great nation,
baptized with a mighty earnestness,
endued with the clear vision which
enables us to see hat whatever else the
nation and individuals constituted that
nation may need, the primal need is
APPLIED righteousness. Truth, not
alone, Gin the inner parts' of individual
conscience and life, but truth, in it's out.
ward expression as seen through righteous
laws, righteOusly executed; social GUS
toms upon which has been set the seal of
the Christ Spirit; the establishment of
a nation whose recognized province shall
be TO seek, not alone the greatest number,
but the greatest good Of ALL; these are our
issues.
Sarely we should lift our White banner
high when we realize the holy things of
which it is the embleml When "Protec-
tion," as an issue, shall have been for
ages forgotten and the fact that ''fnance'
was ever a problem shall seem like a
dream; in the good day toward which we
are Fastening, when each man shall live
for all other men, the world over, and
altruism shall win its final glorious
victory over egoism-in that day the full
significance of our white ribbon movement
will be seen, and it will be recognized by
all that, more fully, perhaps, han any
other gathering of 1896, the one which
will meet in st. Louis Music Hall
November13-1S, will b ave represented
the larger hope for hnmanity-God's
coming morning.
The salient features of this Convention
will be not unlike those of the twenty-one
which have already preceded it. Miss
Wizards annual address will be the prin-
cipal feature Of the first morning. The
evening will be given to addresses of
welcome and responses. Saturday even
ing will be the Young Women's Christina
Temperance Union gathering, and Mon
day will be divided between the depart
ments of Loyal Temperance Legion and
Scientific Temperance Instruction. Tues
day will be Benefit Night. the
being arranged by the presidents of the
several states which have made an in
crease of five hundred to their member
ship during the year, and Wednesday will
be the Grand Demonstration Night.
s sveral novel features are to be introduced
into the demonstration this year, promi.
nent among them being the department
parade. 10 which it is hoped that a most
impressive object lesson of our various
lines of work will be presented, while
state songs and notices will be, even
more than last year. the order for the
evening. The program zach dav