The Topeka state journal., 1897-10-23
Miss Frances e. Willard Says
the Keystone of Its Arch
Is the Treatment of Women by
the British Government.
THE WORLDS W. C. T. U.
Assemblies in Toronto, and Re-
Elects the Former officers.
The President Delivers Her An
nuaI Address.


Worlds w. c. T. U, the officers were
all reelected as follows:
President-Miss Frances E. Willard,
Evanston, Ill.
Vice at-large-Lady Henry
Somerset, Eastnor Castle, Ledbury,
England.
Honorary vice presidents-M Mary
Clement LeavItt, Boston; Miss Jessie
A. Ackerman, Chicago; Rev. Alice r.
Palmer, Waysatta, Mimi; Mother"
Stewart, Springfield, O.
Secretary-A1lss Agnes E. Slack, Rip
ley, Derbyshire, England.
Assistant secretary-N1iss Anna A
Gordon, Evanston, I'LL
Treas surer-Mrs. Mary Z. SandersOn,
DanVilIe, Quebec.
~ Round-t -the-world missionaries-Mrs
Mary Clement Leavitt; Miss Jessie A.
Ackermann; Rev.Alice R. Palmer; Miss
Clara Parrish, Paris, Ill, and Mrs. ).
K. Barney, Providence, X. L.
Miss Willard delivered her annual
address in the course of which she
said:
Canada leads the world today in the
great prohibition struggle, and it leads
with cheering prospects OF success. The
country IS homogeneous, it has not that
great loreigu population 10 contend WIlh
by which we are almost fatally handi-
capped; it's people are serious minded
and practical; It's average standard OF
morals and religion IS higher than
ours; it has put itself on record by a
popular pIeDisclue in which prohibition
UrIumphed; it has survived the horrors
OF the royal commission to Investigate
the liquor traffic and upon the wave OF
another popular vote i'll which although
it must contend against the united
power of the alcohol trade in all cOun-
tries, which will be brought TO bear
upon its politicians and its people, we
have taith TO beneVe that our Iady of
the SHOWS is going to pluck from the
heavens of pubic purity and plant on
her own fair brow the bright star OF
prohibition, which means happy hearts
10 her people and a harbinger OF peace
to all the world.
The first national convention of
Japanese women was held in April last
and marks the most significant tenn
perance epoch in that wonderful new
land which is Oldest of all and it is
spreading in the islands of the Pacific"
Sne then reviewed briefly the work of
various delegates in foreign fields and
continuing said:
The cause OF peace has won great
victories this year. The arbitration
treaty with our mother country is only
lying over; already we have reason to
believe that, through the influence of
the president, arrangements are belng
made TOR the presentation OF another
treaty of wide scope.
The storthing OF Norway has ap-
pointed a committee of nine TO consider
the question of forming arbitration
treaties with foreign nations and to
submit proposals to that end, France is
moving in the same direction and the
recent declarations of the Car and
the Emperor OF Germany are unmis-
takably in favor of pacific measures,
While the treaty between Turkey and
Greece recently promulgated by the
powers is a peace triumph, even though
1t registers the SubSerN1ency OF Chr1S-
tian nations to the great Moslem HE
rarchy.
Norway has called in the help of
women in its efforts to solve the drink
pro blem, all above 25 years of age nav
ing been made voters on the temper
ance question and by the united ef-
forts of temperance men and women,
the Gutenberg system will disappear
and prohibition will be the law of Nor
way"
Miss Wizards address covered in its
comprehensive scope reference to the
Queens jubilee; to the India famine;
to the aid given the Armenians through
the efforts of the w G. 7. u, the ma
tiOnal society having forwarded $4,000;
to the splendid gains IN membership
and work in all the large auxiliaries; to
the urgent calls that have come from
Burmah, India, China, CeylOn, South
America, Mexico and other countries
for resident white ribbon missiOnar-
les and lecturers; TO the need for inc
briate industrial homes; to food re-
forms; to the plans of the Booth Tuck
ers for relieving the cOngested quarters
of great cities; closing with important
recommendations tor the extension of
the work and appreciative tributes to
General Neal Dow and other leaders,
who have died since the convention met
in London two years ago..
Regarding the purity question Miss
Willard said:
mo good can come of legalizing the
violation of two laws of God-frst.
Thou shalt not commit adultery; sec
ond-Thou shalt love thy neighbor as
thy self.
whatever degrades the women of
India puts the stamp of deterioration
upon all women. To this it will be re-
piled that they have degraded them
selves, and the means proposed are
it makes all the difference in the world
to US whether their degradation came
about through any forces that we have
set in motion. BY parity of reasoning
we may say the saloon is here and here
it will remain; let US do all we can to
But this is not the point; our attitude
toward the saloon, first, last and all the
time is an attitude of utter hostility
and it makes all the difference in the
world to US whether its presence among
US is in spite of our protest and work |
or whether we have taken measures |
that render its continuance probable.
The foundation and the keystone in the |
arch of heatheniSm is the sacrifice of |
women's purity on the altar of mans |
sensuality and Il there is one mon
strOus thing which above another rep
resents the anti-Christ it is that fact.
In oriental countries. women are help
less in the hands OF men as they have |
been through the dark centuries. and |
the depths of degradation to which this |
utter dependence has reduced them are |
beyond all power of western compre- |
hension.
The English law in the Straits |
settlement is said to be For the pro- |
lection Of Chinese girls none is allowed |