The Portland daily press., 1897-09-02
OFFICIAL CALL
For the Twenty-Fourth Annual Convention
of the National Wuman's Christian
Temperance Union.

The twenty fourth annual convention
of the National Woman's Christian Tenn
Iperance Union will be held in Music hall,
Buffalo, N. Y, October 80, to November
8, 1897. 1t will Immediately follow the
fourth biennial convention of the Worth s
W. G. T. U.-October 23 to 26-which,
| in it's turn will follow the annual con-
vention of the w. q. 7. U. of the Do
minion of Canada; the last two to be
held in the city of Toronto, Onta1 TO-
These will, without doubt, form the most
remarkable trio of women's conventions
ever held in this or any other country.
The basis of representation in the Ma
tional union continues the same as in pre-
vious years, viz, one delegate at-large for
each auxiliary state and territorial union,
and one additional delegate for each five
hundred of the active, paid-up member
ship. The general officers of the National
union, the four general officers of each
state and territory, the board of National
superintendents, organizers and evangel-
lists, the general secretaries of the Y and
l.. I. L. Branches, the chairmen of
standing committees the representatives
Of affiliated interests, the editors and pub
Usher of our official organ. and the ed
tors of all state W. G. T. U. papers are
ex officio members of the convention. In
addition to the many women thus hold
ing official relationship there will be
large number Of visiting white ribboners,
as well as visiting and fraternal delegates
from kindred organizations. Many of
the distinguished guests at the Worlds
Convention will remain over to the Ma
| t1onal. The annual sermon on October 81
will be preached by Lady Henry Somer-
set, and it Is confidently expected that,
| both In the number in attendance and in
| the richness and variety of the pro-
gramme, this convention will excel any
yet held by the w. G. T. U. of the United
States.
| AS it is of especial Importance that each
state and territory should have it's full
quota of representation, we urge the
women of all the local unions throughout
the nation to a prompt and full payment
OF dues, In order that there may appear
no deficit in the ranks through neglect or
hardness. We also urge all women hold
| Ing official relationship to plan, SO far as
possible, to be themselves in attendance;
in order that this convention, which will
occur SO near the close of the nineteenth
century, may be in every way worthy of
that twentieth century whose dawn it
heralds. A most efficient committee in
Buffalo is planning for the entertainment
of large number of delegates, as well as
attending to other detail work in making
way for our coming. "The more the mer-
rier" seems to be their watchword and we
are sure that cordial welcome awaits us
1 in that giant city which is growing up at
the eastern end of Lake Erie
There should be an earnest and aggres-
sive campaign for the securing of new
members in the months intervening be-
tween this official call and the opening
date of the convention. We call upon each
| state officer and upon each state conven-
ton to sound out this bugle note; we call
upon each individual white-ribboner to be
| herself missionary of the special divine
word which has been committed to our
trust, and, las ye go, preach this 'Gos-
pel..of the Kingdom" There is no reason
| why the W. G L. U. should not double
! it's membership before the next conven-
| ton. There is every reason why 1t should,
and we believe it would, it each woman
did her. beet. t.a
The Womans Christian Temperance
Union has long since passed the period
when it needs explanation or apology.
The world knows that the principles for
which it stands are the protection of the
that home, the uplifting of the individual
life to the glorious plane of the measure
of the stature OF the fullness of the
Christ" and the upbuilding upon earth,
in personality, in custom, in society and
in government, of the Kingdom of God.
We believe that God is alive today, and as
much interested in His world as when He
spoke of old through prophet and priest;
that evil is neither necessity in this life
nor in the life to come; that God calls His
children to a co-partnership with Himself
for the redemption of the world, and that
he only works for God who works for
man. We therefore hold up without fear
or doubling our white-ribbon banner, up
on which is inscribed the inspired motto,
| For God and Home and Native Land. -
That banner stands for total abstinence,
for prohibition, for purity, for justice and
for peace. 1t has never stood for less than
| the sum total of individual and national
| Righteousness; we intend that each year it
| shall stand more and more for this divine
| ideal as God gives to us clearer light. Let
| this be the motto of every white-ribboner
| the world over: "Hold the light up, high
er, higher!' for this we know, that the
| God who led our Crusade mothers forth is
our God STILL and that His presence will
go with us until the day of victory, until
every native land' the world over shall
| become the true type of that heavenly city
which shall descend from above.
| Let us come up to Buffalo, beloved sis
tiers, in much prayer and in mighty
faith. Greater is He. that is for us than
all that can possibly be against us. We
must not fail nor be discouraged, for
righteousness shall be established In our
land and the far-away isles that "wait
for His word shall know Him as a God
who speaks through righteousness, Nigh
| ty to save the universe to Himself when
once His children shall have learned how
to place themselves in the trend of His
| infinite purpose.
Signed, on behalf of the National W. G.
T. u,
FRANCES E. WILLARD,
President.
KATHERINE L. STEVENSON,
Cor. Sec.