The Saint Paul globe., 1897-10-24
WOMEN WHO LABOR FOR CHRIS
TIAN TEMPERANCE In SES-
SION AT TORONTO.
GREATEST INTEREST SHOWN.
PLAUsE AND THE WAVING OF
HANDKERCRIEFs.
MISS w1LLARD's ANNUAL ADDRESS.
Plea for Prohibition and for Sim
gle Standard of Purity in
Social Life.

Social Life.
TORONTO, Ont, Oct. 23.-The bien-
NAL convention Of the Worlds Wom-
ems Christian Temperance union was
formally opened in the pavilion at the
Horticultural garden today. The build
ing was thronged when the convention
was called to order by Miss Frances E.
Willard The convention has taken
a hold of the city, and the greatest
interest is displayed on all sides. The
platform was filled with executive and
other official workers, prominent
among whom were Miss Agnes Slack,
Of England; Mrs. Kirk, of Australia;
Mrs. Barker, of Chicago; Mrs. Barnes,
of New York; Miss Johnannsdittor, the
Iceland representative. The speakers
were received with great applause and
the waving of handkerchiefs. The ar
rangements for seating and other ac-
commodations had been carefully ar
ranged, and no confusion existed. Com
munication between the members has
been provided for by means of little
girl pages, dressed in white, who fit
here and there at the behest of Off
GERS and members. The first fifteen
minutes of the session were given over
to devotional exercises, led by Mrs.
Rutherford, president of the Dominion
Women's Christian Temperance union
The report of the executive commit
tee was read by Miss. Agnes Stack. A
notice to amend the qualifications to
membership by adding the words
Il; -,
was received with tumultuous ap-
plause. Miss Frances Willard then pre-
sented her biennial address. In part
she said:
Canada leads the world today in the
great prohibition struggle and it leads
with cheering prospects Of success. The
country has not that great foreign
population to contend with which we
are almost fatally handicapped by; its
people are serious-minded and practi-
cal; it's average standard of morals
and religion is higher than ours; it
has put itself on record by a popular
plebiscite in which prohibition triumph
ed; it has survived the horrors of the
royal commission to investigate the
liquor traffic, and is on the eve of an
other popular vote in which, although
it must contend against the united
power of the alcohol trade in all coun-
tries, which will be brought to bear
upon it's politicians and it's people, we
have faith to believe that our lady of
the SHOWS is going to pluck from the
heavens of purity and plant on her
own fair brow the bright star of pro-
hibition, which means happy homes
to her people and harbor of peace
to all the world.
CAUSE OF PEACE.
The cause of peace has won great
victories this year. The arbitration
treaty with our mother country is only
lying. oyer; already we have reason to
. believe that, through the influence Of
the president, arrangements are being
made for the presentation of another
treaty of wide scope. The storthing
Of Norway has appointed a committee
of nine to consider the question Of
forming arbitration treaties with
foreign nations and to submit pro-
posals to that end France is moving
in the same direction, and the recent
declarations Of the cZar and the en-
peror of Germany, are unmlstakably
in favor of pacific measures, While the
treaty between Turkey and Greece re-
Gently promulgated by the powers is
a peace triumph, even though it regis
ters the subserviency of Christian ma
tions to the great Moslem hierarchy.
Norway has called in the help of
women in it's efforts to solve the drink
problem, all above twenty-five years
of age having been made voters on the
temperance question and by the united
efforts of temperance men and women,
the Gottenburg system will disappear
and prohibition will be the law of Nor
way.
No 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
thyself Whatever degrades the Wom-
en- of India puts the stamp Of deterlor-
alton upon all women. To this 1t viii
be replied that they have degraded
themselves, and the means proposed
are only to mitigate the consequences,
but 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
Go all we can to make it less dangerous
TO the people. But this is not the
point; our attitude toward the saloon,
first, last and all the time, is an at
tftude of hostility and it makes all the
difference in the world to US whether
it's 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 5
purity on the altar of mans sensuallty;
and if there is one monstrous thlnS
which above another represents the
anti-Christ, it is that fact. In Or1entaf
countries women are helpless 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.
eve hold that there is but one
standard for men and women and that
they are equally capable of living up
TO it. We steadfastly believe that all
law should set forth the Ideals that II
should becl1on men to the summit
rather than provide for them, under no
matter what restrictions, those maui
gences in alcoholic liquors, opium ana
social vice, whereby. they live upon
sensual plane Our beloved comrade
Oady SomerzeD has hoped to reach
the same result by regulation that we
propose to attain by prohibition, or not
at all.
LADY HELEN DEFENDED.
But while we differ as to methods,