The Topeka state journal., 1897-10-25
MASSACHUSETTS, w. c. T. U.
Mrs. Susan G.. Fessenden Makes q
Stirring Address.

Boston, Oct. 25.-The Massachusetts
Woman's Christian Temperance union
opened its twenty-fourth annual conven-
tion at Taunton, Mass, last week The
first day was devoted to reports of the
various officers, and Saturday a special
feature was the annual address of the
president, Mrs. Susan G. Fessenden.
How electric with enthusiasm she
said, ''and full of interest to a healthy
mind must be life in these eventfuI clos
ing years of the nineteenth century! In
the history of the world there has never
been a time so replete with glorious life,
so environed with opportunity, so illu-
mined with light, radiant with hope 1t
is likewise true that never before have so
many black clouds risen to obscure the
bright shining of the sun. Persons are
not wanting who, looking persistently at
the clouds, find the world never so black
evil never SO rampant, and indulge in the
lugubrious reflection that everything is
destined to go from bad to worse until
the end comes despite our most conse-
Grated efforts to the contrary
Here Mrs Fessenden reviewed the at
titude of nations, Turkey Armenia
Greece, Syria, India, Cuba, Hawaii and
the immigration question.
AS an organization, we are keenly
alive to all influences that advance a no
teal work, however, must focus upon our
own land and the mighty responsibilities
that meet US here. Greatest among them
all stands the liquor cause and it's attend
ant shadow of lust. Toward the over
throw of this all our departments concen-
trate their force. It is we'll recognized
and scarcely disputed fact that there is
a giant evil in our land. more cruel than
a sultan, who is today shaking his clench-
fair, young and smiling republic. Unless
he is crushed, the smiles will soon van
ish and lines of care and symptoms of
premature decay and early death will
mark the fair young cOuntenance. Think
of a country governed by the people
where 10000 of the people. are criminalsI :
Think of a country where over 10000 mur-
ders are possible in a single year! Is
there any cause for alarm? Let us bring
some feminine logic to bear upon this
question and see how it looks from wo-
man $ point of view.
There is wanted" she concluded, 'some
plan by which the money may be taken
from the liquor traffic. This cannot be
done by any kind of license. So long as
government upholds the traffic and pro-
tects it, the appetite of man will do the
rest. The traffic must be legally recog-
nized as a curse to humanity. 1t must
De OutIaWed- 1t must be compelled, II 1t
exists at all, to skulk around in the dark
and cover up its tracks. 1t must be
stripped of its purple and deprived of it's
scepter. 1t is the money in it that makes
men willing to assume the terrible re-
sponsibilities of destroying their fellow
men, body mind and soul. If it were
not for the money in it, no liquor dealers
would exist. If there were no powerful
moneyed class of liquor dealers, no poll
tician would have to trim his sails to
catch the favoring breeze of the traffic
and better men would be found in politics.
1t is the money in its that puts liquor
dealers in positions of power. trustees of
colleges, speakers in senates. It is the
money in it that gives that prestige which
increases its power to lure the young to
destruction. 1t is the money in it that
silences many pulpits and stunts the SEN
sibilities of good men to the fearful pol
luton and degradation of this dominant
cause. 1t is the money in it that en-
ables it to stand athwart the path of
progress of all legislative lines, and an
nually defeat the effort to give woman
the ballot to protect her hOme.'