The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1897-10-24
THE WORLDS WHITE RIBBONERS
MEET In BIENNIAL CoNVEN.
TON IN TORONTO.
Frances Willard's Talk on Purity
Attitude of the Organization to
the Saloon-It's Work Abroad.

Toronto, Oct. 23--The biennial con-
vention of the world Woman's Chris
tian Temperance Union was formally
opened in the pavilion at the Horocul-
tural gardens today. The building was
thronged when the convention Was
called to order by Miss Frances z.
Willard, the president. The greatest
interest is displayed on all sides
The report of the executive commit
tee was read by Miss Agnes T. Slack
A notice TO amend the qualifications
to membership by adding the words,
without distinction of race and color
was received with tremendous ap-
plause.
Miss Frances Willard then presented
her biennial address. 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 foreign population to contend
with, with which we are almost fatally
d handicapped; is people are serious
minded and practical; its average
standard of morals and religion is
higher than ours
Miss Wizards address covered in Its
comprehensive scope reference 20 the
queens jubilee; the India famine. the
aid given the Armenians through the
efforts Of the W. G. T. u, the national
society having forwarded SlOOO0; the
splendid gains in membership and work
in all the large auxiliary; the urgent
calls that have come from Burnah,
India, China, Ceylon. South America,
Mexico and other countries for resident
white ribbon missionaries and lectur-
ers; the need for inebriate industrial
homes. food reform. substitutes for sa-
looms, the plans of the Booth fuckers
for relieving the COMPOSITIONS in great
cities; closing with important recon-
mendations for the extension Of the
work and appreciative tributes to Gen
eral Neal Dow and other workers 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
violations of two laws Of God; first,
thou shalt not commit adultery sec
ond, thou shalt love thy neighbor as
thyself.'
"WhateYer degrades the women of
India puts the stamp of deterioration
upon all women To this it would be
replied that they have degraded them
selves. The means proposed are only
to mitigate the consequences, but What
makes al the difference in the world
to US is whether their degradation came
through any forces that we have set in
motion. BY parity of reasoning we may
still license the saloon and here it will
remain: let US do all we can to make
ii less dangerous TO the people. But
this is not the point; our attitude to
the saloon first, last and all the time.
is an attitude OF utter hostility and it
makes al the difference in the world
to US whether its presence among as in
spite OF our protest and work. or
whether We have taken measures that
BENDER its continuance probable.
1.-THE English law in the straits set
Elements is said to be for the protection
of Chinese girls none are allowed to
register as prostitutes except of their
own free Will and with the consent Of
their mothers But women physicians
among the missionaries testify that
they have treated little Chinese girls,
4 and 5 years of age, who have been
bought in north China and were taken
south to be raised for vile purposes and
who, when they we're made TO register,
would never dare TO say the woman
with whom each was living was not
her mother As for her own free will.
none of these creatures ever had g. free
will or ever will have. That is the pro-
lection that England furnishes to Chi
nese girls. We hold that there is but
enc standard for men and women. and
that both are equally capable of living
up TO it. We steadfasty believe that all
law should set forth the ideals. that
it should becloon men to the summit
rather than provide for them. under nc
matter what restrictions, those indul-
gences in alcoholic liquors. opium and
social vice. whereby they live upon d
sensual plane"
Secretary Slack read her official re-
port. It was an exhaustive analysis OF
the work throughout the world Tho
United States, according to this report
is the largest auxiliary, having enrolled
15,SSS new members, with Colorado
Utah and Idaho showing the Other
states an example in woman suffrage
Miss Frances e. Willard and Lady
Somerset were elected president anc
vice president and all the other officers
were retained in like manner