The Portland daily press., 1898-01-08
THE w. C, T. U.
Mrs. Stevens Address at the Weekly Meet
lug Yesterday.


at the local headquarters, Sc Oak street,
yesterday afternoon, with a good attend
ance, Mrs. W. Fl. Hobbs in the chair.
The announcement that Mrs. l.. NJ. N.
Stevens was to address the meeting was
the reason of the unusually large number
in attendance, who listened with closest
attention to her remarks. Mrs. Stevens
referred to the fact that it had been more
than a year since she had had tho pleasure
OF meeting the Portland Union in this
way. and the thought of the hundreds
md thousands of women who weekly met
In their various unions throughout the
state for the same purpose, the better
establishment of those principles that I'M
derIay all work done by the W. G. L. u,
total abstinence for the individual, and
prohibition for the state and world, was
a source of inspiration and strength to
her. What o mighty force there is in the
more than six hundred thousand women
in the United States that are thus banded
together not only here but throughout the
world. Hundreds of thousands OF prayers
are daily ascending from mother hearts
that the loving All wise Father would
keep the children pure and sweet, and
make the nations God fearing.
In referring to her visit in England,
few months ago, Mrs. Stevens spoke of
the grand woman, the daughter of long
line of noble ancestry, the leader of the
Woman's Christian Temperance Union
movement in that country, who was ad-
mired and loved by peer and peasant
alike. She was privileged to be the guest
Of Lady Henry at her beautiful London
home Eastnor Castle-and saw her in
her home life which Mrs. Stevens de-
gcribed as being an ideal one. One eve
ming as they were sitting together in the
beautiful long summer twilight in the
library, richly yet simply furnished.
Lady Henry said in referring to the
matter which has been the source of much
controversial argument, on both sides of
the water, and which has caused sorrow
to her friends in America, because of lack
of right understanding OF her attitude,
s'Mrs. Stevens, you, in America, when
VOL, come to the mountains of difficulty,
tunnel directly through them with
dynamite and other agencies we here In
England for lack OF some of your agencies
endeavor to go around them. Our object
is the same, only different methods have
to be used in attaining it.
Mrs. Stevens said one cannot doubt
Lady Henry's integrity of purpose As
one sees her nobility of character, stead
.fastness of purpose in the carrying out OF
Righteousness and equity among her vast
tenantry of one hundred thousand souls.
and in her own many beautiful homes
where undel no circumstances liquor or
wine is allowed, she stands pre-em1nent
Mrs. Stevens, in the course OF her re-
marks, referred to the visit of the COM
mittee of four women Of the Portland
Woinan's Christian Temperance Union,
to Mayor Randall and the CITY marshal,
with evidences of the guilt Of several
Portland men who were daily breaking
the laws of the state in the illegitimate
sale of liquor. Mayor Randall gave the
committee most courteous hearing OF
two hours or more, expressing himself as
a temperance man and deslrous OF seeing
Portland freed from all wrong doing SO
far as it vas possible.
Another matter involving weeks and
months of earnest prayerful effort is the
recent movement made by the State W.
G. T. U. against the re-appointnent of
Judge Foster of the Supreme judicial
bench of the State of Maine.
This was not done hastily, said Mrs.
Stevens For years, there have been ac-
cumuIating evidence sufficiently damag-
ing in character to warrant this step on
the part OF the state union. And the
letters of congratulations that have come
to them because Of their firm convictions
in the matter and consequent fearless
disregard of any adverse criticism that
might result, have shown that the people
of the state as we'll as those of other states
are with them in spirit. The editorials
of many-of the leading newspapers and
religious papers have heartily endorsed
their action in the matter. How can
man administer justice when he is cor
rupt, said one. How is it possible that
our commonwealth should allow man
whose morals have been known to he
most reprehensible, to occupy so high
place. Mrs. Steyens's statements were
simply and candidly made, showing no
bitterness, no personal element. They
were what lawyers would term,
judicial.
Mrs. Hunt, chairman of the committee,
who waited upon the mayor Thursday
forenoon, gave her report for the com.
mittee which was the same in substance.
as previously told by Mrs. Stevens, who
WAS also member of that committee.
with Mrs. Margaret Il. w. Merrill and
Mrs. T. w. Mcdowell.
The meeting had the pleasure OF listen
ing to DR.. Abby Fulton Of Ellsworth,
who emphasized what Mrs. Stevens had
said relative to Lazy Henry's position,
which was conscientiously taken by her,
DR.. Fulton thought, for she is a woman
who is always true to her convictions in
all that she does
The meeting was most interesting, and
was only one of many interesting meet