The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1898-02-19
MISS WILLARD AND HER WORK.

In the death Of Miss Frances f. Willard
the Woman's Christian Temperance Union
and the public generally sustain a great
loss. The temperance movement in the
early seventies, which first took the rather
hysterical form of the invasion of saloons
by parties of praying women, needed calm
and intelligent guidance. Without it it
would probably have ended as it began, in
spasmodic efforts at reform by forcing the
saloon keeper out Of business. But there
were women Of cool judgment who saw that
the general outburst Of temperance senti-
ment following the first demonstration in
Ohio was the indication of q deep and wide
spread feeling on the subject and that the
opportunity had come for a work that
might accomplish great results. Among
these women was Miss Willard, and in the
organization of the Woman's Christian
Temperance Union that was accomplished.
While enthusiasm was still high she took
an active part. Her executive ability, her
talent as a public speaker and her other
unusual qualities brought her quickly to the
front. She was recognized at once as a
leader, and by common consent was made
president of the national society, and be-
came the head and front of the woman's
reform movement. Both positions. the Of
fetal and the unofficial, she has filed with
remarkable ability since that time There
has been no question of her supremacy.
Her influence in the organization has been
boundless, and was largely maintained by
her great tact, for though she was agrees
sive her aggressiveness was concealed by
her tactful management, and she the
respect and liking of even the men whose
interests she opposed. fractional differences
in the union were quietly settled through
her efforts, and large as the body was over
which she presided for SO long, she held
it well in hand, and it never became un-
wieldy Apart from her skill as an organ
izer and her power as president of a great
organization, she had a personal influence
that was felt outside of the union and by
all classes with whom she came in contact.
Her earnestness and eloquence always in
sured large audiences of people, who spoke
only words of praise for her whether they
accepted her opinions or not. Her strong
character must have made itself felt in
whatever field her life had been cast, but
the fact that she met with nothing but
commentator from men and women of the
widely diverse views encountered in the
temperance work speaks for her
character and its manifestations than any
other thing could do. The secret of her
popularity lay. no doubt, in the simple fact
that with all heT authority and all the pub
lie life that might have brought out objec-
tionable traits she lost none of the char
acterstics of the true lady. That she re-
NAMED from first to last, and such
demonstrated the fact that such work as
hers may be done without loss of the finest
feminine attributes.
OF what she accomplished through her
official labors no estimate need be at
tempted here. While the w. c. Il. Z. has
not done the work it undertook, that Of
putting an end to the liquor traffic, and
has made no aapreciable beginning in that
direction. there is no question but that 1t