The Yakima herald. [volume] (North Yakima, W.T. [Wash.]) 1889-1914, 1898-02-17

first crusade procession ever seen in the
state of Ohio.
This "whirlwind of the Lord" radiated
from this center to every state from the
Atlantic To the Pacific. When the active
work of the crusade subsidized it left in
its wake many "prayiue bands" and
"womsn's temperance leagues" actively
engaged in warfare against the legalized
saloon.
In 1874 a call was issued to these pray
ing bands TO send representatives to a
general convention to be held in Cleve.
land the following November. Sixteen
states were represented. After a full
ard free discussion it was voted To stand
by the name, as well as by the faith, of
III i'm to whom woman owes all that she
is. That name speaks volumes for it,
self-"Woman's Christian Temperance
Union" Surely Gods promise is being
fulfilled. The womsn's heel shall
bruisc the serpent's head"
Woman is ordained to lead the van.
guard of the great movement that shall
educate the public out of the false notion
that alcohol is food, to the scientific fact
that alcohol il poison; from the half
hearted concession that intemperance is
a great evil, to the intense conviction
that the liquor traffic is crime and that
| it must be prohibited.
White ribbon was chosen as our badge,
EN- blem of purity and peace. We have
now passed the seventy third milestone
on our way to absolute and entire prohi
bition of the liquor traffic and all other
licensed crimes. The sea of public opin-
ion is still being shaken and disturbed
by the pebble thrown in at Hillsboro
The waves have So extended that we now
sing triumphantly, "There arc bands Of
| ribbon white around the world" They
reach to every land and cline and fulfill
our motto, "FOr God and home and every
land" Much of the progress of mor,l-
ity and Christianity and the elevation of
public sentiment along various lines lies
at the door Of the w. c. +. L.. more than
is realized Ivy the world in general.
Eighteen millions of children are receiv-
ing instruction in our public schools as
to the nature of alcohol and other mar
cotics and their effect on the human
body. Canada and Sweden have copied
our laws, and through the great exhibit
at the Worlds fair many of the most dis
tant countries have been lead to trans
late our physiology text books and to
enact similar laws. The crusades against
cigar tie smoking and the laws pertain
ing to that destroyer of soul and body
can he traced directly in many cases. and
indirectly in many more, to the w. c. +.
L. Reform legislative enactments are
sought every year in the national con-
gress and in almost every state. The w.
c. I. L. is a union of love, which, by the
blessing and help of God, makes the
world wider for women and better for
humanity. 1t is Christianity in action,
with ito forty different lines of work so
systematixsd as to form a barrier be-
tween the homes of America and the
degradation publicly proposed by lead
ing men. A few years ago the high
license movement was considered as near
prohibition as we could hope for. 1t
seems to me that Satan never ceased to
tremble from the time the crusade start.
ell until the high license began to be
popular: until people eased their con-
sciences with the thought that they were
doing something for temperance when
they walked streets paved with blood
money.
'Alas that gold should be so dear
And flesh and blood so cheap"
The sentiment of the w. c. T. L. is:
mo compromise; it must be settled
right"
If we consider the good that is done in
only one department by education and
agitation, we find that the up-lift is inn
measurable. Consider for moment the
mothers meetings. Here mothers gath
er to exchange thoughts and experiences
with regard to methods of child culture,
realizing they are in partnership with
God and striving to make themselves
worthy of the crown of motherhood.
Thought of the Loyal Temperance Lee
gion, with its thousands of loyal boys
and girls, who repeatedly say, "Tremble,
King Alcohol, we shall grow up" can
not fail to strengthen and renew our
courage, for these are the men and wo-
men % to- morrow.
The Jail work being done is worthy of
appreciation. The world has been slow
to realize that the majority of those who
enter our jails and penitentiaries and are
considered unfit to be at large are just as
unfit for liberty at the expiration of their
term and that our prisons should be re-
formatory as we'll as place of confine-
ment. 1t is the effort of this department
to lit up the prisoner and help him TO
become fit for liberty.