Devils Lake inter-ocean. (Devils Lake, Ramsey Co., Dakota [N.D.]) 1884-1905, 1898-06-17

l. " UCE UeUs . LE
"The neuralgia became gradually worse,
and finally she was a confirmed victim to it.
"Nervous prostration set in, and she was
soon all run down. Her blood was impure
from the close and constant associa-
ton with the people which the press
afforded, and realizing likewise that
the spoken word may be forgotten al
most before its echo dies away. while
the "frm type and black ink holds
through months and years" have spent
literally equip the press department
of the work. So effective has been the
work of this department. that it has
been called the "right arm of the
service" Through the Associated
press telegraphic dispatches of all
important items are sent to the large
dailies. Proof sheets of editorials to
appear in the Unions Signal are sent
in advance to the more important
dailies. Bulletins of advanced work
in temperance and other reforms are
sent to the religious, philanthropic.
and kindred publications. Labor and
trade papers come in for a share Of
temperance work along their individual
lines. News bureaus are utilized to
disseminate a large amount of tenn
perance matter and even newspaper
patent insides r not overlooked.
The w. @. T. U. has been called the
best advertised society in the world
and this is due not only to the equip
ment and to the talent of its press
department, but also to the liberality
and freedom from bigotry of the
editors who cheerfully allow space and
welcome contributions.
AS a country district w. @. r. IT,,
however, it concerns us moro nearly to
learn how we, in limited sphere.
can use the press to advance, perhaps
to create temperance sentiment. The
national press department has it's
foundation in the press supcrintend-
ents in each local union, and the
superstructure cannot be more i'm
portant than the foundation. We
have, it is true, to contend with diff
cplties of which our sisters in large
towns and cities can know nothing.
Isolated as we are, out here on the
frontier, with few and meager oppor-
tunities for mental stimulous and
growth, our minds as we'll rs our pens
grow rusty, and we distrust our ability
to arrange Jul thoughts and to commit
them to paper. Moreover the editors
in large towns and cities are men of
intellect, hence broad minded and
tolerant, while in some cases, the local,
superintendent in small towns must
submit to churlish treatment by a 2x4'
editor the size of whose microscopic
brain is in inverse ratio to the size of
his head. Fortunately, however, an
editor of this caliber is rare. He
exists as the exception, which proves
the general rule of intellectual power
and catholicism among journalists.
Besides submitting to the local
papers whatever work of the union is
of public interest, each union ought to
make it a point to call the attention
of its public to any laxity of the local
officials in matters pertaining to the
administration of the prohibition law.
"It will never do to assail our friends
and neighbours" some will say. True,
it is a disagreeable task, politicians
do not mind it) but a union cannot
become a factor to be reckoned with,
unless it is more or less aggressive.
The responsibility, or the odium if you
will, of this work should not fall upon
one member alone. Every member of
the union should be pledged to report
violations of the law which come to her
knowledge, and to furnish ideas and
suggestions about the best way of
writing up the matter. In cases to be
proceeded against with caution a COM
mittee could be appointed to assist
the press superintendent in deciding
upon the wisest manner of presenting
the matter to be published. This COM
mittee with a little printers ink could
secure results, while a committee ap-
pointed to wait upon the officials,
calling their attention to the violations
of the law, is usually put off with
empty promises and accomplishes
nothing.
Each union of our district could also
resolve upon a campaign of printers
ink against the evils especially pre-.
valent in it's neighborhood. This work
would be more effective if ell the
unions of the district united upon q
number of subjects for the year, de.
voting q certain portion of the year to
each subject, very much after the
manner in which the Loyal Temperance
Legion lessons IRE arranged. Indeed
these L. T. l.. quarterlies could supply
much of the matter which should
appear in the local paper every week
without fail, and would help make the
campaign what it ought to be, n Of
education chiefly. The present is 6
most opportune time for every unior
in the district to train its batteries or
the cigarette habit, when SO much
comment is being caused throughout
the nation by the failure of ninety pei
cent of the volunteers who smoke
cigarettes to pass the army medica,
examination. In a similar manner the
boys and the girls also can be reached
who otherwise must grow up almost
absolutely without counsel or guidance
We see so much that apathetic parents
and needless children ought to bt
warned against. If we cannot get the
mothers to come to the mothers meet,
ing, we can go to them in an article
addressed to and written for them
Not necessarily IN article original will
us, all the matter we need along these
lines can be got from tho w. Il. p. A.
requiring only a few changes some
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