Gloucester County Democrat. (Woodbury, N.J.) 1878-1932, 1898-10-20
state w. g. r. u. Convention.

A quarter of century ago handful Q
women held the first annual Convention o
the New Jersey Woman's Christian Tenn
perance Union. Last week two hundre'
and thirty delegates from all over the Stat
gathered in convention in the City o
Elizabeth, where they we're royal,
welcomed and entertained. The pait
mem bership is seven Thousand nine hun
dred and ffty-one. gain of one hundret
and slxty-eight with loss by death 0
lone hundred and twenty one.
The sentiment was apparent that bJ
redoubled efforts We are proving that W.
stand for devotion to a grand principle no
simply devotion to grand leader, thu
inspiration of whose presence is no longel
with u.s.
The large old First Presbyterian church
opened wide its doors to us. Its history il
| interesting, the first edi6ce was bull
two hundred and thirty four years ago, and
was used also for the Legislature, ths
General Assembly and the Supreme Court
! The present building is one hundred and
seventy four years old, and in it Whit
! field preached in 1863 The Pastor, DR.
E. x. Kempshall, the powerful agitator o.
the ant Gambling Amendment made us
|
letters of greeting were read from the
Mayor and the Governor. We also received
gracious note of invitation from the
Board of Trade to make use of their rooms
which were near by. and offering to lend
US a telephone Later their Secretary
came and greeted as kindly. Invitations
to visit several industries of the place were
also given, and note of fraternal greeting
from the Sons of Temperance. Many pas.
tors extended the right hand of fellowship
Two daily papers gave full and excellent
reports.
The annual address of the President
Mrs. Emma Bourne, of Newark, abounded
in encouragement and inspiration, and
showing her fitness for the position and
her thorough grasp of the problems before
us The other officers are Mrs | H.
Demarest, Corresponding Secretary Miss
E. II E-freth, Recording Secretary, and
Mrs N. L. Caminade, Treasurer, and were
all re-elected.
The years expenses had been $4050 IL
and the balance was $lS98 38. Twenty
eight local unions own headquarters, and
forty six rent them. There are twenty
seven libraries, and seven reading rooms
carried on by our women.
Devotional exercises opened all the
sessions; daily Bible readings were given
and much attention was paid, as always to
the religious element of our work. The
| Evangelistic department is the foundation
of our twenty three lines of work, each OF
which reported more efforts with more
success than ever before.
Two hundred and twenty seven speakers
have addressed our public meetings and
large Numbers of parlor meetings and
Gospel Temperance services have been
| held. On most of these occasions our
literature was distributed, and it has been
sown broadcast by means of depot boxes.
children's bands, personal gifts in libraries,
reading rooms, etc.
We own building at Waveily Fair. in
which people are invited to rest, to have q
drink of ice water "a rare thing there), and
TO read our leaflets, also The State Fair
Daily" which we publish for free distribu
ton, as a means OF introducing our aims
and our doings. Brief meetings are held
daily also.
The subjects of Health and Physical
Culture are carefully studied and efforts
made to introduce systematic training into
schools and institutions. We are educating
ourselves and others concerning the very
many substitutes for alcoholic medicine
Illegal liquor selling has been stopped in
several cases, and saloon of forty years
standing has been closed. laws for Sunday
selling and for drug stores have been en-
forced, and games of chance abolished al
two fairs. National and State petitions have
been circulated with the co operation Of
various Church societies. MANY women
are school trustees and one woman is 8
President of Board of Education These
Boards have been induced to enforce the
law requiring the teaching of phI siology
and hygiene, with special reference to the
effects of alcohol and narcotics on the human
system. Teachers have been helped to be-
come thoroughly informed by the use OF
the school Physiology Journal" and by
special meetings
The Sabbath Observance Department has
ueen pushed with vigor, also the allied ones
of mothers meetings and printing Narcotics
work among Foreigners and the press are
in fiourishing condition. The best of all
is the Loyal Temperance Legion with its
thousands OF children being carefully
trained in our principles In this connec-
ton a beautiful exercise was given by
several hundred children entitled "Colum-
bias Call" It consisted of Rotations
notices, rallying cry, salute and patriotic
soDgs-aIl designed to show that the tfuest
love O. country will Danish alcohol from
our land and purify its government.
Two thousand three hundred and eight
children have signed the pledge during the
year in their Sunday schools and duplicate
pledge cards had been fastened together
red, white and blue ones alternating
whole making most effective addition to
the decorations of plants flags and County
banners. Our motto "New Jersey shall be
redeemed is printed on white bannerettes
| which were carried by the q County Presi-
dents when each told of her County's ac
Movement in one minute speech. Fol-
lowing this the Supertendents all explained
their departments a in few we'll chosen
words, as they displayed large card bear
| ing the same, The best of music was in
terspersed, as was the case in all the ses-
sions On the other evening, Col. Georgetts
Balm and Miss Belle Kearney attracted
large crowds who were thrilled by the
truths SO wonderfully presented.