Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1898-03-07
THE WILLARD MEMORIAL
White Ritto1ers Meet to Pay Tribute to
Their Late Leader.
Addresses by DR.. j. E. Rankin, Mr.. F.
Nj. Bradley and Others, and
Special Music.

| pally of ladies, assembled yesterday after
| noon in the First Congregational Church to
| participate in the memorial exercises IN
honor of Miss Frances e. Willard, late
president of the National w. T. c. U.
Prominently displayed on the platform was
| an elegant portrait of Miss Willard, which
was encircled with lilies and smilax.
| Those on the platform were Mrs. Marga-
| ret B. Plat, president of the District w. c.
| T. u, who presided; F. NJ. Bradley of
Washington, general secretary of the Sons
| of Temperance; Rev. DIR. j. E. Rankin.
| PRESIDENT of the Howard University; Rev.
DR.. Walter H. Brooks. pastor of the Nine
teenth Street Baptist Church; Representa-
| tive H. w. Blair OF New Hampshire, Rev.
DR.. Samuel Beiler. vice chancellor of the
American University; James L. Ewin. pres
| ident of the National Anti-Saloon League;
Mrs. S. B. LIE Fetra, Mrs. ]. Ellen Foster,
Mrs. w. F. Crafts, Mrs. Clinton Smith. all
| of Washington; Mrs. NJ. S. Welles and Mrs.
Margaret Dye Ellis of the National w. c.
| /. L., Chicago. The music was in charge of
DR.. j. w. Bischoff.
Devotional exercises were conducted by
Rev. DR.. Rankin, after which Mrs. Alice ].
Harris of Boston sang one of Miss Willard 8
ing" Mrs. Plat briefly explained the OBJ
ject of the meeting and introduced the
speakers.
DR.. RnnIxin'a Address.
DR.. Rankin said it was next TO impossible
to anaiyZe such character that of Miss
Willard 1t was easier to stand in tears
and admire her. She had stood transcend
emily alone. She argued with all the firm
Eess of man and the tenderness of a wo-
man, and burned her life out as an angel
All crusades. he said, started at the cross.
which where the w. G. T. U. move
ment began. DIR. Rankin spoke of Miss Will
lard's whole life, and said that even when
her brother, TO whom she was devoted, lay
dead in Chicago, she kept her public en-
sagements, because she believed it was his
wish that she should do So 1t was because
CT Miss Wizards home life that she left
home for the sake of doing what she could
to make happy homes for others. Great as
was her work in life, her work is to go on
Until the end OF time DIR. Rankin said the
result of Miss Wizards effort was to exem-
plify in her life the truth of Christ S
saying that any one who gave up home or
friends for His sake should be rewarded
not only in this world bat the world to
come, and thus Frances Willard came to
have possessions everywhere. There was a
home and welcome for her in every place in
the world. In conclusion, DR.. Rankin said:
Frances f. Willard is not dead. Her
works do follow her. She has left us, but
she will ever live in the future. AS type
of true wornanhood she will live forever"
Then and Now.
Mr.. F. NJ. Bradley, the next speaker re-
ferred to the fact that five months ago yes
terday he stood by the casket of Neal Dow
ir Portland, Me, and that among the floral
offerings was one from Frances Willard.
Today he said the roses are for her. We
can say she fought the good fight; she
wears the crown. Mr.. Bradley referred to
the death of President Lincoln and asked
died in 1865? replying to this question, he
said: No; he began to live then, and not
as long the American republic survives
will Abraham Lincoln die. So with Frances
E. Willard. Like Lincoln. she has built her
own monument in human hearts"
other Addresses.
Mrs. NJ. L. Welles told of Il visit to the
legislature of Illinois with Miss Willard, in
which they succeeded in getting Governor
Cullom interested in the passage of a bill
for the protection of children. The bill
had no votes at the polls, and consequent
ly the legislators of Illinois had no time to
protect the children of that state.
Ex-Governor Price of Iowa spoke Of Miss
Willard as a valued leader. and Mrs. S. L.
La Fetra read some newspaper clippings,
containing Miss Wizards favorite quota
lions from some of the poets.
Mrs. j. Ellen Foster related incidents con-
r ected with the organization of the w. c.
T. L. in 1874. Brief remarks were also
made by Mrs. Wilbur F. Gratis, Rev DIR.
Brooks. Mrs. Clinton Smith, Representa-
tive Blair and Mrs. Margaret Dye Ellis.