The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1899-10-27
w. c. T.. U. Convention.
{ communicated.


Communicated
The oath annual convention OF
the State of Maryland met in Havre
de Grace on October 4, and g..
The day sessions were hclt! in the
Presbyte, ian church, the evening
meetings in the Opera House. The
church was most beautifully deco
rated with flags, bunting and potted
plants, and in the background II
picture of our translated leader
gracefully draped in white.
The first day was occupied in
getting the convention in order,
appointing ommittees, etc.
The Loyal Tempera &c Legion
entertained ii packed house in the
evening, the Orchestra of Havre de
Grace furnishing excellent music.
One noticeable feature of the even
ing meetings was the number o. the
male sex visible all over the house
and on the platform, an exception
rather than a rule. The Mayor
was not called out oftown suddenly
but was there to welcome the con-
vention and to give them, as he
expressed it, "the keys of the city.''
The pastor of the Presbyterian
church also gave one Of the finest
tributes to women that we have
ever heard. Mark 1t. But then
his mother is grand woman. The
President of Hartford county, Mrs.
H. T, Woodrow, gave the address
of welcome in behalf of Hartford
county. The Presidents address
was full of encouragement.
Mrs. Wells, former national
organizer, was present during the
convention, having just come from
the Dewey reception in Washing
ton where the morning papers
stated that the President had spent
$1,000 for the five kinds of liqt ors
used at the reception. But this is
a newspaper clipping and Of course
it is not true.
Mrs. Wells had spent the past
summer at the camp at Chicka-
manga, and the President is not
able to convince her that the "can.
teen" is not as bad as represented.
The audience has scarcely been
moved TO such degree as it was
during her recital of the goings on
in the camp. Mrs. Wells told of a
w. G. 7. U. mother who had q boy
at the camp and wanting to know
how he Jared she asked Mrs. Wells
to look him mp, she did and found
him behind the bar dealing out
drinks to the boys in Jlue standing
seven deep waiting their turn. He
looked at Mrs. Wells in shame.
faced way and said, l have to do it.
Miss Jessie Alderman, one of the
evening speakers, also uttered her
protest against the canteen. A few
months ago while lying i'll in San
Francisco, her brother, whom she
had not seen for seventeen years,
called at the hospital wearing a
co It of blue, and after his greeting
he said, see | have enlisted for
Manila. AS his regiment did not
leave for several weeks Miss Acker.
man recovered sufficiently to be
able to go to the camp to see him,
and after much protesting on the
part of the guard, she found him
dealing out drinks at a canteen, or
as she expressed it, bartender for
the United States government. His
reply to her surprised inquiry was,
81 have TO do it or desert, and you
would not want me to do that.D
Her answer was desert anything
rather than ruin character.
Yet in face of all the evidence
that is brought to bear against the
canteen the President will still
consent to the villainous interpre.
tatiOn of the canteen law, when
with one stroke of his pen he could
settle the question, bit it is better
to he President than to be right.
Miss Lillian Herr, of Conn, cap
tivated the young people even
though she told the young women
that they were responsible for the
greater part of the wrong doing of
the young men.
The whole convention was very
inspiring, even though we learned
many things that were depressing,
yet we were also encouraged to go
on, as so much had been done in
the past and so much remained to
be done and our God was the same