The Portland daily press., 1899-07-10

way. During the 10 weeks we were AWAY
from Chicago / spoke on ITO public coca.
sions We visited all the larger cities
along the Pacific coast
Sixteen years ago Miss Willard and
Miss Gordon covered this same ground
and organized the work. It was most
gratifying to see the great advencs that
has been made. Considering ths unpop-
ularity of any aggressive reform work, 1t
was really wonderful to see how inter
ested and earnest the people of that sec.
tion were. In many places the mayors
participated in the receptions accorded us
by the.locsl unions. The people of the
West seem to possess more independence
of thought and action than 81 generally
evinced in the Fast
After we returned to Chicago. meet
ings of the general officers were held to
consider plans for the work of the nation
al convention to be held in Seattle, Octa-
Der 2o-25. This will be the first time the
national organization has met west of
the Rockies. We found great interest
manifested all the way in relation to
this coming convention.
IA commendable public spirit is shown
IN Seattle. The chamber of commerce
there has voted to contribute s150O toward
helping to entertain delegates. and the
city council has made an appropriation OF
$500 for the same purpose, and informed
the local committee that If more is
needed 1t will be forthcoming. The
homes of the city win be open for the
free entertainment of the visiting dele
gates. The management of one of the
hotels has generously informed me that 1t
will be glad to furnish free entertain
ment to the general officers.
''The prospect is TINT there will be
very large attendance at the convention,
from the East as well as from the West,
for the women Of the East are not an
mindful that the women Of the West
have been nesting them more than half
way ever since the national organ ;zation
has bean in existence. The railroad COM
panies have offered us excellent rates. A
special train win be made up at Chicago.
decorated with our colors, and will make
such stops as the committee may
designate. 1t win lenve Chicago on the
Friday before the convention and will
stop over Sunday at some city in Dakota,
SO that we may hold meetings.
1.-THE convention will have special In
terest, for the choice of delegates to the
worlds convention at Edinburg next
spring will be made. The basis OF repre-
sentation will be one delegate for every
1000 members, SO there will be in all
about 800 delegates 10 elect. Maine will
be entitled to seven delegates. There
win be, In addition, some ex-ofiicio dele
gates.
car the convention we shall also make
plans for the representation at the Paris
exposition. There viii be general W.
O. I. U. exhibit, in which the Il nations
where the organization has foothold
will be represented. Every state in our
country will be represented. The exhibit
win include charts, banners, notices,
literature and many things emblematic
of our work. The apartment will be
under the general supervision OF Agnes
Lack and Lady Henry Somerset, and
whom ever may be selected by the cou.
vention at Seattle.
others has been material gain in the
numerical strength OF our national or
ganization during the past year, and the
coming year we expect an even greater
increase. The white ribboners through
out the country ara trying, even harder
than when Miss Willard was with us, to
carry out her wishes.
ION ourstrip, while Of course our chief
object was to build up the work numeri-
cally. and in other good ways. we en-
phasized the great principle OF total abb
stinenoe for the individual. and prohibi-
tion for the state and nation. Notwith-
standing that great deal of drinking
prevails, and prohibition doesn't prevail
in the Pacific states. yet we received
much encouragement. and I am fully
persuaded that the number of total alb
stineners in that section of the country ia
steadily increasing, and the prohibition
sentiment gaining. After this broad