Saint Mary's beacon. [volume] (Leonard Town, Md.) 1867-1983, 1900-11-15
vsn.a's Christian rsnr.rars. unisa.

The following Is the address delivered
BY the President. Mrs. J. d. Tippelt, 1t
the annual meeting of the Somerset w.
9. T. u. Sept. 10Th.
Dear co. workers and friends We are
assembled here, In the hospifable house
OF one Of younger members, for the pur-
poae Of celebrating 1ur first annual gath
ering and counting the gains and losses
Of the past year
You remember, I am sure. how q little
more than . year ago some Of we women
were taken with what seemed sudden
uprising; things were all going wrong;
how to right them we knew not; then
slowly but surely IL was borne in upon
us that we must organize; that In organi-
cation there was strength. So on that ev-
er-memorable nth Of June, 1899, the wo-
mans Christian Temperance Union, of
Valley Lee. started On It's upward march,
and since that day IL has never taken q
backward step. That there have been
dark days wedo mot DENY, days when all
around seemed dark and gloomy and we
knew not just where TO step, but there
Is never cloud without a silver lining.
and though there have been times when
we have almost faltered, there have also
been many victories that have cheered
our hearts and brought the sunshine of
hope to our brow. Then let MS offer
praise to the Father whom we believe
has been our guide In the past and ask
that He Will be with Us today to be our
inspiration. May we be able to stand
for righteousness and against the ini-
guilty that stamps its deadening curse
upon our fair country.
We have been asked, aWhy all this
labor and time devoted to something you
cannot overthrow For answer, we
point to the great ocean with all the lit
tie streams, rivers and bays that go to
make that vast sea. Just as these little
streams go on day after day, following
their course and doing their own little
work, SO also does each little Union
work On, hoping and praying until we
have the State Union, then the National
Union, and lastly the greatly Worlds
Union, with its delegates and represen-
tatives from almost every nation of the
earth
You have heard of the little leaven
leavening the whole lump, so IL each one
of these local Unions does what it can,
just where it Is, do you think the works
of darkness, the wild beast Of imparity.
the gambling den and the whisky saloon
could long Withstand this oncoming
host But I wish today to speak more
particularly of the work of this Union.
We have reached our first milestone,
and looking back over the past days and
months that go 10 make up that year,
We find much 10 encourage Us, and yet
something of sadness as we look over
the field and find that the 'harvest is
plentiful, but the laborers are few" I
wish to ask of you today this question,
Shall We go forward? Is there need
that we women work and pray and sac
rifice TO keep aloft the white standard
of temperance There is no one thing
that we white ribboners wish SO much
to impress upon the mind as the rum
power, with its ever increasing held on
our great republic.
We are told that this is an organized
institution all over this country that
our politicians dare not ignore IL. And
we have all seen the great spectacle of
the Temperance vote on the one side
and the whisky vote on the other side
arrayed one against the other, and we
have seen this government bow before
the legalized liquor power and allow it
to push its fostering sore upon our COM
munity. We have seen il reaching out
and fastening is CHASTITY grip In distant
lands, running its thousands while the
missionaries OF Christ are able only to
reach hundreds. We have seen 1t wind
ing its way Though the army canteen
running many more of our soldiers than
are killed in battle. We have seen it
filling almshouses and prisons. We
have seen Il debauch manhood and
wreak it's vengeance on innocent child
hood and womanhood, break up homes
and ruin souls. Having seen all this,
can We stand silently byf Dare we?
Rise then, Christians, in all your
strength and break your shackles and
save our homes ere the night cometh
and we can no longer work. / believe
the women are being aroused as they
have never been before. Their hearts
have been touched. their interest has
been awakened and they have been
brought TO think on the great subjects
presented TO them through the Wo-
mans Christian Temperance Union as
never before. If this great change of
thought were all that had been accom-
plished through the pass year should
consider it great work, for as some one
has said, sit is thought that shapes and
governs the world"
AZ hold it true that thoughts are things
endowed with being, breath and wings.
and that we send them forth to ill the
world with good results or ILL" Men,
women and children are being taught to
believe that the home can be protected;
that our young men can be as pure as
our maidens and that the dread liquor
traffic can be driven from our land.
II we have done good work the past