Evening star., 1900-12-03
and both alike invade and destroy the
sanctity Of the home.


toward righting the atrocious conditions in
the Philippines? Letters received from Mrs.
Moots Of Michigan. a missionary at Ma
Mia and loyal White Ribboner. go to
prove that the statements made by the New
Voice correspondent, and by other reliable
newspaper men and individuals, are not
overdrawn.
Under supervision and sanction of Amer
lean authorities the brothel and saloon
flourish in Manila. We are told on reliable
authority that there are In the Philippines
about 2O0 army canteens. where liquor Is
sold. and ahou: 400 American saloons. the
principal support of which comes from the
American soldier now in the Philippines.
- the GO.OO American soldiers wrD have
been In the hospitals. one of the chef sur
geons declared that 5000 Of these cases
were caused directly by drink. This esti-
mate Is corroborated by other testimony.
we are reliably informed that nine out of
the eleven suicides among the soldiers in
the Phllippines, of which we read with
such pathetic interest, were caused directly
by drink. We also learn that the liquor
SOLD in the canteens has the same effect as
iiquor sold from the regular saloon, and
,d ,nat instead or reducing the number of sa-
looms they multiply in the canteen districts
Is an tnis OF no interest to the mothers of
boys! And low can they refrain from
unl1lng with and helping the National w.
enda, an a. Ian, y, ana every other agency which is
enoeaVor1ng to right this awful wrong?
early In October the general officers. on
behalf Of the National Woman's Christian
temperance Union, sent this petition to the
tary Of War:
statements are appearing in the public
press TO the effect that houses of prostitu-
tlon are being established, maintained and
Inspected IN the Philippine Islands for the
use or our soldiers. by the consent Of the
army authorities of those islands or under
tnelr direct supervision We are unwilling
~ peheVe mat our government will allow
70 pe introduced among the soldiers that
INFAMOUS system which brought such lust
contempt upon England when the condition
OF aHalrs In India became known to the
world We beg the President of these
onlted States and the Secretary of War to
see TO 1t that no such stigma is allowed to
attach itself to our beloved land To this
emu the prayer of the three hundred thou
Sand members of the National Woman's
Snrlst1an temperance Union is that imme-
dlate steps may be taken to prohibit the
licensing Of such houses or the making of
any provision whatever for their existence
IN any of the territory under the jurisdic-
ton OF the United States. We protest with
all possible emphasis against our govern
ments regulating vice in any form, and
more especially, If that We're possible.
against anything calculated to foster that
crime which degrades it's citizens, destroys
the purity Of the family and deteriorates
the race
This response was promptly received
from Assistant Secretary Meiklejohn:
Replying to your communication to the
president concerning conditions in Manila
l have the honor 10 inform YOU. 40 far "a
TINS department is advised, no such condf-
tons obtain as set forth in your letter. but
In order that the subject may have the
most thorough considera ton and the CON
sideration that it's importance demands. in
structions have been sent to General Mac
Arthur, commanding the division of the
Phiiippines, to investigate the subject fully
and to make full report on the subject
matter OF your resolutions
Words of Courage.
I'VE may sometimes be impatient, but we
should never be discouraged To be sure.
we have arrayed against us the solidly
combined liquor business of the country
In its arrogance it sometimes dictates to
judge and jury. 1t is numerically strong
and financially rich, but it is spiritually
bankrupt and morally poorer than poverty
itself. We have with us the same class If
people that has always led in all the Just
reforms of the past. We have on our side
the testimony of science of law and the
Gospel, and the Lord of Hosts is our lead
er. Are We not sure to win?
1T Is lamentable that in the closing year
OF the century there should be wars and
famine, pestllence and massacre. We have
not yet reached ideal Christianity, but the
nineteenth has been the best century the
world has ever known. And we confident
ly believe that there will be established be-
lore the twentieth century has gone far on
lts march an international court of arbi-
tratfon, and so the day shall be FASTENED
"nen there Will be peace on earth.'"
mrs. Stevens said the progress of other
temperance societies than the w c. T "
mad been marked and encouraging.
The w. C. T. U. Still Needed.
Eve believe" she said, .that the need
which called for separate organization OF
women still exists, and that the training
the w. c. T. U. methods are fitting
her as nothing else fitted her to take h.r
place side by side with man in all relations
OF llfe For this and many other reasons
the w. &. I. U. is likely to go on and on
always in harmony with the trumpet call
TO the defense Of principle, which rang out
in 1ol3-14. We welcome all Wn, ioio niIr
ranks under its constitutional proylsi1ns
Within month we have had an interest.
ing addition: A woman on her one hum
dredth birthday, in full possession of all
her faculties, for the first time pur IN tho
white ribbon and she regrets hat she hal
not sooner belonged"
Mrs. Stevens next referred to the worl, of
the various departments of the National
w. c. T. u, which will be more fully re-
ported by the respective superintendents
during the convention. Then regarding ma
tlonal headquarters, she said:
Since May l, 1900, the national offices of
the Womans Christian Temperance ITnfon
have been in Evanston, Ill, a prosnern,,s
city of 10000 inha abitants, only three miles
from the city limits Of Chicago and twelve
miles from its business center Our head
quarters are now under the same roof that
shelters the sacred home of Frances p
Willard, and so admirably adapted for of
f1ce work has the national half of Rest
Cottage proved to be that 1t could scarcely
suit us better had We planned it's construc-
tion ourselves
Some Recommendations
Under the head of recommendations Mrs.
Stevens said:
1--WE should not only be vigilant in help
ing to secure desirable legislation, but we
should help toward the enforcement of good
laws that already exist. The chairman of
the educational committee of one of the
state legislatures has recently declared that
a great responsibility rests upon white-rib-
boners. We should protest against the an.
pointment of school superintendents and Sc
lection of teachers who use alcoholics They
may be tolerated for while, but the con-
science of the people concerning the right
example set for their children in the public
schools will, sooner or later, have right of
way.
I'VE should be more active in trying to
Danish impure literature, indecent pictures,
and advertisements Usually the
municipal officers, when properly appealed
to, will help in the suppression of all these,
and in most states there are helpful laws
MI