El Paso daily herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1881-1901, 1900-02-21
MEMORIAL
MEETING
Mrs. MerriII's Address On the
Temperance Movement
MISS WILLARD'S WORK
a Summary OF the Achievements
OF the Great Leader And Her
Lieutenants In the Field OF Re-
form.

Lieutenants In the Field OF Re
form.
The meeting of the Women's Chris
tian Tempe ance Union, in memory o
the late Miss Francis Willard, wa
held in this city at the Presby teriar
church last Sunday evening, and wa
largely attended, the church beinG
crowded with interested listeners
The nesting was opened with thu
reading of Scriptural text by Mrs
Robinson, o. the Baptist church, fol
lowed by the choir singing IA Charge
to Keep I Have" A prayer was of
fered by Mrs. Corbin, which was soul
full and touching, and the congregation
then joined with the choir In singing g
hymn.
Miss Alice Marvin followed with q
recitation, With q temperance septi-
ment, which was very Interesting, and
with a very good moral to it.
Mrs John A. Merrill, who presided,
then made an address. She spoke OF
Miss Willard's life, twenty-five years
of which che had unselfishly devoted
to this great work. She had virtually
given her life to uplift and save the
fallen. This day, all over the nation,
was consecreted to her memory and
meetings were being held in all the
cities and towns of the union, and
friends of Miss Willard were giving to
the fund 20 send missionaries ell over
the world. Mics Willard was frsil 10
physical ct ength but strong in the
strength that was given her by the
Lord, and as q moral reformer she was
without p er in the land.
Mrs. Merrill spoke OF the beginning
of the great temperance sentiment,
which was in the years 1873 and 1874,
known as the "crussde winter" The
women OF the land, led by Mrs. Judge
Thompson, of Fredonia, N. Y, began
the great reform movement and went
into the very gates of sin and degrega-
ton, into the saloons and kindred
places, which resulted in the closing
of many of them. Many of the men
engaged in the traffic were converted
and poured their LIQUOR into the streets.
Thus sprung into existence that great
sentiment of NOR al reform which bids
fair at no distant day TO sweep the
world. Other places quickly followed
the example of Fredonia and societies
multiplied all over the union. The
moral wave even struck Chicago and
took deep and lasting root there. Miss
Willard gave up her profession OF
teaching and entered into the work
with all her soul aud devoted her best
energies to the cause, gaining thousands
of adherents to the white ribbon
Fret the national union
into importance the worlds union was
formed, and the Women's Christian
Temperance Union numbered it's mem
bers by the hundreds of thousands.
Mrs. Merrill claimed that the woman
worked not for power, political or
otherwise, but for God, for home and
native land, to save the boys and men,
fathers, brothers and husbands and
friends from the monstrous curse of
intemperance; to reach out and save
those who were sinking down, down,
until the last vestige of manhood was
lost amid the depreciation of the course.
She said that some people thought
women should not attempt to take tn e
place of men, but that in the wars
with the Spanish and the Philippines,
the women hao not gone there to
fight, but did go to care for the wound
ed and dying boys of our la nd, and his
ed.
Women's work was never popular,
and about 30 years ago a minister was
degraded and removed for allowing a
woman to speak in public But at this
day men in high places acknowledge
the need of women in public work OF
various kinds Shementioued Whit
Tier, Longfellow, Gladstone. Chi I
Justice Chase, editors, ciergymen, and
particular, who acknowledged the
power of women's work all over the |
world. She spoke of the immense in
1uenoe welded by the 25O, 900 mem
bers of the union, and that political |
parties, all with the exception of one,
we're afraid of the temperance union,
behind which there was neither money
nor influence, but the Rock, Christ
Jesus, was all it had. She said that
The women took up the work with fear
and embling, and could not have ac-
Gold upheld them.
She showed the influence Of women
n the case of Brigham Roberts, of
Utah: how, when he was elected, the
women said the halls of congress
hould nevt r be desecrated by q poly
Famous member, took up the fight, in
crested men of prominence. Circulated
md got up gigantic petition, which
congress could not afford to ignore.
{ was practically the voice of the na-
ion, asking for the unseatirg of Rob-
,rts, and this was done. Women sc-
.ompllshed it. And If this could be
lone in the Roberts case, why can it
Tot be done in the liquor matter?
Does polygamy touch the homes as
liquor does! Not yet, but 1t might
ooh, If allowed to have its sway.
Why cannot the Christian nation rise
lp and uproot this evil? It is harder
o do because polygamy does not touch {
he pocket book as dpes the liquor
raffic. The saloons are legal zed and
licensed by our law makers, and it Ia
eplorable to zee how the business Is
rugged and petted. She thought the
alton strong enough, however, to cast
ut the evil and eradicate 1t from the &
and. This will be done eventually.
he temperance movement moves
lowly, but as God is In it, it Is moving