The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1900-12-04
Annual Report by Mrs.
Stevens.
Recent Prohibition Victory in
Portland Referred To.

oil convention OF tine NomanHs Cnrtstiau
Temperance Union was CALLED to order at
the Lafayette theater this morning.
President Mrs. Lillian NJ. N. Stevens of
Portland, Me-, delivered her annual ad-
dress. She said:
"when we were here In 1881 the treasurer
reported recsipts from all sources. includ-
ing dues from p states and the District
OF Columbia, 60 be ~, bo7. Today she
will report. including dues from 40 states,
the territories and the District OF Column
bla, at least ten times that amount. and
our mem bership as eight times rs large.
or those who were then state presidents,
but two are here today, and only one OF
them holds the same office.
"At that convention we had but 20 de-
partments Of work; now we have 80, All
principles Of purity, total abstinence,
".Then, In no state was the age OF pro-
tectiou for girls above ten years; now.
largely through the efforts OF the white
Ribboners,i t Ia raised TO an average OF 10
years, and In some states as high as 10,
aud there is asgrowing sentimentsin favor
of legally protecting womanhood at any
age as well as girihood In the minority:
"Then, there was only one police
matron in the country lat Portland,
Me }; now this office is we'll established
and well Oiled In many OF our cities. In
Chicago there lie police matron at every
station. and not long ago, at W. G. Il.
". convention in Rhode Island seven
police matrons from seven Rhode Island
cities told OF the work they do Tor I'M
| fortunate women and little children VINO
are brought TO the police station, seven
eighths of whom are victims OF the sico-
hoi habit and the liquor habit.
when we were here before there were
no compulsory temperance educational
laws; now they exist in every state save
Georgia and Utah, also In the territories
and In the District OF Columbia Then
Temperance was not Systematically taught
| IN the Sunday school; now there are
quarterly temperance lessons as part OF
| tie International lesson system.
'Stnbe 1881 eight round the world mis-
sionaries have gone out TO carry the gos-
| pei or temperance ss we understand 1t, to
| all people In all lands. Miss Willard was
| the founder of the Worlds Woman'e
| Christian Temperance Union, and ut Its
| organizing convention held In Boston,
| November, 1891, delegates were present
| from u countries. At the fifth biennial
convention OF the Worlds W. q. L. u,
held at Edinburgh last June, 81 countries
were represented by delegates and aux
| iIiaryship.
"During the last twenty years total alb.
stinence and prohibition sentiment has
greatly advanced. In 1884 the people OF
Maine, by q vote of three TO one, placed
the heretofore statutory prohibttory law
in the constitution OF the state Kansas
and North Dakota have also adopted con-
stitutional prohibition. Neal Dow never
claimed more bsnGfioent results for the
law in the. State OF Maine than do Judge
Pollock OF North Dakota, and Charles
Sheldon of Kansas, claim for their re-
spectivs states. Last winter in Georgia,
prohibitory law passed the khouse by q
n. - and xvnFln hAVa TAGRQd
the Senate but for the concerted action
against 1t of the Liquor Dealers Associa-
ton. Not until good people learn that
they should be as active to promote good
work as the evil doors are to carry their
points, shall we have correct expressions
of public opinions concerning the great
evils In our midst.
"Within two years the sale or use OF
LIQUOR has been prohibited on board the
ships OF the U. b. Navy, OF within the
limits of naval stations, and as lately as
February, 1899. Congress passed law
prohibiting the sale OF Intoxicating
liquors In army camps, posts, exchanges
or canteens, or on any premises used Tor
military purposes by the UNITED States.
10 be sure, this LAW has been declared
null and vuid, but the end Ii not yet.
The gpublio conscience that prevented
Brigham Roberts having seat IN the
United States Congress will yeb cause to
be enacted the Anti-Canteen Bill now
pending, or some kindred measures.
"We may sometimes be Impatient, but
we should never be discouraged. To bs
sure we have arrayed against us the solid
ly combined liquor business OF the
country. In It's arrogance 1t sometimes
dictates 90 judge and jury. IL IL numeri-
calIy strong and financially rich but 1t Is
spiritually bankrupt and morally poorer
than poverty itself. We have with us the
same GLASS Of 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 10 our leader. Are we not sure to
winf
Notwithstanding we are almost daily
saddened and shocked by revelations OF
crime and recitaIs of dreadful tragedy,
still IL is true that the world is growing
kinder. that mans humanity to man Is
more real, more abroad today than at any
previous time In the worlds history.
..It is Iamentable that In the closing
year OF the century there should Ds war
and famine, psstilence and massacre. We
have not yet reached ideal Christianity,
but the nineteenth has been the best CEN
fury the world has ever known. In some
of the previous centuries there has been
continuous war. Duelling, private wars,
judicial oombats have be9n abolished al
together, ana scores OF cases OF differences
between other nations and our own have
been settled by arbitration and We conti-
IDENTIFY believe that there will be estab.
lished before the twentieth century has
gone far on its march. an International
Court of Arbitration, and SO the day shall
be hastensd when there Will be Peace on
Earth
"The progress of other temperance So
cieties as well as our own, Is marked ana
encouraging.
"Me believe that the need which called
for separate organization OF women still
exists, and that the training and expert
ence which come to woman through the
W. q. Il. u. methods are lifting her as
nothing else lifted her to take her place
side by side with man in all relations OF
life =
Nearly 900 delegates wss assembled,
representing every state and territory in