Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1902-10-04
YESTERDAYS ELECTION.
Statement From Mrs. u. =. Wells.
National Organizer.

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Statement From Mrs. ~. u. Wells.
National Organizes.
Mrs. M. L. Wells. natural organizer of
the Woman's Temperance Union. gave
out the following statement yesterday az.
ternoon regarding the differences alleged
to exist in the convention:
II have been requested by members OF
the local press of Richmond to give
the great constituency who hear Win WITH
their eyes a little insight of the general
make-up of our work.
1.-The Woman's Christian Temperance
Union consists of six general divisions
organiza ton, preventive, educational,
evangelistic, social and legal. In this ar
ticle i cannot take space to enter INTO .
full description of all these, but undsr
the six heads are grouped the dlilerehs
departments, each under the charge OF
national, State and local superintendent
OF these two are classed as secretaries
of branches instead of departments-the
Y. and L. Z. l.. branches,
.eThis does not In any sense DIVIDE the
organization, instead is intended to SOIL
dify.
..The Young Woman's branch aims 70
enlist Young women to establish them IN
temperance principles, thus forWaruins
the cause of total abstinence ana tnat
they may become trained workers IN the
w. @. T. u.
training school for children preparing
them first for the Y w. G. T. o. from
that to the z? For this purpose there
is provided q regular course OF study.
In this way we hope to develop an artnS
of disciplined workers so necessary IN
these DAYS of organized work OF all KINDS,
The disturbance. of which we have seen
so much in the press, and unfortunately
heard in the Virginia State conventions 7
of the last two years, has oeen. ieel
sure. caused by misunderstanding as 20
the real work and meaning of the organl-
zation. The charge has been made that
the .sY's' have not equal representation
with the "W's," although paying same
dues. Any fair-minded person sitting III
a State or national convention can readily
see that such a statement is only de-
fusion which could be easily dispelled oy
a careful study Of our national leaflet.
which is a clear and explicit statement or
our work. AS to the power of the execu-
tive committee 1t Is simply such as is
conferred by all organizations know as
delegated bodies. In Virginia the execu-
tive committee Is composed OF one woman
from each organized county. All super
intendents of departments, including the
secretary of the Y branch and secretary
of Z. T. L. branch, these with the four
general officers, the executive committee
to whom the convention has given the
duty, not pleasure, of bringing nomina-
lions of superintendent and secretaries
before the entire body of delegates for
ratification or rejection. They have no
power of election. save in the interim be-
tween conventions they may appoint in
case of a vacancy, a woman to hold the
vacated Office until next convention. The
general officers to have the power given
them by the convention to distribute
money needed for the carrying on of the
work is in the hands of the treasurer.
Virginia has the proud satisfaction Of
being able to say we owe no man or wo-
man anything we are not ready to meet.
Mrs. Hoge. the State president. has per-
sonally done much to add to Virginia's
treasury by gifts from her friends out
side the union and by her own and her
husbands gratuitous work in the State.
Miss Gordon and myself have deeply re-
GREETED the scenes on the floor of the
convention Thursday, but feel sure 1t was
done, not from desire to hurt Virginia's
splendid record, but because there had, in
some way, a misunderSta nding arisen
among the girls, famed by unwise adher-
ents Of the work. In no organization has
there been, take it the world around a
body so large as the w. c. T. u. that has
more fully tried to live up to Christ's
Golden rule, both in custom and in law
Personally, the disturbance yesterday has
been canon. sorrow, because Virginia
is my State, and while my life work has
extended the nation round always have
an eye on the work in this splendid old
Commonwealth, where for more than two
hundred years those of my own have
lain them down to sleep until the great
awakening and it hurts tn feel that for
one moment, Virginia women should for
get their legacy Of womanhood-not the
new woman-but the old-fashioned woman
strengthened in all that makes woman
hood ideal, going out to work for wo-
mans own-the home-never forgetting
the dignity and sweetness which makes
her great.