The free press. (Poplarville, Miss.) 1890-19??, 1902-03-27
World Temperance Movement.

World Temperance Movement
The annual convention of the Wo-
mans Christian Temperance Union, of
Ontario, was held recently in the city
hall, Stratford There was fairly
large attendance of representatives of
the whole province. The matters con-
sidered at the various sittings of the
convention comprised many OF the
leading temperance questions of the
day. The license law of the province
was pretty fully discussed, and the
convention condemned the lax manner
in which that law is enforced by the
provincial officers. Mrs. Mckee, the
president, in her annual address, re-
viewed the position of the temperance
movement throughout the world. She
referred to the agitation for a syndi-
cate to control the liquor traffic, and
also to the idea of government control.
She had little faith in the great Eng
lish movement called THE Free
Church million pledge temperance cru
SADIE" Like many in the past, this
movement was simply moral suasion
movement, and the liquor men and
weakened Christians advocated
moral suasion. 1t would have an edu-
Catiohal effect, however, and the fact
that seventeen nonconformist religious
bodies had taken it up was a very
pleasant reflection. In speaking of
Mrs. Carrie Nation, Mrs. Mckee said:
I'VE come now to notice another
method of reform, which, while not
commencing itself entirely to our
minds, is yet potent for good, and has
had the effect of stirring up the pow
ers that be- to do good work for tenn
perance, and institute drastic meas
ures against illegal liquor selling.
When we first heard Of Mrs. Carrie
Nation and her Ratchet, we held our
breath and gasped, for, after all, we
said, she surely need not have done
that. But as time went on, and events
thickened, we found that the extra
ordinary actions of this courageous
woman had aroused the thinking
minds of Kansas men, and awakened
them to the fact that, while they had
a prohibitory law, it did not prohibit
as it should; that bribery and corrup-
ton were potent forces in the admin
istration of the laws of the state.
Now, while not many of us would be
willing to follow the lead of Mrs. Ma
ton, we yet find cause for thankful
ness that any woman, possessing
courage and having the law on her
side, could effect more good in a few
months than twenty years work
along the quiet lines so many of us
are more inclined to follow" Mrs.
Mckee stated very emphatically that
they could not in any way countenance
government control. No compromise
was their watchword, and by that they
would stand. AS to the anti-liQuor
saloon scheme being tried in New
York, Mrs. Mckee thought it seemed
like building on another mans founda-
ton. Why not spend the time, money
and thought on getting rid of the
saloons? She strongly approved of
the work of the Irish Temperance
League. Rev. Charles Deacon, in open
ing an address on Enforcement of
Law" said that he had long favored
woman suffrage. His wife, he believ-
ed, was better able to decide what was
for the good of mankind than any one
of the score of drunken loafers who
were causing trouble in his neighbor-
hood. That the most moral and most
intelligent section of the community
were not allowed to have a voice in
the government of the country was
an outrage. Mr.. Deacon said that
there were in Ontario ninety-six
municipalities. in which there were no
licensees, 1926 had only one license, 1913
had only two licenses. They should
start some agency to clear out the one
license in each of the 126 municipal
ties, and the two in each of the 153
municipalities. This would increase
the area without licenses, and they
would be able to attach the licenses
in the municipalities with three, four
or five licenses.