Willmar tribune. [volume] (Willmar, Minn.) 1895-1931, 1902-12-13
W. G. T. u. INDORSED
THE NEW YORK AMERICAN EDlTO-
RALLY PRAISES ITS WORK.

Declares That Antiliquor Appeal to
Those In Official Place and of High
Social Standing Ii Step In Right
Direction.
The W0man's Christian Temperance
union is absolutely uncompromising in
Its Warfare upon the drinking habit in
all it's forms: Even the inclusion of
wine at the dinners given in honor of
Prince Henry. the Grand Duke Boris
and other distinguished foreigners who
nave recently visited US is deplored.
This attitude of the union, when no.
ticed at all, usually draws only polite
sheer from most people of the class to
whom wine at dinner is as customary
us soup and who would think it
strange to have it absent from any en-
tcrtainment given by them. But the
number of people of this class is very
small in proportion to the whole popu-
lation, says an editorial in the New
York American.
Not the woman who is Gin society,"
but the woman of the quiet home, is
representative of American woman
hood. For this representative Ameri-
can woman, the woman of the home.
Lillian NJ. n. Stevens, president of the
National Woman's Christian Temper
ance union, undoubtedly speaks when
she writes to the American deprecatins
the social use Of intoxicants.
That use is so common as to seem
innocent to the great majority of those
who follow the custom. 1t is certain
that few women would offer wine to
their guests were they conscious of any
moral wrong in doing so. To them ear
nest souls like Lillian Stevens seem
amusing or annoying zealots
Nevertheless if drinking is to be put
down the most effective point of at
tack is upon it's social side Not so
very many years ago no gentleman
was ashamed to get fuddled at table
and to appear in that condition after
ward among the ladies in the drawing
room. Now a man who should imi-
tate his three bottle grandfather would
be ostra ciZed. To get drunk has be-
come disreputable, and if drinking
even in moderation can be made dis
reputable likewise a tremendous gain
for temperance will be achieved.
There are not many women who take
a light view Of drinking. because there
are few of them who have not suf-
fered by it through some member of
tho f; m =! Z, Irh No No.
"Drirking alcoholic liquors." says Lii
liam Stevens, with truth that goes
home to the knowledge of everybody
that has lived long enough to observe
the ravages of the vice in and out of
his own immediate circle, causes in
Vulnerable heartaches and heartbreaks.
Intoxicating beverag es are the prolific
source of poverty and crime, and mil
lions of mothers pray that their chill
dren may never touch them"
The appeal of the Woman's Christian
Temperance union to those in official
place and to those whose social con-
splcuousness renders their example
likely to be contagious is a fair one.
There are means enough wherewith to-
entertain guests, the unions president
urges. without resorting to anything
that is in any degree questionable. and
IT all mems veal were each mans
care the cup that intoxicates would
never be offered to any-surely not by
those who are in influential positions
and whose example may be followed
BY the weak and unthinking.'
Social customs are stronger than
laws and are not to be changed in a
day. Still they do change. and the
Woman's Christian Temperance union
does well to plead that they may be
changed in the right direction, the d.
rection Of sober and sane and clean
living.