Lexington gazette. [volume] (Lexington, Va.) 1871-1962, 1905-05-03
W. c. T. U. TENETs
Declaration of Principles of the
White Ribbon ers

The recent unwilling In Statuary
Hall, Washington, d. c., Of a
statue of Frances K. Willard,
founder and first president of the
Worlds Woman's Christian Tenn
perancs Union, has directed special
attention to the work of this TEN.
perance movement.
In 1873, ten years previous to
the formation of the Worlds w.
G.. T. u, the Woman's Christian
Temperance Union was organized.
1t was the outgrowth of the great
woman temperance crusade of
1894, and stands as an organiza.
ton of Christian women banded
together for the protection of the
home, the abolition of the liquor
traffic and the triumph Of Christ's
Golden Rule In custom and in law.
The motto of the union is, "For
God and Home and Native Land, +"
and the badge is knot Of white
ribbon, symbolic not only Of
purity and peace but it includes
all the correlated reforms that GEN.
ter in the protection of the home.
The trysting hour is noon, when
each white-ribboner the world over
is expected to lit her heart to
God in prayer for his blessing on
the work and workers.
The w. c. T. U. is the largest
society ever composed exclusively
of women and conducted entirely
by them. 1t has been organized in
every State and territory of the
nation. More than fifty nations
now enjoy the blessings of having
organizations within their borders.
The worldwide membership is At
present more than half million.
Following are the declarations
of principles of the association,
which stand for the w. G. T. U.
throughout the world:
owe believe in the coming of
His Kingdom whose service is per-
feet freedom, because His laws,
written in our members as well as
in nature and in grace, are perfect,
converting the soul.
"We believe in the gospel of the
Golden Rule, and that each mans
habits of life should DE an ex-
ample safe and beneficent for every
other man to follow.
eve believe that God created
both man and woman In His own
image, and, therefore, we believe
in one standard Of purity for both
man and woman. and in the equal
right CT all to hold opinions and to
express the same with equal
freedom.
1--WE believe in living wage;
in an eight-hour day; in courts OF
Cancellation and arbitration; in
justice as opposed to greed of gain !;
in peace on earth and goodwill
to men,
eve therefore formulate, and
for ourselves adopt the following
pledge, asking our sisters and
brothers Of common danger and
q common hope, to make COM
mon cause with US, in work
ing its reasonable and helpful pre-
cepts into the practice of every
day life:
"T hereby solemnly promise,
God helping me, to abstain from
ali distilled, fermented and malt
liquors, including wine, beer and
cider, and to employ all proper
means to discourage the use Of and
traffic in the same.
"T0 confirm and enforce the
rationale Of this pledge, we declare
our purpose to educate the young;
to form a better public sentiment;
to reform, so far as possible, by
religious, ethical and scientific
means, the drinking classes; to
seek the Transforming power of di-
vine grace for ourselves and all for
whom we work, that they and we
may willfully transcend no law Of
pure and wholesome living; and
finally we pledge ourselves to labor
and to pray that all these prin-
ciples, founded upon the Gospel OF
Christ, may be worked out into the
customs of society and the laws
of the land"