Ellsworth American. [volume] (Ellsworth, Me.) 1855-current, 1906-06-27
COUNTY PRESIDENTS ADDRESS.

OF the convention.j
Members Of The Women's Christian Union
and Friends Of the Contention:
The programme calls for an address
| instead it will be little talk on county
work with few facts on effect of temper
ance and the effect Of liquor W here each
| predominant. / shall reverse the order OF
last year by making the closing remarks
first, because many remarked, ~ did not
like the ending of your address,"
| First allow me TO thank all W. c. T. U.
members Of the county for their patience
and good will toward my inefficient work,
caused, not for lack Of interest to
promote and further the work, but for
want OF time and other conditions well
known to You all. A county should have
and needs q county president whose home
is within the county the entire year, who
can reach and visit the local unions at
least once during the year. Each local
| president should confer quarterly, IL not
oftener, with the county president, laying
out fundamental and uniform work for
| each local union.
The temperance sentiment in the county
is not less than in the past. To that senti-
| ment should be added system, method,
work and push. Cooperation between
individuals will bring all this with sue
eessful results.
Strange as the coincidence may be, our
own county work has been weakened by the
monster shadow of death which for three
successive years has been in close attend
IL !
the oonvention-so close as almost to
paralyze thought-power toward the nee
essary work, consequently county and
convention work has suffered.
Detrimental also to the work are the
conditions that brought about the change
of residence Of the present, as well as OF the
ex-county president. There is not scarcity
of material, but plenty Of indifference, the
remedy for which is TO have a new county
president who can be supported by each
local union unitedly working with a uni
formity OF purpose.
These recommendations are offered to
you by your outgoing president, who
offers her resignation to take effect at the
close OF this convention.
We have, to-day, the grave question OF
resubmission; in other words, high license,
confronting the people of this State.
Why Is this? Does temperance injure per-
sons and places? II temperance does not
injure-and we know it does not why
consider substitute for it in the form of
high Iicense-legalized saloons, with all
the vices attendant to such?
Why is ali this argument to establish
legal drinking places for men? Do they
need it in their business, in their homes,
or for health of body or happiness of soul?
II needed and necessary for all this for
men, do not women and wives need the
same stimuIants for the same purposesS
My experience teaches me that men liz
cense for men. They say il is not respect
able for woman, and injuries the home,
and again there are the children to be
considered, and she must not come in for
this particular man-necessity, because she
is mother, and children might inherit the
love of liquor.
After all, these years of mother harping
statistics of insanity, idiocy and pre- natal
defoFmities, remind us that children have
fathers that need restraining and protect
ing five times as much as mothers, and are
jointly responsible for good, clean, healthy
and perfect bodies wherein to keep the
pure soul of transmitted virtues.
Now just few contrasted facts on
places of high license and prohibition.
The little island OF Iceland has no Jail, no
penitentiary, no court and no policeman.
Not drop of alcoholic liquor is made on
the island, and its 5000 people are total
abstainers; no liquor is allowed to be i'm
ported. There is not an illiterate on the
island, not a child ten years old unable to
read and write. This speaks with a
mighty voice for prohibition.
In contrast we will take the city OF New
York One million spent each day for
drink as a beverage. The yearly amount
equal in value to all the bituminous and
anthracite coal produced annually. They
drink one-sourth the value Of the corn
crop, third the value of the cotton
and wheat crops. We know the concern
| the State has regarding its constabulary,
and her iIiiterates are many, especially
among children. This is high iicense--not
prohibition.
| Every testimony shows people do not
need alcoholic stimulants. Testimony Of
| the medical fraternity, of the railroad
men in their drastic measures to hire only
! teetotalers, even using the snapshot