The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1907-04-16
WOMEN'S CHRISTIAN TEM-
.PERANCE UNION P5IN FREDERIC !: H15Ki7.

In all great movements in history,
whenever the need Of leader hns arls-
en-, somehow that leader has come, In
1873 and 1874 the Crusaders, working
against intempcrancc in the United
States, reached that point where some
ono who could lead must be found. In
Miss Frances Willard the needed lead.
cr appeared, She had just resigned
from the Women 8 college at Evanston,
Ill, being the first woman college pres
ident in the world. The Chicago tenn
perance workers offered her the pres
idency Of their body without salary.
While she was pondering over this OPP
portunity of doing good, there came a
letter from the trustees of the Normal
Institute of New York, Offering her
S2500 year as principal, with the priv
ilege of teaching or not just as she
wished
She thought over the two, and chose
the non'paying temperance WORK. she
had not saved penny, and her mother
was dependent on her for support, She
always looked well II was supposed that
she had private means. She kept her
privatIons until one day she broke down
from hunger and cold; then her mother
wrote the facts to the society leaders,
and they began paying Miss Willard a
salary. This spirit of courage and de
votion to her work made her u suitable
person to found the Woman 8 Christian
Temperance union Of America, and the
World IS Woman S Christian Temperance
union fourteen years afterward. When
the mantle fell from her shoulders IN
1898, it went to worthy successor,
Mrs. Lillian NJ n. Stevens of Maine,
co coworker OF Neal Dow.
The great temperance crusade began
in 1873. when DR.. Dio Lewis of Boston
lectured In Ohio. The women of Hills
boro, Washington Court House and
other towns began a concerted move
ment against the sale and use of liquor,
and in fifty days $50 towns and villages
went "dry." The leader there was
Mrs. Eliza j. Thompson, wife of prom
inent Judge of Hillsboro. Other States
and cities followed, and the cutgrowth
was national organization perfected IN
November, 1874, in Cleveland. .. On
March l, 1898, the order was incorpor-
ated in Washington, D. c., as the Ma
tional Woman's Christian Temperance
union. Today is has organized effort. in
every State and Territory in the Union,
10000 towns and cities have local so.
cieties, every insular possession has a
branch, and the work has extended to
foreign lands until there are now fifty
countries affiliated in the good work.
The Countess of Carlisle of England is
at the head of the world union.
AT the first national convention in
Cleveland in 1874, there were sixteen
States represented, and eighty seven
voting members responded to rollcall
AT the Hartford convention last fall
all the States were represented, and
about 500 voting delegates were pres
ent. This body claims to be the largest
single society in the world composed exs
cluslvely of women, and conducted en-
tircly by them, It also claims for it.
self. that it has the most perfect or
Ganlzation, pointing with ]ustifia BILE
pride to its various departments, each
OF which IS under a specialist in that
line. The active and honorary mem.
bership is 100000, with following of
at least half a million.
AS result of the unflagging zeal of
its workers 100000 square miles OF
territory IN this country are under pro.
hibitlon. by local, county or state legis.
latlon; the canteen has been abolished
from the army posts; a strong anti,
polygamy fight has been begun; and
100000 school children in various
effects OF alcohol on the system. This
last the women consider their best
achievement They believe that if the
children of the nation can be made
familiar with the dcbiIitating effects of
spirits and tobacco on the human sys-
ten, the evil can be better combatted
In order TO achieve this the women in
each state urged the adoption of text
books that would cover this subject
fully and clearly. Vermont was the
first TO adopt this as a law, Virginia the
last. The territories and the insular
possessions under national law have
also added this to the curricula Of their
schools.
Another result of the W. G.. T, U.
work may he seen in the annual tenn.
perance lesson that is row taught in the