Wausau pilot. [volume] (Wausau, Wis.) 1896-1940, 1909-10-19

INTER. COUNTY CONVENTION OF THE
WOMENS CHRISTIAN TEMPERANCE UNION
In the First Presbyterian and First Unverast Churches
October IA and 15

The inter county convention of the
WOman'S Christian Temperance Union
convened in the Universalist church
at 1:30 p. m. Thursday
The President, Mrs. G. G. Parlin
gave short address outlining briefly
the beginning of the w. G. t. u. an0
then speaking in detail of the work
of her department, scientific temper
ance instruction.
She said the woman'S temperance
crusade of 1873 was the beginning OF
what is now the largest and most
effectively organized body composed
exclusively of women in the world
She gave as the four chief causes OF
the crusade. The civil war, which
fastened drinking habits upon sc
many of thereturned soldiers. 2. The
vast foreign immigration following
that war. 3. The internal revenue
tax. 4. And the widening of wom-
ans horizon through the work she ac-
complished in that war.
| Under Mary Hunts leadership (the
first national Supt. of S. T. ~ we
passed from nation having no laws
requiring scientific temperance in
struction in our schools to a nation in
which every state has such law.
| Mary Hunts successor, Mrs. Edith
Smith Davis, has added much in
fiuence TO this department. To her
is due the credit for the system of
prize giving for essays on temperance
subjects in our public schools. Last
year the essays written in u. S. in
these contests numbered over 100000.
This year the number will far exceed
that.
Mrs. Cora Stevens of Niellsville,
gave an interesting paper on sPress
Work" She sought to impress the
women with the Importance of this
line OF work, quoting one editor who
said: "The saloon men read your
articles, scold, and go back and read
them again" A subtle humor ran
through the paper which helped
deepen the impression of her words.
In speaking of the people who be-
come convinced of the rightness of
temperance theories and still do moth
ing to help on the reform, she said
she was reminded of the old lady who
said she wished she had the potato
crop of the u. S. to furnish starch
for the stiffening of the backbone of
our voters so that they might vote
according to conScience'S dictatiOn.
The press as a whole, all over the
world, she went on to say, was show
ing a favorable attitude to our move
ment, but that there were still a
small number of editors, in out of the
way places, who refused to print tenn
perance articles, and there were some
for whom the starch in the potato
crop of the whole world would be nee
essary to fortify them against the
fear of a certain class of their patrons.
Another paper which took deep hold
upon the listeners and will doubtless
result in the formatian of many loyal
temperance legions in the four coun-
ties represented in this convention was
"Our Responsibility" .given by Miss
Sweet OF Greenwood.
She says in part, one of the most
solemn thoughts in life is that we are
ever alone with God, that He alone
knows our world of thought and feel
ing. That this should influence us
constantly to seek His approval in all
things.
The great battle now on is our
homes against evil in the shape of
the saloons, and what the victory will
be, largely depends on the trained
forces guarding these homes. That
here lies our responsibility.
The forces of evil in the shape of
the social glass, the club and the
dram shop are continually beckoning
our young people downward. We
have societies for the prevention of
cruelty to animals, the power of
legislation is invoked to protect the
fish in our streams and game in our
forests. Ought we not to make an
equally earnest effort to establish the
young men and the young women in
total abstinence principles. May we
not urge the young people to join
with us in this work, that your intlu-
ence may be felt on the side of right
and temperance?
Young Christian friends you are
needed to oppose the drinking Gus
toms for Christ'S sake.
Young people of the homes are
needed, think of the homes that are
blighted by strong drink and lend a
hand 70 brighten the life of someone
else.
May the voice of God speak TO the
young people of this nation and they
hearing His voice, respond to the call
and enlist in the temperance army.
Many requests came from the ladies
present that the paper of Mrs. e. w.
Follett of Spencer, ON "The Tidal
Wave of Temperance" be printed in
full, and it is herewith appended.
Mrs. Follett has for years been state
corresponding secretary and secretary
of the lecture bureau of the w. &. Il.
u. of Wisconsin.
She is also in close touch with the
anH worlds work and we'll
qualified to speak on this subject.
MRS. FoLLETr's PAPER.
The tidal wave of temperance re-
form has been pictured in the pages
of the press during the past year as a
great ocean wave carrying on its crest
woman representing the w. G. Il.
u. and following in its train came a
procession of waves, each doing its
own part in keeping up with and CIV
ing poise to the woman who sat on
her watery throne. Thus has been
depicted the tidal wave of the great
temperance reform by the chiyalry of
the press, but we of the w. G. L. u.
do not forget the struggles of our
brothers who for forty years or longer
he se striven TO arouse the public
conscience and TO inStill into the
politics of the day something better
than the lust of Office and the greed
for graft. We do not forget their
noble stand in the face of unparal-
lelled obioQuy that TRAFFIC in intoxi-
eating beverages is a dishonor TO
Christian civilizations, a political
wrong of uneQualled enormity." Tie
women had been silent. They had