The Fargo forum and daily republican. [volume] (Fargo, N.D.) 1894-1957, 1909-09-24
HISTORY OF The
N. D. W. c. I. U.
IN ANNUAL ADDRESS At, VALLEY
CITY STATE PRESIDENT, MRS.
ANDERSON TELLS or
ITS GROWTH.

/
annual address delivered before the
state convention OF the w. G. r. u.
here last evening. state Pres Eliza-
beth Preston Anderson. gave an out
line Of the history Of the w. c. r. d.
movement in this state, She said in
part:
The w. @. T., u. OF the territory of
Dakota was organized in 1882 at Cam
ton. s. D., with Miss Cynthia Cleve-
land, president. In 1883 Mrs, j. Cog
gins was elected president at the con-
vention at Sioux Falls and served two
years. Mrs. Coggins is now Mrs. DR..
Wetlaufer and is acting president of
Idaho In 1885 Mrs. Helen M. Barker
was elected president and ably led the
temperance forces of the territory do
ing most heroic organizinz work. In
1889 when the states of North and
South Dakota were formed from the
territory of Dakota, the w. c., T. u.
of the territory was divided into the
unions of North and South Dakota, at
Yankton at a memorable meeting at
which Miss Willard and Miss Gordon
were present, and North Dakota was
represented by eighteen delegates.
Mrs. Barber was elected president of
South Dakota Miss Addie M. Kennier
was elected president of North Da-s
kota. Among the general officers
elected at that meeting. there is only
one, the vice president at large, Mrs.
Addie w. H. Best. who is still in the
work in the state.
Work in cass County. $.
Mrs. Best is president of Cass coun-
ty and has given TO the work her
lovely daughter, Miss Ernir, Best, our
"Y" secretary Among the county
presidents who were in the work then
we have two who are still with u.s.
Mrs. L. NJ Yylie who was president of
Pembina county and Mrs. M. L. Stan
ley, president OF Kidder county Mrs.
Wylie has given to the work her tall
ented daughter, who Is president Of the
Valley City union and hostess Of this
Mrs. Lulu Wylie Zimrner-
man. Among the superintendents
elected twenty years ago. we still have
Mrs Matte M Davis, now superin-
tendent of schools for Cass county,
Mrs FL. l.. Campbell of Fargo, Mrs
Mary A. Bennett of jamestown and
your president, who was also elected
assistant organizer We are glad to
welcome to this convention Mrs Best,
Mrs Wylie, Mrs. Bennett and Mrs A.
r. Johnson, president of the Fourth
district, who attended the organizing
convention. have asked them to sit
on the platform with me tonight and
want you to greet this old guard
who have never surrendered. When
the w. C. T. u. Of North Dakota be-
gan its separate existance, we were in
the midst of a campaign for constitu-
tional prohibition. In my annual adj
dress at our fifteenth anniversary
convention, recounted his this battle
was fought and won and also some
Of the things which have been accom-
plished by our organization shall
not repeat this, but If anyone is in
to know more of our history,
it may be found in the annual address
for 1904 published in the state reports.
New Empire Has Arisen.
Since the seed Of prohibition was
planted here twenty years ago, new
empire has arisen. We have state
where ma liquor has ever been legally
sold for beverage purposes: a. state
that mas never received into it's cof-
fers one penny Of revenue from tho
liquor traffic; a state where thousands
of boys and girls and young men and
women are growing up who have
never seen a saloon Haunting Its hell
ish business into the faces of passers-
by; state where the sale Of that
which debauches and destroys men
body and souh is recognized as a
crime and the man who sells Il is rec
ognized as criminal, state where
the population in general is sober, in
dustrious and prosperous. The pro-
hibition law attracts high class Of
citizens, people who appreciate the
benefit OF living in state free from
the domination OF the liquor traffic.
The growth OF the state has not suf-
fered on account OF the absences OF the
saloon. The population IN 1890, the
year the prohibition law went into
eject. was 1919. In 1900 it had in
creased to s1s,146 1t Is estimated
that the population is now over $780,
600. Our great school system has not
suffered because of lack OF revenue
from the liquor traffic. Last year we
spent over $s.Ooo.OO0 in public schools
for the education OF our children, The
value Of school property is over So
600 900 and our schools have an en-
dowment Of land worth now over $780,