Los Angeles herald., 1910-07-04

What part has the w. G. T. u. borne
in bringing about the great wave OF
prohibition which has been so sue
cessfully sweeping over the country
during the last few years? Some peo-
pie seem to think that because the
women are not voters they have done
nothing At prohibition meeting re-
Gently the statement was made that
mo temperance society ever yet closed
a saloon" Possibly not directly; but
indirectly temperance societies nave
closed every saloon that mas been
closed. Many years ago the women
of the country realized that II their
sons and daughters were ever saved
from the destructive influences of the
saloon they must save them. How
were they to accomplish it, with no
legal means at their command? They
were denied the right of every Amer
lean citizen, the ballot and were
classed with aliens, insane, feeple-
minded, paupers and criminals in re-
gard to their political rights. They
were not exempt, however, from pay
ing taxes If they were fortunate
enough to own property in their ow
right.
Appeals to fathers, husbands and
brothers were alike futile; but there
was unfailing resource-GOd, and the
children. With prayers in their hearts
and on their lips they began the holy
work of salvation from the demon or
intemperance of those so near ana
dear to them. With unflagging zeal
and courage born of desperation the
work of training the little ones began
That work of organizing the children
in Bands of Hope and teaching them
to abhor the liquor traffic. the intro
duction of scientific temperance IN
struction in the public schools. has
gone steadily on for more than thirty
years and the result has been that
the boys thus educated became the
men who voted the saloons out of ex-
istence in many states and are still
voting them out in every state in the
Union. Prominent officials in prohi-
bition states admit that to the efforts
of the Woman's Christian Temperance
union is due the public sentiment in
favor of prohibition; and one dlS-
gruntled individual declared that "the
fool law of teaching that alcohol was
a poison was the cause 1880 saloons
being closed in Illinois at one election.
In temperance work it has been found
that prevention is easier than curing
liquor habits. It is better to close up
and remove pitfalls and death-trapS
than to drag the boys and men out of
them and restore them to life health
and usefulness again.
In the south the race war between
whites and blacks is being settled by
prohibition. Taking away the cause OF
much of the worthlessness and GRIM
inality of the negroes. the improvement
is visible in many directions. Colored
men are now working on farms and
saving their money which was for
merly spent in saloons inducing them
to commit deeds of lawlessness, re-
sulting in some of the most disgrace
full scenes ever witnessed among civil
lied people.
The white population is correspond
ingly benefited. Neat homes are talk
ing the places of the dilapidated huts
described by the Arkansas Traveller.
Another great result of the labors of
the Woman's Christian Temperance
union is manifested in the changed at
titude of the churches toward proh1-
bition and woman suffrage. A nation
al organizer of New York, writing to
the Union Signal of her early expert
ences, says: ''Iow we'll do I remem-
ber the early days of my temperance
work-and those are not many years
ago-when many a pastor would anx-
iously ask me: what are you going
to talk about tonight?' and in the con-
versation following he would say:
There are two things we do not wish
to hear about, and those TWO are pro-
hibition and woman suffrage.
Where formerly women were advised
to keep silent they are now permitted
to speak; and where once bitter in
tolerance existed on the suffrage ques-
tion, now are found it's advocates. The
leaven of fearless women in all de-
nominations has broadened the out
look of the pulpit and established a
sore of freemasonry among the sects
which is doing away with the strict
lines of creed and doctrine and bring
ing them all closer together in a bond
of universal brotherhood and Chris
ton endeavor.
The Union Signal of recent date con-
tains a symposium by the National
Woman's Christian Temperance union
organizers, in answer to the question
as to what part this great organiza-
tion has borne in securing prohibition,
from which the following are few
selections:
Mrs. Florence Ewell Atkins of Ten
neSsee says:
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