The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1910-02-16
The TEMPERANCE PROPAGANDA
CONCERTED ATTACK ON DRINK
WINNING ALL ALONG LINE.

A Worthy Tribute to the ". G. r. U
The growth of the Woman's Chris
tian Temperance Union is the mos,
astonishing Of all moral enterprises
Indeed. it may be said that the world
has never seen SO influential an or.
ganization for the promotion Of what
is high and good. In the character.
too, of its membership, composed OF
women wholly, it enjoys a unique dis
tinction among the international asso.
Citations. OF a purely humanitarian
origin and Of disinterested :"rinciples
II has gone forward ever 1idenine
and increasing in power ana efficiency
till it has become universal in its use.
fitness. 1t would seem that there
must be some underlying and vital
foundation for this marvellous sue.
cess. Recently, while endeavoring to
discover what that basis Of prosperity
might be, the explanation came sud.
denly to me as the revelation of a
new truth, though it may have oc.
Cured to many. 1t was this: Women
are in a situation which gives them
peculiar advantages for approaching
the grief, infamy and ruin of intern
perance. Their lives are spent in the
home, where they must necessarily
come into close quarters with the vic.
tins of drink. They are. hence. the
supreme sufferers. Men observe their
fellows wasting their substance II
riotous living; they see them stagger'
ing along the streets and note upon
the unmistakable tokens of the inc.
briate, but unless these unfortunate
ones are members of their W fam.
lilies, they will not be apt to give them
attentive thought. But in the quiet
and sacred precinct of home the
mothers, wives, sisters and daughters.
endowed with more sensitive minds
and unable to resist or escape, expe-
rience by far the heavier share Of the
want. poverty and shame which are
the bitter fruits of strong drink
Herein, I believe. is the source of the
magnitude and irresistible power OF
the Woman's Christian Temperance
Union. When a promising young
man goes the downward path of the
drunkard, it is the mother, who
nursed him in her bosom, that feels
most poignantly the deep sorrow; 1t
is she that takes the brunt Of the
blow. When her fair and darling
daughter Is mated to IN inebriate, it
is the mothers great, loving and SYM
pathetic heart that is instinctively
wrung with anguish. When the coal
bin is empty in the drunkard's home
and the little ones are suffering fol-
food and raiment, it is upon the wife
that the terrible weigh: Of misery
falls. Is it any wonder, then, that we
lave the Woman's Christian Temper
ance Union and that it exists through.
out the Christian world? For women
have had the tragical story of intern
| perance burned into their hearts and
the scars will remain.
Thus the Woman's Christian Tenn
perance Union is not only a demon.
stration. but an indication. 1t Is the
handwriting on the wall. This great
work oS women indicates that a storm
Is arising; that it's arrival is newt
able. Thick clouds burden the west
ern horizon. The voice of the NUT
tering thunder Is heard. Ere long
the lightning will dart forth upon tbs
| earth. the clouds will burst, till al
last the saloon shall lie destroyed and
the land redeemed.