Ashland tidings. [volume] (Ashland, Or.) 1876-1919, 1912-11-07
Some Side Lights on the National
Convention.

--@NN ~ 4CRON Dg Jul oldlG DIGS-
ident and our own local president,
Mrs. Ashcraft, also County President
Mrs. II. P. Holmes, and also a COM
mittee from the several unions OF
Portland. Other trains were in and
coming every few moments and the
depot had very much the appearance
it did when l landed there at the
fair held there several years ago.
The Oregon state convention was
open at 10 O'Clock, so we hurried to
breakfast and then to the White
Temple, where they were already
convened to begin. To expedite mat
ters all reports were handed in but
not read, but will appear in state
minutes later. The president in
chair announced the election of Of
f'cers, which was done with prompt
ness and dispatch, all officers being
reelected except the treasurer. Thus
our state meeting was done at noon.
The executive committee of the ma
tional W. c. T. U. was going on up
stairs. There was no meeting in the
afternoon except conferences of diff
ferent department work, so our Ore
gon delegation got ourselves fixed
for business as best we could. The
Portland unions held a reception at
headquarters from till 6, which
was fine affair indeed. AS the
Commercial Club was to entertain at
o'clock, many staid at headquar-
ters till time to go there, and we
had a most enjoyable time. But
about 1880 we started for the club
rooms Tin the rain, of course). They
have very large and commodious
rooms, but they were taxed to the
limit that evening. 1t was a genuine
surprise to them. One of them re-
marked that they did not expect half
that many. But they were equal to
the occasion and fine program was
carried out and very dainty refresh
ments served.
On Saturday the 18th of October,
the national convention commenced
business. Mrs. Stevens, national
president, called to order the 39th
convention. She gave her annual
address, which was very long. She
did not give it in full, but we have
it printed so everyone can read for
themselves. Every day was full of
work with the different departments,
including evangelist, purity, scien-
tific temperance instruction, flower
mission, soldiers and sailors, l.. T.
L., Y. r. p, and the labor problem.
The Grace M. E. church was at their
disposal, which was convenient as it
was just across the way. The ad-
dresses of welcome were much appre-
ciated, coming from the pastors, the
Commercial Club and our state presi-
dent, Mrs. Unruh, but the mayor was
conspicuous for his absence, but he
employed man to fill his place The
Rev Hinton, pastor of the White
Temple, told us to take the church
and use everything we needed, even
to the baptistry. After the welcome
came the responses from our nation
al president and other state presi-
dents Governor West gave us a
grand talk and was cheered to beat
the band. We also had the mayor
of Seattle. He gave some of his ex-
perienceS in trying to clean up Seat
tie; said some of his people thought
he was mixing up with a purity
squad, but he told them ne had rath-
er be there than with a drunken
mob. He was cheered to the finish.
Then came the chief of police of
Portland, a big man of avoirdupois
and also big in lofty ideals of justice
and Righteousness. He even con-
fessed that he was a Christian man
and was a follower of the meek and
lowly Jesus, and we are told he goes
to prayer meeting every week. He
gave us a hearty welcome and de-
sired our prayers to help him in his
hard job of doing his duty in Port
land. DR.. Charles Sheldon of Kan
sas was introduced and gave us
words of cheer. He was called to
Portland to talk on the suffrage
question. Mrs. Stevens always
brought to the front any distin-
guished person. None were left out,
no matter what business was going
on. We had organizers night, when
all of them marched across the plat
form and each one gave some of
their experiences. Some were ex-
tremely funny, while others were
quite of the pathetic order They
told of the miles Of travel by rail or
stage or on foot. One said she had
climbed over eight barbed wirefences
and her dress was ruined. It's very
wonderful what self-sacrificing wom-
en- we have to go out this way in all
sorts of weather, but the reports