Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1913-10-09
STATE ". c. T. j. IN SESSION
18th Annual Convention in Prog
ress at Temple in This City.
President Benton In Address of We'll
come Declared Tint Religious md
Political Influences should
Make Burlington Dry.

The prelimnaries of the 39th annual
convention of the Vermont Woman's
Christian Temperance Union were held
in the Temple here Tuesday. In the
afternoon there was a meeting of the
executive committee Mrs. Gratia T..
Davidson of Newfane presiding; there
were present nine State officers and six
county presidents and nominations were
made for superintendent. In the evening
there was an informal reception with adj
dresses of welcome. This was held at
the Temple, although through one of tho
many errors in the printed program it
had been announced to take place in the
parlors of the First Church Another
meeting was in session there. and many
persons headed for the Temple went
first to the church, but Immediately
came out again.
A feature of the Temple gathering was
a Bible reading by % young ladies dress
ed in white. The honorary president of
the state organization, Mrs. T. y. Lund,
and Mrs. +. +. Hammond extended well
come on behalf Of the local union, and
Mrs. Anna Kenyon for the county w.
G. T. L. Mayor James f. Burke spoke
for the city, commencing the cause of
temperance and the work of the union.
President Guy Potter Benton, speak
ing for the University OF Vermont, well
coined the convention.
My holy hatred of this infamous bust
ness, the liquor traffic" said he, rs due
in part to my recollection of the inter-
est my mother has always taken in the
work of the w. c. T. L., and in part to
realization of the wastcfulness caused
by the business This organization has
set itself against n wicked wastefulness.
Three Panama canals could be built with
the price paid for last years liquor ST.
100000 Eight billion drinks were sold
last year-326 for every ahle-hodied man
In the United States.
In training children against the use
of liquor we omit the lesson of economy.
Il am particularly concerned for the
young men and women who come from
the country to get an education here"
Reviewing the opposition of the
churches and OF Bishop Rice and the
attitude of the mayor, the speaker said
that with religious and political infu-
ences against license the city ought in
the near future to become a prohibition
town
f. w. Nash, speaking in place of AFRO
NJ. Aseltne for the business men, said
that with % saloons doing a legal bust
ness here he could appear as the repre-
sentative of the majority of local bus-
ness men, but not as that of the whole
number. 'The saloon men do a large,
If not good business" he explained.
Were 1T not for them. | don't know
how some of our policemen would hold
their Jobs" After remarkng that the
IL, H.,
saw through the barred windows of the
county jail a mother with her babe in
arms, he said that there is an export
business connected with the local saloon
business-the sending of habituals to
Waterbury for treatment, and the ex-
port of other offenders to Rutland and
Windsor. He alluded to the State hospi-
tai for the insane as growing into a re-
treat for drunkards and added that re-
treat Of one kind or another is a feature
of the liquor habit
T.. p. Howe, superintendent of the
Methodist Sunday school, said that If
the liquor business We're done away with
the county jail might be turned over to
DIR. Benton for a dormitory for his boys.
Mr.. Howe welcomed the convention for
the Sunday schools of the city.
Secretary f. *. Allen of the Y. NJ. c.
a, speaking for the association, said:
Fundamentally the problem is one of
the American home. We are waging a
gigantic struggle to save it
James L. Tracy, welcoming the con-
vention on behalf of the press, said:
you haven't been practical enough in
distributing the right kind of literature
in the work among children. The news
papers of the country are in sympathy
with the work more than ever before"
Other speakers were the Rev. Dr.
James S. Braker for the local churches
William j. Van Patten for the mission
AIRY societies, the Rev. G. H. Smith for
the Anti-Saloon League of Vermont,
Mrs. George p. Martin for the Woman $
Relief Corps, and Principal John T.. Col
burn for the Burlington high school.