The Democratic banner. (Mt. Vernon, Ohio) 1898-192?, 1921-09-23
Annual Address Civen
At W. E. T. u. Convention

Following Ia the annual address Civ.
en- by Mrs. II. X. Turney at the Konx
county convention of the w. G. T. U.
held in Fredericktown last Wednes-
day and Thursday:
Dear Comrades:
Again the cycle of days has passed
and we find ourselves once more as
sembled in annual convention. With
deepest gratitude for the Heavenly
Fathers kindly care we are very glad
to meet and greet you all again.
The days have been filled with du.
ties, pleasures and responsibilities,
and now we have come together to
review the past and plan for the fu.
ture.
Local presidents and treasurers
have faced the problem of holding the
full membership Of their unions in the
increased dues adopted at last state
convention.
Whether the temperance cause Is
worth dollar or only 60 cents is a
question some have not even yet de.
cided.
The thought that the matter is for
ever settled has taken possession Of
many and there is strong tendency
toward apathy = while the fact re-
mains that, now after forty years Of
appeal made by our loyal comrades
to obtain constitutional prohibition,
the work of keeping it, with its laws
properly enforced, will be fight in
deed. The extra forty cents asked
of us in dues will help US, through
the printed, pages of our Ohio Messen.
ger, to know what and how we have
to fight. The work Of scientific educa-
ton was never more needed than now,
that children might be taught intelli.
gent reasons for total abstinence.
Knox county used to write as many
assays on scientific temperance as
all the rest Of the state put together.
Now she does not write any. Inter-
est in the matter has Jagged heavily.
If Sthe adopting of the prohibition
amendment had wiped out all appe-
tite for alcoholic liquors SO generally
used, we might sit quietly uncencern-
edly by. But since the appetite for
something stronger than water still
exists, and no manner Of law can
change it,, there remains for us the
education of the espeople against the
use of alcoholic and narcotic stimu-
lants. The same old cry of being able
to get more booze now than when the
open saloon still existed, makes us
continue to wonder why the people
didn't all vote dry long, long ago. The
pleasure that comes from violation of
law seems to be more than satisfying
to those inclined that way. When the
Temperance work was merely thought
expressed in words it did not mean
nearly so much as the temperance
work as now expressed by law. Law
itself is as old as the universe-God
l
Himself it's first promoter. The world
needs today, as much as any other one
thing, respect for law.
Christ's law was love - but man
| seems to recognize as law only some
thing which has penalty attached for
it's violation or disobedience. Down
through the ages have come long
line of suffering and misery, both phys.
ical and mental, because of broken
laws.
Our Federal Prohibition Commits
sioner Roy A. Haynes Of HillsbOro, O.,
recently said; Il wash we might have
in America revival of regard for the
sanctity of the law. wish thot it
might be preached by the parents in
, the home as we'll as by the teacher in
the school; by the preacher in the
pulpit; the writer and the cartoOnist,
through the press; the actor on the
stage; by every good citizen and
agency"
After having just visited many 9th.
er lands our National President, Miss
Anna Gordon, gave forth this message
at our National Convention at San
Francisco, viz
1--WE rejoice in the magnificent pro-
gress, in spite of many obstacles, that
our republic has already registered
in the effective enforcement of the
prohibitory law. Our chief danger lies
in the apathy and Indifference of many
good people who aided in securing the
law. If they shall be content to sit
and sing themselves away into ever
lasting bliss, while the foes of home
and business prosperity are alertly on
the war path; II our church and tenn
perance forces only leisurely and lazi-
ly and send out the light and the
truth; while law violators systemat-
ically flood the press of our own and
other lands with false statements and
cunningly devised fables about the
4,