Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1926-12-23
tn. w. G. r, U.

The celebration, today, all over the
world. by the members Of the w. c..
T. U. 10 . fruitful reminder. The
significance Of this is set forth in
an accompanying letter. One sees
that conditions now are noticeably
different from those described with
the event which gives occasion for
the celebration. The rum power In
the land Is not what It was "a years
ago, when, an the letter states: "a
band Of forty women inaugurated a
sidewalk praying campaign in front
Of the saloons of Hillsboro, Ohio, re-
sulting in the extinction Of the legal
lied liquor business in that village
and eventually in national prohibi-
ton. From that episode developed
the Woman's Christian Temperance
Union, organized in fifty-three coun-
tries, and well on its way toward q
million members in America.
1.-THE w. c. 7. U. Is the mother OF
scientific temperance education in the
schools; and has had a part in every
legislative reform in every state and
In every session Of the national con-
gress since 1876 when it stood by
0ChdtOI W. DIAL VI 4NSW "
who introduced the original resolu-
ton for national prohibition. It was
Mrs. Lillian NJ. N. Stevens, president
of the National w. c. r. U. who in
1911 started the final drive which
brought the 18th Amendment.
''Since the bands of praying women
in 1873 the w. c. T. U. has become
recognized national and inter-
national institution, publishing fifty
magazines and annually distributisg
ten million pages of free literature.
1t has announced program for 1927
which comprises a religious crusade
rather than political maneuver. and
the principles adopted by the women
at Hillsboro will be revived with
greater vigor than ever, beginning
January on which day every MEM
Der of the w. C. T. U. Is asked by
the National Officers to spend at least
one hour in prayer.
Zone of the current misconceptions
concerning prohibition has to do with
the situation in Norway where the
people have just voted out pro-
hibition' and substituted government
control of the liquor traffic. The OPP
ponents of American prohibition b
lieve they see in Norway an object
vociferously urging the new Scan
dinavian national policy as model
for our own.
1.-THE truth is that Norway never
had prohibition. Their law. which
the people have just retired, pro-
hibited the sale of liquor with more
than twenty-one per cent. alcohol.
ITO the clear thinker. Norway's
experience proves the correctness OF
the w. c. T. U. statement: 'Prohi-
bition Is the best method Of dealing
with the liquor traffic. Not Norweg-
Ian prohibition, but the 18th Amend
ment sort. Constitutional prohibition
was not put over on the American
people-it was put over by the
American people q majority OF
whom are heartily in favor Of doing
away with alcoholic liquor and the
train Of evils always present
wherever there Is drink.
Norwegian drinkers, like American
drinkers are not to be satisfied with
two-seventy beer or twenty-one per
cent. Eight" wine. What they want
Is hard liquor. In America the wet
contingent does not admit this.
MANY Americans know that the
present American prosperity is due
in large measure to the efficiency and
productivity of Americans who have
quit drinking. And the recent cleo
lions, resulting in national congress
threefourths dry, show that the
United States will never repeal the
18th Amendment"