Temperance And The Home

The aonual meeting of the Ann Arbor Wamaa's Chiistian Temperance Union wtolch occurred Thursday. Mar. 26, at 2:30 p. m., was a most delightful occasion. About 100 members and guests listened to the annual reports and participated in the social liour whicli followed. Several don ned the white ribbon .or the first time. The reports of superintendente oí ilepartrnents stuowed a large amount of labor done in a quiet, unostentatiöus way. Miss Anna Richards reported ior the University Y's increased interest and niembersüiip. For the Loyal Temperance Legión organized live montus ago, about 100 inembers. Mrs. Strickler. superintendent of "Work among Colored People and Foreigners" lias done some good work ia her department. Mrs. Ellen Butts, superintendent of Scientific Temperance Instruction, thougli but a short time in office, has Jone mudi valuable preliminary work for ano dier year. Mrs. A. E. Van Valkenburg, superintendent of Press Work, reported 50 columns donated by the Register, 36 by the Democrat, 23 by the Courier, 8 by thO Times and 3 by the Argus making a total of 120 columns which at a low estímate would be worth $240. The Union expressed their grateful appreciation of these valuable eontributions to their work by a rising vo'te, aml Mrs. W. W. Wetmore was appointed a committee to, draft suitable resolutions of tlianks to be forwarded to eaeh of the city editors. Dr. Garwood, superintendent of Jail "Work, has held weekly meetings wlth the prisoners in the jail, and furnished them with books and periodicals. Any one who would like to dónate a good book to assist in work, please leave the same at the book store of Mr. Wetmore. Mrs. Lamb and Mrs. Snauble, superintendent of Temperance Xdterature, reported boxes at the depots filleil and other literature distributed. Mrs. Bassett, superintendent of Work among Lumbermen, has sent packages oí literature each week to the camps in the north ; also one large box. Mrs. Cha-. II. "Worden ent of Flower l&Iission Work reported Tune 0, Flower MiSBion Dajr, O'bserved by suitable services at the hospitals and jail, and over sixty boquets distributed, aLso many floTvers and plants sent to cheer the sick and shutins. Mrs. E. Pardon, Superintendent of Mother's Meetings, and Franchise, gave a pteasant report oí her work. The reports of the officers of the union were then listened to with much interest. Mrs. Dygert, treasurer, reported a balance i nhe t'reasury of $26 after paying liall rent for the 1. T. X,. and all other expenses. Mrs. C. C. "Warner, corresp onding secretary, has been íaithful -to the duties of her office. Mrs. Clark, Becretary, in her report saya : 'During the p ast year we have held 24 regular meetings, 2 public meetings, 1 lawn fete, 1 musical and 1 social. During the county fair week we maintained a booth on the tair grounds and distributed literature. We have circulated petitionsrequesting the board of managers of tfhíe fair to prohibit the sale of intoxieants on the fair grounde, securing 619 names, many of these were business and representative men of ïtbe city. The aggregate number attending our regular meetings has been over 500, with an average attendanee of 21. Tbe reporta of the afternoon were concluded by the very interesting address of our president, Mrs. Jennie Voorheis. We regret that space does not permit its complete publication but the foUowing extracta will be of interest : Our Loyal Temperance Legión is our pride and joy. With thirty or more open saloons in the city, no wonder we could not be content, until this important branch of our work was inaugurated. The young men, eome of thein mere boys, whom we feee go in and out of the saloons in this and other cities and give to Mary T. Lathrop's question the pitiful answer, "No." Dr. J. G. Holland once said, -'It is a cruel thing to send a boy out into tlho world untaught concerning tho evil effects of 'alcohol." Before Dr. Hollamd said that the W. C. T. ü. bad petiitoned the legislature of the various states of our union, to pass laws requiring that the childreu In our public schools should be taught the nature and effect of alcohol and otíher narcótica upon the human system. Through the efforts of the W. C. T. TT. Buch laws have been ed in all ■tíhe territorles and all but bwo of the Btates, so that It Is estimated tliat 16.000,000 children In tlie U. S. are subject to the benefits of this iustruction. If the "W. C. T. U. had dono nothing more, this grand achieevment alone, is a ufficlent proof of its rigfrt to exist. To tlvoso who possibly think that we are accomplishing nothing. because tihe saloons are still in our mid6t, and existlng laws are not enforced. let me say, tlhe members of the AV. C. T. IJ. are not equipped with weapons ncceissary ïor a political warfare, and that is what .a contest with the saloons must be, íor the liquor traffic is intrenched in law. At present, our "vork must be aloiig educational linee. We must continue to agítate and "edúcate, and seek to elévate the moral tone of society. Every honest intelligent person concedes that tbere has been a great advance in public opinión on the drink questkm since the Crusade. 'ITie liquor men know better than any one else, who hurts them. One year ago, the Ohio liquor dealers in convention assembled. declared that the only enemy they ïeared was the AYoman's Ohristian Temperance Union. Let us taie that as a token that' not all of our Bhot falls harmlessly to the ground.