The W. C. T. U.

Thuhsday, May 24. The meeting was called to order by Irs. Ella S. Hppkins, of Bear Lake, ice-president of the ninth district. There are about 250 delegates in atendance, but all had not yet reported o Mrs. G. S. Barnes, chairman on creentials, and she was unable to make ïer report at the opening session today. This delayed the election of officers and department conference was held, hort papers on organization, prevenion and education being read by repesentatives from different sections of ie state. This was opened by Mrs. E. R. Greene, of Detroit, who detailed the ork of the Loyal Temperance Legión, he was followed on various topics of nterest by Mrs. M. S. Van O 'Linda, of Holland ; Mrs. Lillian Hollister, of roit; Mrs. M. M. Weeks, of Laingsmrg ; Lydia J. Newcomb, Spring Lake : lrs. Samuel Dickie, of Albion; Mrs. G. b. Barnes, of Bay View ; Mrs. Sarah J. aTour, of Detroit, and Mrs. G. S. Bradley, of Hillsdale, all of whom are department superintendents. These papers showed the development of W. C. T. U. and auxiliary work during the past year. Mrs. Mary B. Dickie read a paper to the assembly on the question, "Does the Multiplicity of Departments tend to Divide Interests and Carry the W. C. T. U. away from the Objects for which it wasOrganized?" in wbich she entered into each branch of the work thoroughly and drew a tinal conclusión that where some unions might be led away by the multiplicity of work, the general work of the W. C. T. U. was best ser ved by the present methods. The election this morning was cally unanimous. All the old officers exeepting the treasurer, who refused a re-election, were elected and were as ollows: Mrs. Mary T. Lathrap, Jackson, president; Mrs. Julia R. Parish 3ay City, corresponding secretary ; Mrs. Jennie Voorhees, Ann Arbor, treasurer. Mrs. Emma H. May, Clio, was electad delegate-at-large to the national convention to be held In Cleveland in November. The regular officers of the state union and the district presidents are ex-officio delegates, making a total of thirty-four. At. the afternoon session under a general subject, "Our Organization ; Why is It and What Is It?" the following district presidents read short papers on sub-topics: "Why Did Our Women Organize?" by Mrs. Irene S. Clizbe, of Cold water; "The Story of Our Organization, Twenty Years Ago," by Mrs. A. J. Sheppard, of Parshallville ; stitutional Porm of Our Organization, Can It be Improved?" by Mrs. C. E. Brown, of Kalamazoo; "What Are the Chief Hindrances to Organic Effectiveness'" by Mrs. T. E. W. Adams, of Chesaning; "Our Auxiliary Organizations- Y.'s, and L. T. L.'s,"by Miss Catharine Birrell, of Lapeer; "The Proper Kelation of the Department to the Organization," by Mrs. Ella S Hopkins, of Bear Lake. The meeting was a pleasant literary and musical session, in which local musicians furnished some excel. lent vocal selections and a short address was made. Friday, May 25. The twentieth annual meeting of the Michigan Woman's Christian Temperance Union ended to-day and bas proven one of the largest gatherings the association has ever held. In numbers the delegates present outclassed all pre vious meetings, there being 238 delegates who registered. At the morning session the executive board recommended the following list of department superintendents, which was ratified by the convention : Organization - State organizer and secretary for the Y 's, Mrs. E. Norine Law, of Baraga ; work among foreign speaking people, Mrs. Anna T. Selden, of Steinborough ; work among colored people, Mrs. J. C. Ford, of Grand Rapids ; juvenile work, Mrs. Jennie McClurkin, of Fair Grove, L. T. L., and W. C. T. U. organizer and state superintendent: preventive, health and heredity, Dr. E. Hofma, of Grand Rapids ; educational, scientific temperance instruction, Mrs. Stella B. Roben, of Big Rapids : higher education, Mrs. Samuel Dickie, of Albion; Sunday school work, Mrs. G. S. Barnes, of Petoskey; the press, Mrs. Sarah J. La Tour, of Detroit : narcotics, Mrs. G. S. Bradley, of Hillsdale ; evangeli8tic, Mrs. RhodaSmith, of Hillsdale ; honorary superintendent, Mrs. L. M. Boise, of Grand Rapids ; bible reading, Mrs. B. B. Hudson, of Detroit; prison and pólice stations, Mrs. Helen M . Wilson, of Ionia; work among railroad employés, Mrs. Charlotte D. Pittee, of Battle Creek; almshouse work, Mrs. R. A. Campbell, of Northport; work among soldiers and sailors, Mrs. Alice M. Phillips, of Grand Rapids; work among lumbermen and millers. Mrs. W E. Aldrich,'of Fenton; purity ín litera ture and art, social purity, Helen M Thomas, of Albion : Sabbath observ anee, Mrs. Annio Andrus, of Detroit social flower mission, H. M. Newman of Jackson: state and county fairs, Mrs Margaret Taylor, of Lapeer; parliamentary usage, Mrs. A. S. Benjamine, of Portland : franchise, Mrs. 11. M. Kellogg, of Ionia: legislation and petition, Mrs. J. M. Kinney, of Port Hurón : labor and capital, Mrs. S. E. V. Emery, of Lansing; Union Signal reporter, Mrs. C'. H. Johnson, of Flint: superintendent of department of mercy, Mrs. Ida E. Roberts, of Shelby. E. Cora De Puy, editor of the Democrat, made a short speech to the ladies on the necessity of establishing free beds in the University hos])ital. Mrs. Julia R. Parrish, editor of the W. C. T. U. organ, spoke on the necessity of giving the paper a better support, and was rewarded by securing about 100 now subscriptions. Rev. John Bosworth, of Ypsilanti, ai d Rev. Mr. Fairfield, ex-minister to Prance, who laid claim to being among the first temperance workers in this country, each made short addresses, after which Mrs. A. S. Benjamin gave a short course of instruction in pai'liamentary law. The remainder of the morning session was spent under the general head 'Our Principies : What Are They and ïow Can They Be Applied," in which rhc following papers rere road: "'The formal and Social Basis of Total Abstinence, " by Mrs Jennie Voorheis ; "The Moral Quality of Any Form of Reguladon," by Mrs. A. S. Benjamin; "What iight Have Women to Demand the Leal Overthrow of the Saloon?" by Mrs. lulia D. Stannard; "If the Saloon is Overthrown, is It the Duty of the Sober Citizen to Provide a Substituto?" by Mrs. P. J. Howard ; 'What Üur Organzation Has Done for the Advaticement jf Women," by Mrs. C. C. Faxon; "Is Lt Keasonable for Us to Ask That the Church Stand for These Principies With Vote as Well as liesolution?" bv Mrs. E. N. Law. Kov. Bosworth pleased the ladies by prophesying absolute prohibition and a woman president of the United States during the next twenty years. Mrs. S. E. V. Emery, of Lansing, at the afternoon session, enlightened the sisters on the great financial questions of the day, answering a number o! questions sent up by the audience. She was in favor of f ree sil ver, and vored increasing the volume of money. L'nless the government earries out these tvvo plans this country must deteriórate. She favored eovernment issue of small non-interest bearing bonds. She spoke of the conversión of Kepublican congressmen to free silver. On public good roads improvement she took a Coxeyite stand, and spoke in favor of "Gen. " Coxey. She holds the present administration responsible for the present flnancial trouble. Mrs. Boise, of Grand Rapids, thought the ladies could better spend their time discussing temperance than trying to figure out great questions which are puzzling the great minds of the nation. The fifth district unions presented a Bible to the state union. Mrs. Lathrop, in answer to Mrs. Boise, said that a large part of the ladies present want to vote and will go into politics, and launched into an advocacy of woman's suffrage. She was supported by the delegates who applauded her several times. A novelty was presented in the shape of two Young Chinese ladies and two boys of the same nationality. The ladies, in native eostume, were Miss Ida Kalm and Miss Mary Stone, both sophmores in the medical department of the University. The young gentlemen were Messrs. Taiyin Cheo and Yung Peng Cheng, who are also being educated here. The report of the committee on resolutions was about the only exciting feature of the afternoon. Some discussion was brought out on the resolution of the committee relative to woman's suffrage, the committee on resolutions wanting a ballot to suppress the liquor trafftc, but the sentiment of the conven tion was that women wanted to vote for other reasons also. Resolutions were adopted pledging the influence to the political party that will pledge itself to annihilate the legalized saloon ; recommended W. C. T U. membersto co-operate in securing the ballot for women ; thanking the press; recommended pushing of work for social purity ; use their efforts towards Sunday observance and protest against Sunday excursions on railroads and boats; discountenanuing military instruction to the youth. After a lengthy discussion the com mittee which provided for the organiza tion taking initiatory steps in getting a prohibitory amendment before the people was knocked out and a substitute adopted which recites that recent developments in political circles in Michigan furnish added proof that the people lost by fraud their prohibitory amend ment in 1887 and pledged the union to support a similar movement if started by other parties. Mrs. Emma E. Bower, editor of the Ann Arbor Democrat and great record keeper of the Michigan L. O. T. M.,was introduced, and on behalf of the Ann Arbor hive L. O. T. M. extended to the members and delegates of the W. C. T. a hearty greeting. She especially commended the work being carried on by the W. C. T. U., as being along the same line of work pursued by the L. O. T.M.