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NEW YORK STATE W. C. T. U. CONVENTION.
(Continued from page 2.)
The principal feature of the evening's program
was the annual address of the State President,
which was optimistic in a high degree, scholarly,
and comprehensive. It contained a resume of
the year's work and suggested lines of even
greater improvement, calling upon our organization
to work more strenuously than ever before
tor woman suffrage, as this is a critical year for
that subject in this state, and stating that the
realization of suffrage would bring about a better
civilization. She also deplored the bitter
strife among the warring nations and advocated
international peace through arbitration. The
sympathy of all New York State white-ribboners
was with her throughout her splendid address
and we all felt her intense devotion finding a
hearty response in our own hearts. Mrs. Boole
is a gifted and wise leader, fully capable of leading
the greatest wing of the National W. C. T. U.
army.
The excellent performance of "Painting New
York White" by the six State organizers was executed
in a masterly way, although they used
neither the paint nor brushes of a Rubens, a
Leonardi de Vinci or a Raphael, but they used
the work of the Great Creator as a subject, and
though stained and defaced by the liquor traffic
they have tried to restore it to its original
beauty, by applying the cleansing power of the
blood of the Lamb of God.
Mrs. Frances W. Graham, Vice-President, and
as she is best known, the "Song-bird of the W.
C. T. U.," (she is National Musical Director)
sang the song of "Victory," and led the singing
all through the Convention.
One of the most beautiful and impressive memorial
services we have ever experienced was conducted
by Mrs. Boole in behalf of leaders of the
W. C. T. U. and its friends. Those on the list
were as follows: Mrs. Lillian M. N. Stevens,
President National W. C. T. U.; Mrs. Jessie W.
H. Bristol, Pres. Livingston Co.; Mrs. Jennie C.
Oakes, Treasurer Cattaraugus Co.; Miss Kate
Manning, former Pres. Wyoming Co.; Mrs. .Homar
A. Nelson, former Pres. Dutchess Co.; Mr.
Herbert Shattuck, former Pres. State Senior L.
T. L.; Mrs. Mary Lowe Dickinson, New York
City; Mrs. Margaret Hamilton, mother of Mrs.
Graham; Mr. W. W. Smith, Rev. C. A. Mead, Mr.
Henry W. Wilbur, former Editor of the Voice,
and brother of Mrs. Phoebe Wilbur Griffin; Mr.
George R. Scott, Mr. J. M. Horton, Mrs. Emogene
Bushnell Brown, mother of Mrs. Perkins, and
other members and friends.
The Cortland W. C. T. U. Trio, consisting of
Mrs. Bentley, Mrs. Graham and Mrs. Howard,
sang impressively "Rock of Ages," and Mrs.
Georgia L. Wheaton read an original poem begun
while Mrs. Stevens was yet alive and finished
shortly after her death. It has been printed in
the Union Signal, and is a true pen picture of
"Our Chieftain." Every heart was thrilled as the
gifted authoress recited it. The Trio sang, by request,
often during the rest of the Convention;
many requests were received for them to tour
the State. Foremost among those to whom honor
was due, Mrs. Stevens was at the head ot
the list of those read by Mrs. Boole. Tenderly
and reverently the wonderful characteristics of
our great chieftain were revealed, and many affectionate
tributes were paid to her beloved
memory, and to her great ability as leader of the
host. Mrs. Frances W. Graham brought tears
from every eye as in concluding the service she
sang in an incomparably sweet voice, "Beautiful
Isle of Somewhere." About seven hundred
persons were present.
When the Buffalo delegation of fifty members
arrived, they caused quite a sensation as they
marched around the sides and back of the
THE CHRISTIAN NATION. Vol 61.
church, occupying all the standing room, but
quietly and in an orderly manner they were soon
seated, while the whole audience joined them
in singing "Onward, Christian Soldiers."
The question of raising the membership dues
to $1.00 was brought up and discussed and laid
over until next year.
Among the clergymen introduced to the Convention
was a Roman Catholic priest, who is
said to have been removed from a large city
church to a small country one on account of
his co-operation with Protestants. He received a
hearty welcome from those present wno are acquainted
with him and spent the afternoon intently
listening to the Loyal Legioners, among
whom were a class of Indian boys and girls, reciting
and singing; and also to our sixty presidents
of counties, as they told the work of their
counties in half-minute speeches.
In the course of Father Zurcher's address, he
said:
"In my dealings with the members of the Union
during the last twenty-five years in temperance
work," said Father Zurcher, "I became convinced
that your Union represents what is best in American
womanhood. Let me urge you to get more
Catholic members in your local unions. The united
Christians of America will settle the liquor
question in short order. Remind those who claim
that the Catholic Church favors the liquor traffic
of the firstCatholic Prohibition convention held
this summer at Niagara Palls. Tell them that the
Caholic bishops of America urge all Catholics engaged
in the liquor business to quit that dangerous
traffic as soon as possible and to make their
living in some more honorable way."
At five o'clock p. m., on Thursday, the L. T.
L's., accompanied by the public school children,
headed by the Salvation Army Band, and followed
by the State officers, superintendents, organizers,
lecturers, presidents of counties with their
delegates and friends, formed in line on the street
and with all the State banners, and superintendents
and presidents carrying their posters, marched
to the music of "Onward, Christian Soldiers,"
along one side of Main street, down to the Reservation
or Park; then up the other side of the
street for six blocks and disbanded at the Temperance
House, while they all sang "We'll take
the Earth for Christ's Own Kingdom, Some Glad
Day."
The streets were crowded with all the townspeople
out to see the firstparade in Niagara
Falls. Every woman in the procession wore her
hat and gloves and wherever convenient a long
coat, and not a word was spoken as this dignified
and wonderful demonstration of Temperance
sentiment was presented in the city. It seemed
as if some of the power from the Falls had been
transplanted into the hearts of the women, and
was urgmg them to go farther than ever before
in their effort for National Constitutional Prohib.^
tion. The number in the parade was variously
estimated from 1,200 to 1,500 persons.
All the former officers were re-elected, Mrs.
Boole on the nominating ballot, without a dissenting
vote, except her own, while all the others
were practically unanimous, and made so
on the elective ballot.
Miss Helen L. Hood gave an impetus to the
work for the ballot to women, by her clear,
strong, logical, practical speech, in which she reviewed
some of the work accomplished by the
women in Illinois. Miss Hood is State President
of the W. C. T. U. of Illinois.
A feature of Thursday morning which we forgot
to mention, was the introduction to the delegates
of a company of Tuscarora Indians, women
and children, who were marshalled on the
platform by Mrs. Lydia Pierce, of Cattaraugus,
County Superintendent of work among Indians
of tbe State, herself an Indian. There are a
number of Unions and Loyal Temperance Legions
among the Indians. On Wednesday evening
a diamond medal contest was held with
seven contestants who had already won silver
and gold medals, and the diamond medal was
won by Mrs. W. B. Dingman, of Rochester. Her
subject was "How Pat took his stand."
On Thursday evening Miss Ruth Frances Davis
gave an eloquent address on Temperance in the
Mikado's kingdom. It was illustrated beautifully
by lantern slides, and Miss Davis, who is W. C.
T. U. World's Missionary to Japan, was very
fluent in her description of all the beauties in
that kingdom, and highly praised the work of the
President of the W. C. T. U., the Countess Haji
Yajima. She revealed her wonderful ability for
work and her clear-headed, far-seeing leadership,
and executive ability. Miss Davis said very little
about herself, but her works speak louder than
words, and from others who have lived in the
orient, we have heard the story of Ruth Davis'
wonderful activity for temperance in Japan,
where she is a power for good, her influence
reaching from the Mikado and his family to the
poorest in the land. She is known by her good
works throughout the flowery kingdom. Her
lecture was a splendid success.
The resolutions passed at this convention are
stronger and clearer in tone than those of former
conventions. First of all they expressed great
grief at the death, during the year, of our beloved
National President, Mrs. L. M. N. Stevens,
endorsing her famous proclamation for National
Constitutional Prohibition and her purpose to
place that principle in the organic law of all nations.
The resolutions denounced war, declared for
peace by arbitration; favored Woman Suffrage, reaffirmed
our stand for a single standard of purity
for men and women, and for legislation at Albany
for the ballot for women: that we continue to hold
up the standard of total abstinence from alcoholic
liquors for the individual and total prohibition
of the sale and manufacture of and traffic
in the same by State and Nation; the President
of the United States was commended and those
associated with him for their wise and kindly
efforts to preserve neutrality and secure the
peaceful adjustment of National difficulties; we
endorsed the Shephard-Hobson bill, which calls
for the prohibition of the manufacture for sale,
for importation and exportation, for sale and
traffic in alcoholic liquors, and extend to Secretary
Daniels sincere gratitude for his order excluding
all liquors from the navy, and to Secretary
Garrison for banishing liquors from the
Canal Zone; that we will work for the Smith
Hughes bill, which calls for Federal Censorship
of Moving Pictures with members ot the Board
of Education on Censorship Board; we commended
the action taken by the Miller-Strong Drug
Company in declaring that after December 13th,
no intoxicating liquors wil be sold in the four
Rexall drug stores ot Niagara Falls, and heartily
commend this action to other drug companies.
In a resolution presented by Mrs. Griffin on
the press, after commending them for their increasing
interest in our work, we urge the editors
to make their papers clean, wholesome and
elevating from the advertising page to the supplement.
Then followed a resolution of thanks which
were extended to everyone who aided in any way
to make this convention a success and contributed
to the general comfort of delegates and visitors.
Superintendents were for the most part reelected,
and with grateful hearts to the Great
Captain of the Host, our Lord and Savior, and
dedicating ourselves anew to greater efforts hi
the future, our great convention closed, to meet
again at Cortlandt, N. Y., in 1915.