Rensselaer Republican, Volume 16, Number 5, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 11 October 1883 — WOMEN WITNESSES. [ARTICLE]

WOMEN WITNESSES.

Miss Willard and Others Given a Hearing by the Senate Committee. National Woman’s Christian Temperance Union—lts Methods of Work. r— " ; The National Women’s Christian Temperance Union were given a hearing before the Senate Cominit'.ee on Education and Labor at New York. Miss Frances E. Willard, of Chicago, President of the union, gave a condensed statement of the organization, its growth and methods of work. She said the union is often called the sober second thougttof the crusade in the winter of 1874, and which, through prayer and persuasion, resulted in closing 210 saloons. The society comprises thirty-four States, and three Territories, and organizations with over 3,0'J0 local societies and a following of over 75,000. Experience had suggested the advisability of dividing the work of the sooieiy into departments, and in every case where a special department of work has seemed to re called for some woman has been raised to stand at the head of such department Fir.-t in the order of e volution stands the depar tine nt of “Heredity,” which aims to teach women who come together in companies the relation of parental influences and natal inheritance to the drink habit. Besides ibis department is that of ■Hygenic,” which aims to give a better understanding of the methods of daily living, especially regarding food, cleanliness, exercise, ventilation, and the whole physical conduct of life. Under the educational division of the work, scientific instruction stands first, its subdivisions being Sunday-schools, juvenile unions, temperance literature, influencingthe press, conference with ecclesiastical, Sundayschool, educational, and medical associations, and relative statistics. The scientific instruction embraces the introduction

of text books into the public schools, setting forth the nature and effect of alcohol on the system. Sunday-school work aims to give the “thus saith the Lord” regarding the use of intoxicating liquors as a bever*ge: The department of juvenile unions, endeavors to teach children the duty of total abstinence by a regular course of study—scientific, ethical and governmental A military feature is introduced for boys, and pries offered for the best essays. Efforts are made to gain the ce-operation of eccles.astical bodies, and whenever a synod or conference is held some representative of the society is usually present. The Department of Relative Statistics endeavors to collect the be=t and latest statistics regarding pauperism and crime, and present the same to the people until such time as the .Government shall appoint a committee to take the mutter in hand. Mrs. W. G. Buell spoke of the department of “Influencing the Press,” and said that, recognizing the power of the press, the union has during the last four years endeavored to enlist the press by securing columns to be edited by women appointed by the union of the locality, or to secure the insertion of extracts trom standard authors of scientific temperance works and from the writings and speeches of prominent men and women. Mrs. Mary Hi Hunt gave an account of the efforts other department to introduce textbooks into the public schools of the country, giving a short account of legislation in Michigan, Vermont and New Hampshire, which gave to their States a law for compulsory temperance. Other ladies present and in charge of departments explained the working of each department and itspurpose. The ladies present were: Miss Frances E. Wi.llard, of Chicago, President; Mrs. Caroline E. Buell, Easthampton, Ct, Corresponding Secretary; Mrs. Mary L. Burt, Brooklyn, President of the New York State Union; Mrs. Mary H. Hunt, Hyde Park, Mass.., Superintendent of the Depart- ; ment o f Scientific Instruction; Mrs. C. C. Alford, Brooklyn, Secretary of the Scientific i Department; Mrs. Frances J. Barnes, New | York. Superintendent of the Department of i Yeung Women's Work; and Miss Annie A : Gordon. Avondale, Mass., private secretary j of Miss Willard