A FRANCIS WILLARD EYENING.

Dominion, Volume 4, Issue 1054, 18 February 1911, Page 11

A FRANCIS WILLARD EYENING.

' A-meeting of tho W.C.T.'U. was held in one' of tho rooms of tho v Y.M.O.'A.' last-evening to" do honour to tho memtry of l'jancis' Elizabeth Willard,' who died thirteen years ago in Chicago.' In tho absence of 'Mrs. Boxall, tho presideftt of tho union,-'tho chair was taken by .Mrs. A. R. 'Atkinson, and with her upon tlio stago. 3 Macalistciy : Mrs.- Johnson WrielitfJ; LflU-,' 1 M.A. Aii' intcrestm'g"sk%Wh ly oE Jl tlio l career of Francii"'Willa'fd| r7 th"tf fofilldbV of the world's W.C.T.U. and'orio of the greatest women: philanthropists of tho nineteenth' ccntury, Vas read-by . Mrs. Low,* and every step in tlio gradual de-' volopmcnt;'of licr character and aims fully dealt'with. It was in 1873 that the Women's Temperanco Crusade, led by Mrs. Judge Thompson; was begun, and , tho '• causo' was tlio open > door through which', Francis Willard begun her great mission'in tho world.. From that, time to tho time of her death the" history of Francis Willard history of tho Temperanco' Movements • Mr. J. G. 'W. Aitkcn also mado • a brief Speech cxpressing- his admiration of Francis Willard and dwelt upon her singlc-hiinded' devotion to duty and work. It was this particular finality that meant' attainment ,flnd hi a do' lifo wortli while. A'woman who set her mind's eyo mfon any object-that sho wished to' attain and who did not allow herself to bo turned _ hither and thither would • niake licr' influence felt and would accomplish what sho set out to do just as''tlio-great woman whoso memory they 'wero commemorating that evening did. 1 i 1 If it had not, been for her tho Women's Temperanco Union would not liavo attained tho position that it occupied to-day. No other wo-: mail had seemed to grasp tho view of. mankind as she did and there was always a'response to the call made in her name' * '■ Tho Rev. Gibson Smith' spoko of tho great opportunity that would bo placed beforo pooplo at tho next election to advance tlio causo of temperanco, and of tho work to bo dono' in' the months that intervened. Ho did not altogether' hold with temporance leaders iii asking for any alteration in tho three-fifths majority. Even with tlio three-fifths majority No-Licenso could bo carried in ovory town in tinic. Women in-New Zealand are far ahead of -their- sisters in tho Old Country as regards voting. Hero they havo had the opportunity of applying tjio power given them, and tho result had been'that new districts had gone - "dry," and none. luid gono "wot.". Twolvo districts in this colony had No-License, and wo could now seo howit worked in Now Zealand. Tho temperanco causo had gained most of tho pooplo who had suffered from, liquor and who were antagonistic to it, and tho battle .would now bo to gain-- all thoso who aro noutral, tlioso who wero tho friends of tho traffic, and thoso who wero indifferent. Tremendous energy would bo needed, and No-Licenso pcoplo would havo to work harder than ever. Mr. Norman Holmes also spoko about Francis Willard, and tliofo women who had followed in her footsteps in tho causo of temperance work. : Y ' • A vote of thanks to the ■' speakers and to Mrs. Low, M.A., fqr her most ablo paper, was passed by the meeting. Mrs. Hislop (Dunedin) also liiado a very brief speech. An cnjoyablo musical programme, arranged by Madamo Mueller, was given ,at intervals during the evenina.' . ■