Correspondence.

White Ribbon, Volume 1, Issue 5, 1 November 1895, Page 5

Correspondence.

Eastnor Castle, Ledbury, England, 9th Septeml>er, 1895. Mrs A. J. Schnackenberg, President Women’s Christian Temperance Union, Auckland, New Zealand. Mv dear Sister, —On behalf of the General Officers of the World's Women’s Christian Temperance Union, I desire to express the earnest satisfaction felt by us in the fact that the White Ribbon Women of New Zealand have stood in solid phalanx against any form of regulation of vice, and have not only maintained the antagonistic position that the Women’s Christian Temperance Union has from the first held, but has used its utmost power to induce those who have lent their influence to a contrary view, to retrace their steps and maintain the high ethical ground on which good men and women must marshall the forces of God : n this time of a great crisis. We have done what we could fr»m the beginning of the controversy to help our auxiliaries in all the localities where the battle is now on, and we shall continue to aid and abet the work of our sisters in helping to “agitato, educate, and organise” against any method adopted under the pretext of making wicked conduct any less unsafe in its results than the laws and penalties of nature have fore-ordained that it should be. This is, our minds, the crux of the controversy, and nothing must be suffered to obscure our vision. The total good of mankind is most increased by the outworking of those physical consequences of wrong-doing which tend to arouse the community to protect itself from the causes, rather than the consequences, of crimes against the social compact. Will you be kind enough to give this letter as wide a circulation as possible, since L learn it has been intimated that our Society did not stand strongly against the abomination of the C.D. Acts, or any law the object of which is to make the detestable disloyalty of any man to his home, or himself, or womankind in general, less dangerous in its consequences ? Whoever has made such an intimation must have been deplorably ignorant, or wilfully desirous of misrepresenting the W Ribbon vork. , We f'llly expect, within the next ev months, someof our leaders wi.il be with you: and Lau} Henry Somerset and I. w».th Mias Anna Gordon, snail not rest until we have invested some “ honest hard work ” .n the inspiring atmosphere of your wonderful islands, where we expect to learn and enjoy, as well as labour, in God’s good timo. Traying for llis blessing upon you, and your dear associates, Xam yours f or the protection of the home in that high sense that involves organised effort to purify the l’ves of men and women everywhere. Francks E. Willard, President World's Women’s Christian Temperance Union.

To the Editors of White E/bhon. [Cop i.]

Mksdamrs. —Miss Willard’s letter will show the deep interest taken by our beloved chieftain in all that concerns the W.C.T.U., and will, I hope, prove a stirring wesson to us to be on our guard against any proposed measure that is not right and square. We are closely watched,

and in spite of the fact that only one society, in one town, attempted to pass a disastrous resolution, all the women in New Zealand an* blamed, and White Kibboners especially so. W T e do not wish to hurt their feelings, but we must clear ourselves against these imputations. The Auckland W.C.T.U., on June 26th, 1895, passed the following resolution : “ That thi.-. meeting entindy disapproves of the recent resolution passed in favour of enforcing the C.D. Acts. It unanimously pledges itself to leave no stone unturned till those disgraceful Acts are swept from our Statute Books, feeling sure that as long as they exist, whether altend or not, the work of social purity is greatly hindered.” Thanking you for space. Yours, in White Ribbon bonds, A. J. SCHNACXKNfIURG.