ADDRESS DELIVERED BY LADY HOLDER.

White Ribbon, Volume 19, Issue 228, 18 June 1914, Page 1

ADDRESS DELIVERED BY LADY HOLDER.

At an "At Home ' givsn in the Wellington District Union Rooms, 35, Constable Street, on Tuesday, May 19th, 1914. We are living in an age when all arc trying to do their best for one another. Our privileges are great, greater than those enjoyed in past times; but we have only to think of "U< h name" as Florence Nightingale, Harriet Beecher Stone, Frances Willard, to realise that the present has not produced any finer, nobler women than the past. It is through the work of such women as these in the past that we have the power to do today what we have done, and we must not fail to U"e the possibilities thus opened out to us. It sometimes seems as though we were actually hindered in our work by the protection given to our young people, for they are so shielded that they do not know the dangers to which they are exposed. Recently, in a certain town in Connecticut, which had enjoyed Prohibition for some years, the liquor traffic was brought back through the votes of the young people that had grown up without personal experience of its evils. Now they have found out how different things are, how unsafe for servant girls to go out at night, and so on; and when tin* next poll come" round, there i" little doubt that the young people will vote out the Traffic. Women are working now because of their interest in the home. They want it to be the best possible, and

they want their children to have a safe path when they go out from the home. In these times of compulsory military training, we want to know that the camp is a safe place for our young men; that the country will take care of this young iife that is being trained to defend her in time of need. It was the consciousness that women have got a great work to do that made the South Australian Tern perance women send I.ady Holder across the Pacific to tin* Brooklyn Convention. She had to go alone, but the prayers of the people followed her. She has had a wonderful trip. On October Jist she reached New York, and met Miss Anna Cordon and Mrs L. M. N. Stevens, the latter one of the tiniest of women, very thin and frail. From the very fir"t meeting of Convention there was no feeling of strangeness, for all felt they had the "ante interests, the* same faith, the same cause at heart. One of the most striking scenes in Convention was connected with the raising of money for the World’s Mis"ionary Fund. A lady, Mrs Macdonald, offered to give pound for pound for every life membership subscription given that day, and the enthusiasm rose* so high that some 4000 people gave in names for life membership; sons proposed their mother", mothers their sons, and so on throughout the* large assemblage. To raise money for this Fund should be the* work of a special department in every I’nion, for there i" great need for further efforts in many countries. In Belgium, for example, there are 200,000 publichouses, one for every 34 people.

Frequently during the Convention there would be a warm debate; for instance, on sending a resolution to the English Bishops as to the use of unfermented wine for the Sacrament. Such debates afforded an opportunity of hearing what women can do, and gave Mrs Stevens scope for exercising her well-known tact and general business capability. The la*t night of Convention was “Fun Night,” when there were national gatherings. All the delegates from England and her colonies joined together under the English Hag. sang the National Anthem, and gave a greeting. Then all the other nationalities represented did the same, finally the “Stars and Stripes.” Americans love to have their Hag everywhere, and at this last meeting every young person had a flag, and every lady wore one. Side by side with the "Stars and Stripes” was a flag with the Cross, and after the National Anthem, the hymn “In the Cross of Christ I Glory” was sung. After the close of the Convention Lady Holder went to Ashbury Park, and learned yet more about the Americans and the great resolve by which they have pledged themselves to work for Total Prohibition in 1920. If the women everywhere could vote, they would have Prohibition next year. Hut in the big towns women have not the vote, except the municipal vote, which is held by millions, and is everywhere much prized by the women. The municipalities, many of them have great control over the liquor business. Shortly after her visit, Lady Holder saw that by one municipal election 1000 licenses had been removed by the women’s vote, and they don’t wait there four years before the vote takes effect. At another municipal election 400 licenses were swept away, and these bars were closed on December 2nd. Some evils people insist on seeing removed very quickly. Suppose that a certain cure for cancer were announced, would you say: “We must go slowly; many doctors get a great deal by operations, so we must give them a chance to save a bit before introducing this cure?” Of course you would not; you would see it tried right away. Vet many Christians will use these arguments in reference to the Liquor Traffic, and postpone abolition because so many people will be ruined, they say, through losing their trade and occupation when Prohibition is carried. In America the

women have set to work with a will, determined to carry Prohibition in every direction. Subsequently Lady Holder went to Evanston to visit Miss Willard’s grave, and it was while there that she heard of the illness, and later of the death, of Mrs L. M. N. Stevens. Deeply though her loss must be felt, yet we must not think that this, or any other apparent setback, will stop our work. It will rather lead the women of Americ a back to rely more upon God, for we are apt to think ourselves so well equipped that we forget to go to Him for wisdom and strength. We must spend more time in prayer, and depend on (iod, for He is interested in this work. There is, in these days, a lack of true home life. The home is not the centre of influence as it used to be. Hoys and girls think a great deal for themselves; they like to judge and decide for themselves. We must endeavour more earnestly to influence them for (iod, and to impress ourselves more on our children, and train them to reverence for their home and for us as iheir parents. If they will but think, they can see how much they owe to their parents, and they ought to treat them with the same reverence that they show to outsiders. Girls should do more for their brothers, and refrain from laughing at them, as one girl was heard to do when her brother sang with somewhat broken voice. Consequently he never would sing at home again, but went to other homes for his amusement. Hoys should wait on their sisters; then when they go out into the world, they will have more consideration for women. In social life we want people to stand up for Temperance all through, and not be led by what other people think. Many sacrifice the chance of doing right for fear of losing votes. We are apt to follow other people instead of doing the right thing. In social entertainment let us do as we should wish others to do for us, and let us get this spirit into our children. It was a touching scene at one meeting when Mrs Lawson sang to the a :- companiment of her harp—- “ Out from the threshold the children *o* Hright as the sunshine, pure as the snow! Will they come back to us as they go, Hright as the sunshine, pure as tTic' snow V*

So let us avoid every trace of alcohol in our trifles and jellies at our social entertainments, for we never know how many are waiting to follow us. We need to pray more, and teach our children what prayer means, thus giving them a weapon against the temptations of life, for faith in prayer is the best protection they can have. We need also to give. People will give when they get excited, as on that Convention day when so many hundreds gave money by the £2O to make their friends and relatives life members. Will they all keep their piomises? Yes, we are assured, nearly all. Hut we should give systematically. Remember that passage in Malachi: “Will a man rob God? yet ye rob Me. But ye say, wherein have we robbed Thee? In tithes and offerings.” We should not think of robbing our tradesmen, nor do we refuse to pay train and tram fares, or to pay for our afternoon tea, however many times we may travel or refresh ourselves with afternoon tea. Yet in our church offerings we are too often tempted to think, “We have been giving regularly for so long; we will not give to-day.” Hut we should give to God the best that we have. Our great Prohibition work is hampered for want of funds, yet the licensed victuallers got for their cause the other day ,£60,000 at one banquet. We must be as earnest and determined to gain our point as our opponents are to evade the law when carried. Many instances could be given of the ingenuity shown and the trouble taken to get drink in districts that have Prohibition. At one place in Maine were two rooms full of confiscated liquor. At the bottom of a cellar was a great barrel covered over with soil; it was filled by one pipe that went down the window sill, and the ground was scooped out for the passage of another pipe whereby the liquor could be drawn out. In another place a copper tin was fixed, resembling a water tank, and connected with it were pipes and two taps, from one of which water could be drawn, from the other liquor. There was another box labelled “Root Beer,” and inside were two taps, from one of which came root beer, from the other intoxicating drink. All this shows the trouble taken in order to introduce drink into a prohibited district. But, people say, “Prohibition does not prohibit 1" Here is the evidence of a policeman, who declared that in a certain prohibited town, when 35,000

additional population came in for the holiday season, only 32 additional men were required to keep order. Certainly, Xo-License is not so effective as Total Prohibition, bec.ui • drink can be brought into the NoLicense area. There are always people who will break the law, if possible; but this is no argument against the law. No sane person would wish to do away with the law against stealing, because soiih‘ men and women are found who break the law and steal. So no doubt, when Total Prohibition is carried efforts will be made to break even that law. Nevertheless, work enthusiastically for the poll next December! Talk about it to everybody, and ask people how they are going to vote, for one never knows what influence a chance word may have. Speak to everyone for the sake of the children, for the sake of the many boys who are in danger of being ruined by the Traffic !

But, say some, they must have temptation to make them strong ! True indeed, but life is full enough ot pitfalls and temptations without perpetuating these evils that have been proved to spoil hundreds of homes and bring misery and degradation to thousands of innocent children. In this work we are not doing anything that will really harm anyone, for not one will be worse in the end for having drink removed. May you all work as you pray, and vot* as you pi ay, as >ou w ill w ish to have done when you appear before the judgment seat of God!