ADDRESS BY DOMINION PRESIDENT.

White Ribbon, Volume 49, Issue 9, 18 October 1943, Page 4

ADDRESS BY DOMINION PRESIDENT.

This is a day of thanksgiving .is we celebrate the Holden Jubilee of the granting of the franchise to women. We thank Hod tor the status which he gave to women when He chose a pure wom.or. to lx.* the mother of our Lord Jesus Christ. The high and holy calling of motherhood has, since that eventful day, been a sacred, holy thing. Jesus honoured womanhood throughout His life on earth. He called women and men to be His followers and co-workers. He healed women and men of diseases. He brought a girl and a lad back to life. He gathered the children, both sexes, in His arms and blessed them. At His death on the Cross faithful women were there. To lx* there when the test came was the true mark of love, the true test of friendship, the true crown of devotion. At tlie Resurrection women were there and to them was given the message by our Blessed Lord to go and tell the disciples, and tell it out the glorious news that Christ was risen. To-day we offer thanksgiving to our Lord for all He has done for us. We thank Him for the pioneer women who gave all their strength- physical, mental and moral—to the task of gaining the franchise. There is no victory without sacrifice as we know to our cost in this cruel war which is raging practically over the world. '1 l.e women’s franchise would nevei have been gained without sacrifice. We, to-day, remind ourselves, our young ixople, our children, how the women of the past wrestled, suffered, prayed and believed and won for us and for them the freedom we enjoy to-day. Away bar 1 * the early seventies of last cent’.ry, Mrs. Muller, Mr. Alfred Saunders, and others claimed the right of womeu to vote. In 1878 some lirave M.l’.’s t< ok up the campaign, chief amongst Mem being Dr. James Wallis, M.P. In 1887 the W.C.T.U. took up the fight under the able leadership of Mrs. K. W. Sheppard, of whom Sir lohn Hall .aid, “No one jxvson contributed so much io victory as did Mrs. Sheppard. Her tact, her patience, always aiming to con *ert, not to antagonise an opjxnient, her charming ;>ersoi:ality, her reasonableness, were combined with undaunted courage and determination and great intellect! al vigour.”

For three vears the work was strenuous. Other women’s societies came into the fight in 1892. Women’s Franchise Leagues were formed. Mrs. Sheppard continued

as leader. Literature was distributed, debating societies took up the subject for discussion and jxtitions were signed. In 1891-92-33 there was a ixtition sent to Parliament. The 1893 i>etition was the largest ever signed in Australasia. What courage and determination was displayed bv the women to gain those signatures. No motor-cars, no electric trams! Those pioneer women nudged from door to dcx>r nothing daunted. On September 19th, 1893, the long fight was over. The Earl of Hlasgow affixed his signature to the Bill and the vote for women was won. We give thanks to (icxl for giving our mothers and grandmothers such courage and such selfsacrifice to gain the franchise, not merely to have jxiwer to exercise their vot.*, hut also to have jxiwer to vote for laws beneficial for their children.

Are we worthy of them? We thank Hod for this lovely country in which we live for its natural beauties, for the privileges of education and culture, for the safety ami security we enjoy, the second countrv in the world.

Are we wortiiv of our privileges? our Oilmen, in a recent trans-Atlantic broadcast called upon the women of her nation to start in their homes to be concerned alnnit religion. “It is the creative and dvnatnic ix>wer ot Christianity which can help us to carry the moral resixinsibilities which history is placing on our shoulders. If our homes can be truly Christian, then the influence of that spirit will assuredly spread like leaven through all the asjx-cts of our common line—industrial, social and ixditical,” the < Hieen asserted. ’ »n in the home will save the w Hood as they are, education an< lure cannot save from chaos as has been proved bv the state of the world to-day. Both are wonderful a" f *ts, but are not enough. We cannot stop there. There is more, infinitely more, to learn. Sin remains, and all the ugly attributes of sin rule in the heart of mankind. Only Jesus Christ the Eternal Son can disturb them and cause them to flee away. Until Jesus Christ is supreme Lord, war, drink, impurity will continue to devastate the souls and ixxiies of jxople. Christ’s presence in the heart can defeat the fierce onrush of desire and lust. That is the Christianity of which our Queer calls on us to accept, that we may earn the moral responsibility which history is placing on our shoulders. The Y.W.C.A. paixr of Chicago contained the following significant statements: (1) T here is an odd thing about woman*

power. It doesn’t always know its own strength, and when you strengthen womani»ower you boost manpower also. As women take their place in industry lieside men, we look to them to raise the level of societv. It lies within womanpower. They can do so if they conduct themselves accordingly. The story is told of a group of male workers in a small factory who objected strenuously when they learned that women had been employed ar.d would be on the joi». the following Monday. “We’ll have to watch our language and actions,” one said; “no more swearing when a man hits his finger instead of his work.” A few weeks later the same man commented, “Wc need not ha\e worried. Every one of those five girls can swcai more than five men.” Those girls did not know their own strength. They could have changed the whole atmosphere of that factory. Young women have the op|K)rtunity to day to remake New Zealand. The franchise has opened mam d<x)rs, almost all walks of life may be entered by women. It has been women of (iod who have made an impress on this world. It is the good woman, the good mother, the good wife and the goo< sister who have rendered service that will count for time and etemitv. Not the woman of the world, but the Christian woman who dedicated her life to service for Christ the King, whose name is remembered. r / J will briefly mention four Christian women whose service will ever be remembered. Frances Willard, a woman of high culture, who gave up a lucrative profession because she heard the call of the. Master to do service for Him not only in her Homeland, but throughout the world. She formed the World W.C.T.U, She had a vision of a world freed from the curse of beverage alcohol, believing that the fight for a clear brain is the fight for Christianity and in cooperation with chivalrous men who w’ere educational, church and business leaders, and pastors. Astonishing temperance sentiment was created, even conservative public opinion favouring the protection of women and children. The result today, the W.C.T.U. operating in 56 countries. She was a pioneer in promoting scientific temperance instruction in schools. She initiated child welfare and social morality measures. She was a pioneer in advocating an eight-hour working dav. and of jieace anil arbitra tion to settle disputes. She reached out a welcoming hand to foreign-speaking people, and endeavoured to secure justice and better living conditions for women and children .n industry. She, with two colleagues, firmed the National of Women, realising the need of cooperation among all organisations of women. Her statue is in the Hall of Fame in Washington. Josephine Butler, a cultured, homeloving woman, became greatly interested in the need of lifting up the fallen amongst her sisters. She saw ti c harm the Contagious Diseases Act was doing. The law seizes fallen women, hut lets men go free. She determined to work

and pray for downtrodden women. Man a time her life was in danger, but she never halted until the Contagious L)n eases Acts were removed from the statute-book. A frail woman, but in strength of God she did the imj>ossible She rescued hundreds of girl victimsheltering many of these in her own home until they were strong t resist evil. Florence Nightingale, who, in pity tor the awful condition of the wounded and dying in the Crimean war, went forth from a sheltered, cultured home to (k battle against disease, dirt and woundN She lifted the nursing profession to a high level and earned her title, "The Lady of the Lamp.” Catherine Booth said, “My head, m\ hands, my feet, my heart, 1 give to (iod. She, side by side with her husband, rescued the jierishing, cared f or the dying, and snatched them in pity from sin aid the grave, and her theme ever was Jesus is mighty to save. These women are tvnical of thousands of women who have dedicated their liveto (iod, to home, and for humanity. “Blessed are the pure in heart." Women can stop the moral slide that ha> taken place in New Zealand to-day Young women, are you prepared with all the strength of your womanhood lo take your place on the side of God, on the side of purity—physically and morally? Arc you prepared to Hold high the torch, You did not light its glow. ’Twas given you by other hands, you know, ’ J is only yours to keep it burning bnyht, )’ours to pass on when you no more need light, Tor there are little feet that you niu.<t guide And little forms go marching by your side, Their eyes arc watching every tear and smile, And efforts that you think are not Wirrth while May sometimes be the very help they need, .Actions to which their souls would give most heed So that in turn they'll lift it high and

say, "l «watched my mother carry it this way.’ The inspiration of the efforts and achievements of the women of yesterday should stimulate us and you, the women of to-day, to give wholehearted devotion to our blessed Lord, and go forward determined to right the wrongs as a national republic of women who recognise no sex in citizenship. May the celebrations of our Franchise Jubilee be the starting jx)int of a new order when women shall stand she ilder to shoulder v.ith men to promote ix-acc, purity and righteousness on earth to the glory of our Lord and Master Jesus Christ.