Two Decades Part 8

At the Binghamton convention, in 1887, she was presented with a beautiful gold watch and chain as a slight recognition of her faithful and untiring services.

Mrs. Gardenier is noted not only for her gifts as a "recorder" but for her wit, which, expressing itself with the utmost good will, awards extreme delight to her hearers. Her addresses are marked by forcible and original ill.u.s.trations which remain in the memory and challenge thought long after the occasion of their delivery.

At Round Lake, in the summer of 1884, under the scientific temperance instruction law of 1884, Mrs. Gardenier gave the first ill.u.s.trated lesson in the state upon the nature and effects of alcohol upon the human system, and has since presented the subject of scientific temperance instruction at a number of the teachers' inst.i.tutes in the state.

In addition to her temperance work, she is deeply interested in the humane work and other public philanthropies.

A member of the committee to prepare the history of the State Woman's Christian Temperance Union, much time during the past few months has been devoted to searching the records and statistics of the past twenty years, twelve of which bear witness to the faithfulness, love, and zeal of our recording secretary.

M. T. B.

CHAPTER VII.

SOCIAL AND POLITICAL.

Our work is many-sided, but among all the rest the social side has not been neglected. When department work was first taken up, in 1880, a department called "Drawing-Room Meetings" was placed in charge of Mrs.

Mary C. Johnson, of Brooklyn, who for two years was the superintendent.

The following year Mrs. Margaret Bottome, of New York, now at the head of the order of King's Daughters and Sons, was the superintendent. In 1883 the department was changed to Parlor Meetings and united with Mothers' Meetings, Mrs. Dr. Horace Eaton being given the superintendency. She was succeeded by Mrs. Van Benschoten, of Newark, who filled the position for two years. In 1886 the two departments were divided, and Mrs. A. M. Wickes, of Attica, was given that of Parlor Meetings, holding it until the present time. In the convention of 1893 a beautiful chocolate pot was presented to the union at Gouverneur, St.

Lawrence county, for having held more parlor meetings during the year than any other union in the state.

Ten years ago the Department of State and County Fairs was adopted, and Mrs. H. R. Edgett, of Fairport, was made the superintendent. She has given ten years of faithful service to this line of work. In 1889 a committee was appointed to consider the work at the state fair, and, if deemed practicable, the state was to engage in the work. Mrs. Mary T.

Burt, Mrs. Ellen L. Tenney, and Mrs. Edgett were made such a committee.

Correspondence was immediately opened with the officers of the agricultural society as to the feasibility of erecting a building on the permanent fair grounds at Syracuse, and shortly after a circular-letter was sent out, asking for contributions for the same. Arrangements were made to commence the work there at once, not waiting for the building to be erected, and the fall of 1890 found our standard raised for the first time on the state fair grounds. The building is not yet accomplished, but with $2,065.99 already set aside for it, it is certainly an a.s.sured fact, and but for the illness of Mrs. Burt would no doubt have been erected during the summer of 1894.

The heroic labors of Mrs. Burt during these years deserve more than a pa.s.sing notice. Upon her rested the burdens of the work. Her courage in encountering difficulties, her patient endurance of fatigue and exposure, and her wonderful executive ability, made her a wonder to all.

The sun has not always shone during the state fair, and through storm and sunshine--mostly storm--she has stood at her post, thinking no sacrifice too great if thereby our cause be advanced. Mrs. Mary D.

Ferguson, of Syracuse, has always stood bravely by, aiding in every way possible.

A paper was issued, called _The Fair White Ribbon_, and fifteen thousand copies distributed freely on the grounds. For two years the paper was edited by Mrs. H. R. Edgett, when, her health failing, Mrs. Ferguson acted as editor and publisher. Advertis.e.m.e.nts were secured by Mrs.

Ferguson, and a handsome profit of $139 was the result the second year, and $147 the third year; while the good accomplished through the presence and efforts of our standard-bearers on the grounds cannot be measured. In 1891 the Department of Coffee Houses was added to the social lines, and Mrs. S. W. Stoddard, of Horseheads, was placed at the head of the department. No change has been made in the superintendency, and a new impetus has been given to this work since it has been made a department.

POLITICAL.

The Woman's Christian Temperance Union has frequently been called a political inst.i.tution. While we smile over the accusation, knowing how small a part woman can occupy in the politics of this country, yet with great earnestness we back up the smile with the thought that when we _are_ a political inst.i.tution--or, more properly speaking, a _voting_ inst.i.tution--the backbone of the liquor power will be broken, _the saloon must go_, and the era of happy hearts and happy homes will be ushered in. That we have always taken an interest in politics is true, and always on the right side. Away back in 1876 we find the following:

_Resolved_, That, in view of the present political crisis, we as Christian women effectively urge upon all voters with whom we have influence that they cast their votes only for total abstinence candidates.

In 1883 our convention received the following telegram from Syracuse:

_To the Woman's Christian Temperance Union of New York State_:

Prohibitory party convention sends greeting. Where you lead with prayers, we will follow with votes.

DWIGHT WILLIAMS, _Chairman of Committee._

The reply sent is found in Joshua i., 9.

The convention of 1884 adopted the following resolution, only twelve voting against it:

_Resolved_, That we express our endors.e.m.e.nt of the action of our beloved president, Miss Willard, and of the national executive committee, in regard to the Prohibition party, as being in harmony with the resolution pa.s.sed in the national convention at Detroit.

In this same year our president attended the nominating convention at Pittsburgh, as delegate from the Prohibition convention.

In 1885, Mrs. Burt in her annual address referred to what is known as the St. Louis resolution, which reads as follows:

We refer to the history of ten years of persistent moral suasion work as fully establishing our claim to be called a non-political society, but one which steadily follows the white banner of prohibition wherever it may be displayed. We have, however, as individuals, always aimed ourselves, in local and state political contests, with those voters whose efforts and ballots have been given to the removal of the dram-shop and its attendant evils, and at this time, while recognizing that our action as a national society is not binding upon states or individuals, we reaffirm the positions taken by the society, both at Louisville in 1882 and at Detroit in 1883, pledging our influence to that party, by whatever name called, which shall furnish us the best embodiment of prohibition principles, and will most surely protect our homes. And as we now know which national party gives as the desired embodiment of the principles for which our ten years' labor has been expended, we will continue to lend our influence to the national political organization which declares in its platform for national prohibition and home protection. In this, as in all progressive effort, we will endeavor to meet argument with argument, misjudgment with patience, denunciation with kindness, and all difficulties and dangers with prayer.

Mrs. Burt adds:

And distasteful though the word "politics" may be to many in connection with our work, we can none of us ignore the fact that the strength of the saloon system, which is an open menace to our homes, is vested in political power....

Political action with regard to woman's temperance work may be decried, our influence as an organization may be withheld, but the fact will remain that the party which boldly declares for the prohibition of the liquor traffic--the men who, standing solemnly before G.o.d, say, "My voice shall be given and my vote shall be cast against the legislation of this iniquity,"--deserves the sympathy, prayers, and influence of all women, and will receive the blessing of G.o.d.

During the years that have followed these eventful ones we have always come up to the standard, and have given no uncertain sound on this question, and in closing this chapter we cannot do better than to quote again from Mrs. Burt's address of 1886:

And in the years to come I believe it will be a fact over which the union will rejoice, that when the battle waged the fiercest, when shot and sh.e.l.l rained the thickest, the Woman's Christian Temperance Union of the state, true to the genius of its organization, stepped boldly forth and extended sympathy and influence to our brothers who were struggling so bravely for the right, saying, "Here I stand--I can do no other; so help me G.o.d."

[Ill.u.s.tration: ELLEN L. TENNEY.]

MRS. ELLEN LEGRO TENNEY.

(TREASURER)

Mrs. Tenney was born in New Hampshire. Early in life she manifested decided literary and musical tastes--in childhood preferring study to play, and books to dolls. Mathematics, music, and the languages were her especial delight; and to these she applied herself with such a.s.siduity that at fourteen Greek, Latin, French, German, Spanish, and Italian had been added to her English course; at sixteen she commenced to play the organ in church.

Mrs. Tenney was not only a graduate of the Rhode Island Normal School, but later a teacher in the same inst.i.tution; she also taught in Elmwood Literary Inst.i.tute, near Concord, N. H., and in Professor Lincoln's Young Ladies' School, in Providence, R.I.

In 1886 she married Professor Jonathan Tenney, Ph.D. Since that time her home has been at Albany, N.Y., where she is surrounded by a wide circle of friends. She is a member of the executive committee of the Congregational Woman's Home Missionary Union of the State of New York, and president of the Hudson River a.s.sociation. In addition to societies of general interest, she has been actively a.s.sociated with the philanthropic, musical, and literary interests of her own city, occupying many positions of trust in connection with them.

At the state convention of the Woman's Christian Temperance Union of New York held at Binghamton in 1886, Mrs. Tenney was elected treasurer of the state organization, and at each successive convention has been re-elected. Her taste for mathematics serves her well in this important relation. As a treasurer she is the peer of any--prompt, reliable, accurate. We never question her figures; the rest of us may make mistakes--the treasurer _never does_. She looks after the minutest details of everything, and to her watchfulness much of the financial prosperity of the state union is due.

In 1889 a widow's sorrow came to Mrs. Tenney by the death of her n.o.ble husband. Two sons survived him--boys of ten and thirteen years, whose education and training since that time have devolved upon her.

Her organ voluntaries at the annual conventions evince a master's skill and delight all who listen.

The Granite State may well be proud of its gifted daughter, and the Empire State, especially the Woman's Christian Temperance Union, rejoices in her possession.