CHAPTER IV.

OUR CANADIAN W. C. T. U.

History and Present Condition.

ONTARIO.

The first union in Canada, of which we have any record, was formed in Owen Sound, Ont. In the spring of 1874, shortly after the first note of the crusade had been sounded, a few earnest Christian ladies of that place, stirred by the report of what God was doing through their sisters in the Western States, meet to devise some plan, by which they could do something if not to prevent, at least to lessen the evils of intemperance in their town. At this meeting, held on the 20th of May, a W. C. T. U. was organized under the presidency of Mrs. Doyle. The first work done by this Union was the general circulation of the pledge, and petitioning the council against granting saloon licenses, also asking that the number of tavern licenses be lessened, which request was granted. Petitions were also sent to the legislature at Toronto, asking for amendments to the license act, and the resolution to submit the Dunkin act to the people of that county was the result of the persistent efforts of the W. C. T. U. In the campaign for this purpose these ladies nobly assisted and stood side by side with other and older temperance organizations laboring for the general good.

Picton Union was formed in the autumn of the same year, and the ladies of that Union aided largely in securing the passage of the Dunkin act in that county (P. E.). From this time unions were formed here and there, but there was no bond of union, no provincial society for Ontario until, in 1877, October 23rd and 24th, a conference of the existing unions was held in Toronto, and it was there decided to organize a Provincial Woman's Christian Temperance Union. Delegates were present from twenty-five unions, more than two-thirds of the local unions thus showing their interest in the object for which they had met. At this conference Mrs. Letitia Youmans presided, and at its close the officers elected were: President, Mrs. L. Youmans; Vice- presidents, one from each county; Cor. Sec., Miss Phelps, St. Catharines; Rec. Sec., Miss Alien, Kingston; Treasurer Mrs. Judge Jones, Brantford. For five years Mrs.

Youmans was the beloved president of this provincial union, during which time she travelled extensively through Ontario, Quebec and the Maritime Provinces (as well as in the United States), organizing unions, and doing very much by her earnest and eloquent addresses to convince the public mind of the unrighteousness of the liquor traffic, and the necessity for its overthrow.

During the last few years Ontario has shared in the general growth of temperance sentiment, and in common with other temperance organizations the W. C. T. U.has received an increase in membership, and has obtained a surer, warmer place in the hearts of the people. Recently, owing, no doubt, to the agitation of the Scott Act contest in many counties, and owing, too, to the earnestness and energy of many of the county superintendents of the Provincial Union, the number of societies has been more than doubled. The Ontario Provincial Union now comprises ninety-six unions, with a membership of about 2,600. The attention of this Provincial Union has been largely directed to the importance of introducing scientific instruction in our public schools. Dr. Richardson's "Temperance Lesson Book," and other text books on this subject, have been widely circulated in teachers' conventions and elsewhere; petitions have been presented to school boards, literature on the subject has been widely distributed, and during the spring months, while the Hon. Minister of Education was visiting the public schools at different points, he was waited upon in many places by deputations from the W. C. T.

Unions, asking that temperance text books be introduced into the schools of Ontario.

The committee to whose care this branch of the work is committed, also had an interview with Hon. Mr. Ross, Minister of Education, and presented a petition from the W. C. T. Unions, and other temperance societies, asking that scientific instruction in temperance be given to the children of the public schools. The Hon. Minister informed the deputation that a book on "Physiology and Hygiene," having special reference to the effect of alcohol on the human system, was now in course of preparation, and would be introduced in the course of study for next year.

Medical conventions and assemblies have been approached, and correspondence had with synods, conferences and assemblies, on the medical uses of alcohol, and the use of the unfermented juice of the grape at the Lord's table. Many thousands of tracts have been sent out from the literature department of this Union (which department is just in its infancy), and a large number of newspapers supplied regularly with temperance items.

General Officers of the Ontario W. C. T. U.—President, Mrs. A.

Chisholm, 218 Albert Street, Ottawa; Ex-President, Mrs. Letitia

Youmans, Picton; First Vice-President, Mrs. Tilton, Ottawa; Second

Vice-President, Mrs. Cowan, Toronto; Recording Secretary, Miss

Orchard, Galt; Corresponding Secretary, Mrs. Fawcett, Maple;

Treasurer, Mrs. Brethour, Milton.

Three Y. W. C. T. Unions in Ontario, at Hamilton, Ottawa, and Essex Centre, are doing good work in this temperance warfare. "Boys' night schools," "girls' sewing schools," and "bands of hope" are successfully carried on under their supervision. There are eleven departments of work in connection with this provincial union, corresponding to some of those so successfully controlled by the N. W. C. T. U.

Plan of Work and Lecture Department, Mrs. Tilton, Convener.

Literature, Mrs. Pratt, Convener, Hamilton.

Prison and Jail Work, Mrs. Rutherford, Convener, Toronto.

Legislative, Mrs. Youmans, Picton.

Press, Miss M. Phelps, Convener, St. Catharines.

Unfermented Wine at the Lord's table. Miss Wilmot, Convener, Milton.

County Fairs.

S. S. Temperance Work and Juvenile Unions, Mrs. Andrews, Convener.

Presenting Claims of Temperance to Influential Bodies, Mrs. M.

Fawcett, Maple.

Scientific Instruction in Temperance, Miss Orchard, Owen Sound.

Y. W. C. T. U. Work, Miss Scott, Ottawa.

QUEBEC.

In the year 1877, a W. C. T. U. was organized at Stanstead, P. Q., by Mrs. Charles W. Pierce, of Boston, who, for a few months, also filled the office of president. This Union was composed of members from three villages, viz.: Stanstead Plain, Rock Island, P. Q., and Derby Line, Vermont. Public meetings were held from time to time by this Union, prominent lecturers engaged, and a lively interest in temperance matters was manifested by the general public. Very much of the success of this Union is due to the counsel and instruction given by Miss Willard during her visit to Stanstead in 1878.

The next Union formed was the Huntingdon Union, but it was not until the winter of 1882-83 that the W. C. T. U. work may be said to have gained a foothold in this Province. During this winter, Mrs. Youmans visited many places in the Province by invitation of the late Rev. Thomas Gales and prominent Christian ladies, giving public addresses and urging the ladies to more active work in this particular branch of Christian endeavor. The result of her labors was the formation of sixteen Unions and a general quickening and awakening to temperance truth.

These Unions were soon at work. The education of the children in temperance principles received their special attention. Public temperance meetings were promoted, literature distributed, free reading rooms established, petitions circulated against license, temperance picnics, cottage and other meetings held, and a great amount of individual work done that has greatly aided and strengthened the cause of temperance in the Province. A Y. W. C. T. U. was formed at Point St. Charles, which is engaged in active work and will be found to be a social power whose weight and influence for good cannot well be estimated.

On the 16th and 17th October, 1883, a meeting of delegates from

local Unions was held in Montreal for the purpose of organizing a

Provincial Union for the Province of Quebec. Thirty-five delegates

were present; encouraging reports were given from the different

Unions represented, showing a total membership of about 1,000, and a

Provincial Union was at once organized with the following officers:—

President, Mrs. Middleton, Quebec; first Vice-President, Mrs. Dunkin,

Knowlton; second Vice-President, Mrs. Walker, Montreal; Corresponding

Secretary. Miss Lamb, Quebec; Recording Secretary, Mrs. R. W.

McLachlan, Montreal; Treasurer, Mrs. A. M. McKenzie Forbes, Montreal.

In the organization of this Provincial Union, Mrs. E. McLaughlin, of

Boston, Miss Anna Gordon (Miss Willard's secretary) and Mrs. S. W.

Foster, of Knowlton, rendered valuable assistance.

The departments of work arranged by this Provincial Union, are as follows:—

Heredity and Hygiene, Mrs. D. V. Lucas, Supt., Montreal.

Scientific Work, Mrs. Norton, Montreal.

Juvenile and S. S. Work, Miss Rhynas, Montreal.

Temperance Literature, and Influencing the Press, Mrs. Jack,

Chateauguay Basin.

Evangelistic Work, Miss Knowles, East Farnham.

Prison and Police Work, Mrs. Dean, Quebec.

Work among Intemperate Women, Mrs. Barker, Knowlton.

Social Work, Mrs. C. T. Williams, Montreal.

Legislation, Mrs. Geggie, Quebec.

Each County Vice-President is, to a certain extent, responsible for the work in her county, and in this Province as well as in Ontario, they have proved themselves to be a band of faithful and efficient workers. In the short time which has elapsed since the formation of the Provincial W. C. T. U., and the election of county vice-president, with the assistance of their president, twenty new Unions have been added, making, in all, thirty-seven Unions, with a total membership of about 2,300. Of this number, more than 1,300 are in the City of Montreal. In this particular Union the fee is optional, which may account, in some measure, for the seeming disproportion in members.