"Woman is ordained to lead the vanguard of this great movement until the American public is borne across the abysmal transition from the superstitious notion that alcohol is food' to the scientific fact that alcohol is poison; from the pusillanimous concession that 'intemperance is a great evil' to the responsible conviction that the liquor-traffic is a crime."

In the first year of its history the Woman's National Christian Temperance Union added six State organizations to its numbers, including scores of local Unions; sent out copies of its plan of work to all parts of the country; established as its organ a monthly paper called the Woman's Temperance Union, published by Mrs. Wittenmyer and edited by Mrs. Willing, with Mrs. Johnson and Miss Willard as corresponding editors; sent a memorial and deputation of women to Congress, asking for enquiry and legislation in regard to the liquor-traffic, having gathered up hundreds of thousands of signatures to this memorial through the efforts. of its local Unions; issued a pamphlet of "Hints and Helps" concerning methods of work; and by these and many other means established itself upon a firm footing among the active and efficient agencies for the extermination of the liquor-traffic. Its first annual meeting was held in St. Paul's M. E. Church, Cincinnati, November 17, 18, 19, 1875. Delegates from twenty-two States furnished their credentials. The following extracts from the report of the Corresponding Secretary give further details of the work accomplished during the first year :

FIRST ANNUAL REPORT OF THE CORRESPONDING SECRETARY OF THE W. N. C. T. UNION.

To-day we reach a milestone in our slow but steadfast march towards victory. On this sacred battle-ground of the crusade, the procession of States pauses for roll-call. In stately Senate chamber and on heroic field their dear familiar names, "from Maine to California,” have thrilled the ears of patriots in the glorious days of old. The hurrying crowd would smile to hear it said-if, indeed, the utterance should gain its ear at all-that never did the sisterhood of States pass in review on an occasion more full of inspiration and hope than at this quiet hour and in this solemn place, where for the sake of cross and flag we meet to

pray. But history shall yet bear witness that the enthusiasm of the prediction has crystallized into the blessed fact of its fulfilment. We first call

MAINE,

which long ago achieved for its time-honored motto, "I direct," the proud significance of leading, where the Union yet shall follow, into the safe harbor of prohibitory law. On the 21st of August, at the second National Temperance camp-meeting held at Orchard Beach, the women of Maine organized a State Union, auxiliary to our own. Much substantial work had already been done by local Unions in Bangor, Portland, Saco, Biddeford, and elsewhere. In a State where the General Government supplies all the liquors for medical and mechanical purposes, where no distilleries are tolerated, and where a prohibitory law is as thoroughly enforced as are the laws against stealing and murder, the work of our Unions is to train the embryo voters (and companions of voters) in the way they should go, and to leaven more and more the lump of public sentiment. The State Secretary, Miss Gaines, of Saco, writes: "I regret exceedingly that we must report at this early stage of our existence, when we do not know precisely how we stand, as many of our societies are just reorganizing; there are, however, woman's temperance societies in nearly every town all through the State of Maine."

NEW HAMPSHIRE

organized at Concord one year ago, and held its first annual meeting at the same place October 28. Four auxiliaries were reported-at Concord, Manchester, Portsmouth, and Dover. "Each of them," writes the Corresponding Secretary, Mrs. O. W. Scott, "was formed through the persistence of a faithful few; but with the Reform Clubs as allies, and public sentiment gradually increasing in their favor, there seems to be some encouragement for the future. Still, it must be confessed there appears to be but one subject that can thoroughly arouse New Hampshire, and that is politics. During a political campaign," continues the Secretary, “that State can dispose of as much rum, create as large a cloud of smoke, and expectorate as much tobacco-juice as any other in the Union; and for years the temperance cause has been mixed with politics, kicked back and forth like a foot-ball between the two great parties, bought and sold and cheated, until it has become in some circles a by-word and reproach. In Portsmouth, our principal seaport town, the Hon. () Frank Jones, Representative in Congress from this district, runs a brewery and was also a representative at the 'Congress' of beermakers! The possibility of electing such a man to office shows a demoralized public sentiment. It may be said that all this ought not to affect the formation of societies among the women; but it does. There has been some saloon-visiting in one or two towns; in Manchester there are seven hundred children in a juvenile society, and the ladies have

started a Reform Club; in Portsmouth efforts are made to help the sailors to reform, and to assist the destitute families of inebriates. In the Dover Union, just organized, a good work is planned."

VERMONT,

through the efforts of our indefatigable Vice-President, Mrs. Havens, held a Convention in Montpelier on the 17th of February last. The published announcement assigns these reasons for women's work: "The Master's Call," "The Hour's Need," "Christian Indifference," "Satan's Persistence." This Convention, and the annual meeting held in Rutland September 28, were well attended. There are at present ten local Unions in the State, eight of them auxiliary, and numbering 520 members, besides nineteen "individual members," the reason for this latter class of membership being to give persons living where there is no Union an opportunity to identify themselves with the State Union by endorsing the constitution and paying the annual fee into its treasury. Mrs. Havens's report has these words: "There has been much prayerful thinking done this year upon this subject by the women of Vermont. There is, however, a general lamentation that we have not accomplished more, but I feel that we are preparing for a successful conflict. You of the West are accustomed to such immense territory, you cannot have a very correct idea of our small State, with fourteen counties, while Illinois has one hundred and four. We are learning all the time, and I only wish I could express a tithe of what I feel and know of our steady advance in interest, that I might encourage others."

MASSACHUSETTS.

The Massachusetts Woman's Christian Temperance Union was organized in Boston Nov. 12, 1874. There are eighteen local Unions, twelve auxiliary to the State. The second Convention was held at Boston April 24, 1875, the third at Fitchburg June 10 and 11, 1875, all of which have been enthusiastic and profitable. Reports from the local Unions of their labors and successes are inspiring, There is deep consecration to the work, steady courage, and unfaltering trust in Him who is the great leader. Juvenile organizations, Reform Clubs, Friendly Inns-all largely claim attention, with cheering results. There are many interesting reports from the various Unions of Massachusetts, particularly one from Worcester, where the work began. It has gone on with power. There is a large, interesting work among the firemen; coffee is furnished at the time of fires. The saloon-work has been carried on by a few ladies; 250 visits are reported from November, 1874, to May, 1875.

RHODE ISLAND

organized a State Union in January last, and held a second meeting in May. There are four auxiliaries, with an aggregate membership of 154. The ladies of Providence have had weekly prayer-meetings, and have

circulated a petition for the suppression of the liquor-traffic, which received the signatures of ten thousand women. A delegation of ladies carried this before the Legislature, and the prayer was granted; but the prohibitory law was repealed when the new State officers came into power. "So," writes the Vice-President, "the work of going over the same ground is left for us, and this we hope successfully to accomplish during the winter." Evidently "Hope," the motto of "Little Rhody," expresses the spirit of its Woman's Temperance Union.

CONNECTICUT

has also a State Union, with auxiliaries all throughout the State. Its ladies have done much to influence elections by their prayers and by using the right of petition. "No license" has been the decision at repeated elections, as a result of the following petition signed by hundreds of women:

"To the voters of

:

"We, your sisters, wives, and mothers, earnestly pray you, our brothers, husbands, sons, and legal protectors, to defend our hearths and homes from the desolations of the rum-traffic by voting 'No license.'"

Remembering how difficult is the first step, and how decisive is that step when once taken, we congratulate the Union on the fact that a beginning has been made in every Eastern State. One of our most active workers thus sums up the condition of affairs: "The work is all so new, and we are naturally so conservative, that it will take time and vigorous effort to bring us all out, but I know we shall work well when once fairly embarked. I can see a decided improvement already, and I well know there are earnest, loving hearts enlisted all through New England."

NEW YORK

organized a State Union October 14, 1874-being among the earliest in the field. Twenty-six Congressional districts were represented at the first meeting. It was agreed to hold a State Convention quarterly. The second met at Brooklyn, in February; the third in May, at Buffalo; the fourth, and first annual meeting, at Ilion, in October. The work is to be presented to every town and village in the State, during the coming year, by Mrs. Swanson, of Brooklyn, a faithful worker, appointed, with others, for that purpose.

Arrangements are made for organizing Juvenile Unions, and several are now in successful operation. Reports were received from twenty auxiliaries; there are thirty-nine already organized. Some effort has been made to secure the enforcement of law, but prayer and moral suasion have been the weapons chiefly used. Friendly Inns or coffeerooms have been established and are sustained in Brooklyn, Syracuse, Rochester, and several other places. Saloon-visiting has been carried on more or less in many of the cities and villages. Brooklyn has taken

the lead in this branch of work, and over twenty-five hundred saloon visits have been made, and the Bible and temperance literature freely distributed. In fourteen months 1,010 saloons have been closed, and 326 saloon-keepers now close on the Sabbath day in that city. The daily prayer-meetings have been held in different parts of Brooklyn, and Gospel temperance-meetings in jails, inebriate asylums, at Fort Hamilton, on the receiving-ships, and in private houses. New York City has done much. Gospel temperance-meetings have been held every Sabbath evening in Water Street, and daily meetings in the hall of the Young Men's Christian Association. Meetings also in Hopper House, the Magdalen Asylum, the Tombs, and Bellevue Hospital. Saloon-visiting has been kept up, about 1,000 saloons having been visited in the past year. It is stated upon good authority that 3,000 have closed their doors in New York this year. (For other interesting detailed accounts, see report of our Vice-President, Mrs. L. M. Kenyon, of Buffalo, which closes with these words: "We women of New York shall hold our standard firm until our enemies cannot choose but see it. Petitions will flood our Capitol, and communities will feel the work of women strong in the faith.")

NEW JERSEY

has been prominent in the rescue department of our work, and its Gospel temperance meetings and Reform Clubs have brought a blessing to many homes and hearts. The number of local auxiliaries is ten. There are, besides, several large Juvenile Unions. All the local Unions have weekly prayer-meetings, and Newark has sustained a daily prayermeeting for nine months, also a Sabbath-school and a Home for reformed men. In some towns the ladies have held all-day prayer-meetings on election day, and in several cases where this has been done the elections have been for two years carried in favor of "No license."

PENNSYLVANIA.

When the Vice-President, Mrs. Fanny D. B. Chase, entered upon the labors of her office one year ago, she found the crusaders at work in the largest cities of the State, and nearly thirty societies of women already crganized. The first State Convention was held in Philadelphia in March. In connection with this Convention, strenuous efforts were made to influence the legislators against the repeal of the local option law. A delegation from the Convention was admitted to a hearing before the Committee on "Vice and Immorality," and also waited upon the Governor, to whom an eloquent appeal was made on behalf of the delegation by Mrs. Wittenmyer, urging him to withhold his signature from the bill. "Our efforts," says Mrs. Chase, "proved fruitless, and a law adopted by two-thirds of the counties of the State, with the understanding that it should have a fair trial for three years, went down within two years after its passage." But defeat has evidently been but a spur