he educational work of the Woman's Christian Temperance Union has been one of its prominent sources of usefulness. The trend of so many departments has been along this line, that to enter into the details of each would exceed the limit of this historical record.
"Teach it to thy children."
In a memorial presented to the state legislature in 1877 appeared a clause asking that it be made obligatory by law for all teachers to instruct their pupils in temperance. This was the inception of the Scientific Temperance Instruction Department of the New York State Woman's Christian Temperance Union.
This was made a regular department of work in 1880, with Mrs. Mary T. Burt as superintendent. Mrs. E. H. Griffith, of Fairport, succeeded her the following year and laid some foundation for the work. Miss Elizabeth W. Greenwood, of Brooklyn, then became superintendent, continuing as such from 1882 to 1886, and to her must be accorded the honor of doing the hard work of the department. Her preliminary work consisted in visiting and presenting the subject before the various normal schools of the state. This aroused public interest and created a sentiment which made the subsequent work comparatively easy. At the convention held at Poughkeepsie in 1883 it was decided to make the securing of a scientific temperance instruction law a leading line of work for the ensuing year, and Mrs. Mary H. Hunt, of Boston, national superintendent, was invited to assist the state superintendent in the campaign.
This was faithfully done. And what of the result? In spite of opposition and discouragement, after six months of unparalleled labor came the greatest temperance victory the state had ever gained—the passage of the scientific temperance education law. The money for carrying on this expensive campaign was secured largely through the personal solicitation of Miss Greenwood and the secretary of the department, Mrs. C.C. Alford, of Brooklyn.
After this law was enacted the state superintendent of public instruction delayed the introduction of new text-books (which, if introduced, must remain five years) until the books then under revision, and to be endorsed by the Woman's Christian Temperance Union, were ready. The first books introduced were Professor Steele's "Hygiene and Physiology," Mrs. Hunt's "Hygiene for Young People," and the "Child's Health Primer." Mrs. G.M. Gardenier, of Oswego, gave the first public scientific temperance lesson after the passage of the law at Round Lake, July 5, 1884; subject, "Alcohol and the Brain." This was during a series of meetings held under the auspices of the state organization.
In 1886 Mrs. Marion S. Tifft, of Pine Valley, succeeded Miss Greenwood, serving two years. In 1889 Mrs. Lytie Perkins Davies was made superintendent, faithfully performing the duties and advancing the work until 1894.
In 1888 "Higher Education" was made a department of work, Mrs. Anna E. Rice and Miss Julia E. Dailey each serving one year as superintendent, when the department was merged with that of Scientific Temperance Instruction. "Commission of Inquiry and Statistics of the Liquor Traffic" was made a department of state work in 1880, and continued until 1887. It had three superintendents—Mrs. Horace Eaton, of Palmyra, who served one year; Mrs. A. G. Nichols, of Kingston, was her successor, serving two years; and Mrs. A. T. Stewart, of Peekskill, who retained the superintendency four years. Statistics are called dry, but these faithful women did not find them so. Mrs. Nichols said in reference to her report of the department: "A wail as of a lost spirit goes surging through it; moans of woe sound through it; tears and blood flow through it."
"Touch not, taste not, handle not."