was on their side. A few temperance
speakers came from distant places, and held many interesting meetings
in different parts of the county, but perhaps the most efficient work
was done by people living in the county, who in many cases seemed to
possess greater influence than strangers could exert. Mr. J. W.
Alexander, at that time Principal of the Sutton Model School, added
more recruits to the ranks of earnest workers by organizing a number
of his pupils with a few other young people into a band which, under
the name of the "Young People's Temperance Crusaders," did good work
during the ensuing weeks. Older workers were admitted into the society
as honorary members, and the officers were chosen from among these.
One of the honorary members was Mr. W. W. Smith, who was also one of
the Committee appointed to accompany the younger members and aid them
in their meetings, and no one worked harder to retain the Scott Act
than he. He took an active part in nearly every Crusade meeting, and
on evenings, when the Crusaders were not thus employed, held other
temperance meetings, thus occupying nearly every night during three or
four weeks in the heat of the campaign. Not content with this, he
worked and argued by day as well, and, associating his work with
prayer, did not cease from his efforts until, on June 16th, 1893, the
polls were closed and the victory for God and the temperance cause was
won. The hotel-keepers and their confederates had gained that for
which their petition has asked, but plainly they were far from
satisfied with the result of the contest, and many were the curses
pronounced upon Mr. Smith as one of the most active opposers of their
cherished plans. Now the vote against them was greater than ever
before, yet they were not content to abide by the voice of the people
which they had seemed so anxious to obtain, but practiced the illegal
sale of alcoholic drinks until nearly, if not quite, every
hotel-keeper in the County of Brome was known to be boldly and
frequently breaking the law. A great cry of the liquor men while
attempting to repeal this law had been "The Scott Act is all right if
you would only enforce it; we don't want a law which is not carried
out," and it was now the wish of those who had sustained the Act to
prevent any further complaints like this. Therefore, on the evening
of Feb. 26th, 1894, a public meeting was held in Sutton to discuss the
circumstances and form plans for work, and at the cl