The new Northwest. [volume] (Portland, Or.) 1871-1887, 1874-06-26
LADIES' TEMPERANCE ALLIANCE

LADIES' TEMPERANCE ALLIANCE.
This secret society, which dares not
meet with open doors lest some of that
despised class Of religious zealots who
followed Jesus in the mission for which
He was crucified by conservatives,
this respectable society, consisting of
sixteen Members and five officers, whose
committee 'couldn'tagree" when partly
composed Of few ladies known to be in
sympathy with the crusaders, and so ''ad-
journed" to get committee of its own;
this nice Alliance has succeeded i'm get
ting an ordinance passed by the City
Council which DEGREES ''that no license
shall be issued TO any woman; that no
girl or woman be allowed to sell liquor
under any license whatever, and all
traffic in intoxicating liquor in rooms or
places of immoral character or i'll repute
be strictly prohibited" In presenting
this petition to the City Council these
ladies have acted very sensibly and in
accordance with our suggestion made
in the Presbyterian Church more than
three months ago, when Brother Izer
was so frightened lest we might do
something to dim Gods glory, that he
distinguished and well nigh extin-
guished himself by opposing ms. 1t may
be that the Alliance felt Itself compelled
to work secretly In order to have oppoi-
tnnity to work before the Council at all,
but we feel strong conviction that
open fight is always better than secret
strategy, and for this reason We are
sorry that they have shut off from their
councils that freedom OF speech and
conscience and that opportunity to
courteously discuss all methods OF ac-
tion, through which the whole commu-
nityscan alone expect to be righteously
represented
The petition Of the sixteen members
and five officers has already received
definite attention from the Council, but
another petition, far more comprehen-
sive and important, though backed by
two thousand signatures, has been Gin
definitely postponed"
Now, why is this ?
Here are some Of the reasons: First
The City Fathers are, as a majority,
opposed to temperance, and they are
not going TO listen to such propositions
AS are liable to injure the liquor traffic.
SecOnd-They are compelled, by the
pressure of the crusaders movement, to
make show OF doing something.
Had the sixteen members and five
officers who composed the august GAL
lance" presented their petition three
months ago it would have been treated
with silent contempt Third-The or
dinance Just passed is, and tCiU be, till the
aOome,l are UOtezs, nothing but dead
letter. 1t operates to drive the few
chaste women, who are compelled TO
work in saloons for livelihood, into
prostitution, and this is its only conse-
quence.
Women occupy those dens because il
pleases the rioters to have them there.
and women Of all classes are at the
mercy Of the purse-holding half of the
race.
But We feel that in this temperanc,
movement it is far better to act, in G
degree, nnwisely than not to act at ali
for good In some shape always comes o.
agitation.
We believe the ladies who compose
the alliance" are conscientious in
what they have attempted, and we, al
all times, recognize the liberty OF con-
science in all things, but we contend
that liquor selling is just as wrong iu
men as in women, and we are surprised
to see them joining men in making un-
just discrimination in favor Of men in
any kind Of iniquity. And until women
everywhere learn that it is not the sex
OF the sinner but the character OF the sin
which Is reprehensible, they need not
wonder that wickedness walks the
streets unpunished, and that llcentious-
ness Of every kind stalks forth at noon
day.