The new Northwest. [volume] (Portland, Or.) 1871-1887, 1876-09-29
STATE TEMPERANCE UNION

SIAlh hhANOh UN1ONE
Many of our readers doubtless re-
member the defiant birth-shout of this
body and the arrogant attitude of its
progenitors upon its stormy natal day.
Determined not to allow a whisper that
should even family advocate the enfran-
chisement of woman in its councils, the
turbulent faction that formed the first
Oregon State Temperance Union, break
ing away from the State Temperance
Alliance, by constitutional enactment
prohibited the representatives of Wom-
an Suffrage societies from acting as del
egates, and as a result which they might
have foreseen, by the same clause ex-
cluded other and earnest practical
workers from their body. Born of blind
fury and unreasoning misrule, Graded
for its first year in the arms of its god
father, J. Quinn Thornton, and fed upon
the unnourishing pap of conceit and
prejudice by E. w. Ryan, chief nurse,
it is small wonder that the pulling bant-
lluR IGdEuGu Lu6 hASJ Va AhS
existence with scarcely sign of life.
Its friends, seeing that the only hope of
prolonging for their charge even brief
existence lay in a change, discharged
nurse and godfather, and attempted to
make the weak creature go alone. This,
by taking years sleep, the puny waif
accomplished, and presenting as bold a
front as circumstances would allow, it
came to its second anniversary, and
even while confessing its pitiful lack of
strength, was saddled by a fanatical
chimera called Temperance party'' and
ridden byTurner, Dimick, ct GL., to state
of ofexhaustion that betokened speedy dis
solution. Debating long upon the mat
ter, its few remaining friends resolved
at length to again attempt to call loud
enough to arouse it from the deep slum-
ber induced by its cruel load and conse-
quent exhaustion, and a late call of its
President brought it face to face with
its third anniversary last week. Look
ing over the meager array of delegates
names, we find not one who at and by
its birth expected to shut out from TEN
perance councils evermore the mention
through the scanty list to discover th'
name of ]. Quinn Thornton, of E. w
Ryan, of Levi Leland, of Wooden, o
Mccain, of Stewart. They and thei
valiant compeers have left the child t.
blended, it would have long sine
been defunct but for the kind offices @
those froa whom in the first place dis
organizers sought to dissever it. Now
however, it became apparent that
could not much longer drag out an ex
istence as miserable as useless unles
some vital principle could be injecte
into its veins, and a pitying friend pre-
posed the following resolution, whic
was adopted:
Resolved, That since the women of our sta
are the greatest sufferers from the liquor ira
fic, are taxed TO repair the damages resultiT
therefrom, and governed without any partiC
patton and consent and since this is tyrann
and since the ballot must be ultimately ust
for its suppression, the question of its prohit
ton should be submitted to all adult citizel
ofthe State, irrespective of sex.
Another, taking courage from th
progressive sign, seeing in its year
dwindling vitality the necessity tn
existed for returning the spent al
detected Union to the home of its pa
ent, and judging that the punishme
for unruly conduct had been protract
to the extent of the wayWard ones e
durance, offered the following:
Resolved, That the President and DirectC
of this Union be instructed to confer with I
President and Executive Committee of {
Oregon State Temperance Alliance in regard
the expediency of uniting the two organi
1ions, merging the Union into the Allan
upon the most favorable terms possible.
We hope the example here furnish
will be sufficient to convince all IL
temperance work which ignores and {
rides the efforts of women and their
mand for the ballot that they may ;
in the suppression of the evil of inte
perance, is worse than useless, and "
after brief season of spasmodic STR
gle, cover its projectors with humil
tion and discontinue. The lesson is
plain that he who runs may read, 8
its import is unmistakable.
We call the attention of cur friel
generally and agents particularly to
fact that the Iong-promised ser
dtEdnn q nd Inhn % hanina iks nnt1ren