The new Northwest. [volume] (Portland, Or.) 1871-1887, 1879-04-10
History Of the Home Protection Petition.

The home protection petition was or
ue!ed at the annual meeting of the Illi-
nNls Noman's Christian Temperance
Union at Monmouth, October 10, 1873.
lt was drafted by Miss Willard CUith
the exception Of the legal portion v,bici,
was furnished by Lawyer W. p RIack
Of Chicago, aud was accepted Decen1, :,
Der D, 10y the executive committee of
the State Union. The first meeting at
which it was presented was held bv
Miss Willard at GeneseO, December Is
but the petition was not ia the hands of
the public until after the holidays. les.
than one thousand names wer. OH
tained before January ], and all peti-
tiOns were called i'm March !; so tbat
the entire work Of securing the one
hundred and ten thousand names covers
a space Of about nine weeks. That a
response 80 general should have been
made within time so brief shows mot
only great energy on the part of tenn
perauce women, Christian ministers
and reformed men (for these three
classes have mainly done the canvass
ing,) but shows also the strength of
sentiment iu favor OF woman's tenper-
ance ballot in Illinois. The canvass
was in Chicago largely confined TO pub
I lie meetings. Ia Peoria, Rockford and
several Of the large towns % was from
I house To house, while in smaller towns
I las Strestorl and in many villages
luotabiy Delevanl it was most thor
uughly done. Iu Carthage, mainly
through the efforts of one woman, the
names Of ,057 persons of legal age were
obtained out of a population of $500.
/ This Is only fair sample Of what equal
faithfuluess would have achieved ia
most towns Of the State. The educa-
tional effect of such a canvass can hardly
be over estimated. IL clarifies individual
opinion aui solidifies public sentiment.
IL compels "a vast amount Of thought
and discussion, and leads 20 "taking
Sides" thus translating great numbers
out OF indifference into that arrest OF
opinion known as decision.
Tue signatures to the petition are
pasted on strong white muslin.
eighteen inches wide, bound on the
/ right with red aud on the left with blue
ribbon, in compliment 10 the two wings
I OF the reform movement in the State:
the color Of the petition itself symbol
iZes the wOman's movement, and the
I three indicating the national colOrs.
which are being so rapidly allied to the
total abstinence cause. The length o
the petition is about $50 feet, aud il ha.
/ an average Of four signatures to eacl
/ line. II there were but one signatur,
on each line, the length would be 6Ol
/ feet lOr about $50 yards. There ar,
I fifty thousand names of Illinois voter
on the list, which represent over 45(
I towns and every Congressional Distric
in the State. The weight Of the peti
tion Is fifty-siX pounds. IL was pre-
I senied 10 the legislature March 9th by
seventeen ladies representing all part.
Of the State. The following are theil
names: Miss Francis Willard, presi.
[ dent OF the W. {. I. L., Illinois; Mrs
I I. B. Carse, president OF Chicago W. c.
I +. L ; Mrs. l. \. Hagans, Mrs. Will.
y. Barnes, Mrs. c. II. Case, all of Chi.
cago; Mrs. Prof Fry, Of Bloomington;
Mrs. C.. II. 81. John, OF Eureka; Mrs. NJ.
ii. Niliars, Of Pana; Miss Mary \.
West, Of Galesburg; Mrs. +. w. Kirk
patrick, of Monmouth; Mis-. II. A.
Calkins and Mrs. Z. Hiben, Of Peoria;
Mrs. NJ. /. Wells and Mrs. r. Beach,
Of Springfield. Mrs. J. +. Foster, OF
Clinton, Iowa, the gifted lady lawyer,
was present by invitation, aud presented
the legal aspects Of the case. Miss Anna
Gordon Miss Willard's private secre-
Aeig hHA tutllt SUPERVISION OF seuUluE
out the petition, and putting IL together,
quite a Herculean task. Prominent
business men Of Chicago, chief Of whom
was r. J. Fowler, Esq, furnished the
fund for postage, printing and amanu-
enses. On the evening previous to the
formal presentation OF the petition, "a
mass meeting was held iu tie hall Of
the House Of Representatives, at which
time the entire hall was festocued in
graceful folds with the petition. The
formal presentation was made 10 the
House ou behalf 90 the ladies. by Dem
ocrat, Judge Hiuds, of Freeport, Zoo an
able speech, and three Of Tire lat es. Miss
Willard, Mrs. Foster and Mrs s.. John,
addressed the House 40 its regular ses-
sion by invitation, upon the motion of
Hon :. Hopkins. Republican, this
being the first time he honor has ever
been enjoyed 10y laG.ss. A93ut April
%, the ladies viii retE.n with fifty
thousand nrw names aud uresent them
10 the Seu1tr. Tas is 3ole by advice
of prominent members of the leg c'sla-
ture.-NDyHQfe'C Stc.c JJa1TE