The Dillon tribune., 1884-07-05
The W. c. T. L. Before the Republican
National Convention.

Several prohibition memorials were pre-
scented to the Republican National Con.
vention, and hearing was obtained before
the Committee on Resolutions. Senator
Blair, Of New Hampshire, made an elo-
quent and cogent appeal in behalf the w
&. L. T., followed by Miss Willard, a brief
extract from whose address is here given
"Gentlemen: The temperance women
| Of America have never before asked tor
one moment of you time. Thousands OF
them have worked and prayed for your
! success in the heroic days gone BY, but ~.
to this hour they Lave laid no tax on the
attention of the peoples representa-, es in
convention assembled. But, though the
position is new one, l can not count my
self other than at home in your presence,
gentlemen, as YOU represent that great par.
ty which, on the prairies of Wisconsin, my
honored father helped to build, and whose
early motto aroused my girli>h enthusiasm
Free soil, free speech, free labor, and free
men, But rejoice to-day in the sister, .
hood Of the woman's party, and am here
as the delegated representative Of the Wo-
mans Christian Temperance Union Of for.
ty-eight States and Territories to present
to your thought the memorial Of the Amer
lean home against the American saloon.
You will notice that we work quite
directly against an institution that derives
its authority from our own Government.
Our society stands not only for total alb
stinence and prohibition but for no secta
rianism in religion, or sectionalism in poll
tics, no sex in citizenship-a society as well
known in Florida as it is in Oregon, and
has an open hand for the Catholic as for
the Protestant, for the foreign as we'll as
the native born.
1--WE known that in America the great
changing will Of government turns out
just one product, and that is a protection
tor life and limb and property. But it
seems to US women that the citidal Of puri-
ty and liberty, the home, our brothers have
forgotten adequately to protect. Therefore
l am here to-day to speak on behalf Of mil
lions of women, good and true, but grieved
and sorrowful, to ask that the safeguards of
law shall be stripped from the saloons of
my country; that their gold shall no longer
pollute our treasury, and that the land we
love shall at once and forever 60 out OF
with the liquor traffic.
"Gentlenr n, some party will respond to
this plea. Some party will declare that
when our beloved go forth into LIES battle
they shall not have to take chances in the
fight for clear brain, nor run the gauntlet
of saloons legalized and set along our
streets. Some party will take to heart this
lesson Of the Nations annual drink bill,
with its nine hundred millions of dollars
for intoxicating liquors to five millions for
the spread Of Christ's gospel. have no
harsh word to speak Of any. The liquor
traffic is the heritage Of less wise, less
kind and less enlightened past. For its ex-
i>tence in this gentler age 7ue are more or
less RESPONSIBLE Some of US have sung
the Marian song Of this great party in other
DAYS. Whether we shall chant its requiem
depends upon whether it shall be as true
to living issues of the present, as it was to
living issues Of the past"