Orleans County monitor. [volume] (Barton, Vt.) 1872-1953, 1885-11-02

the question of License or No Ii
cense.
In twelve towns of our state, by
the efforts of the w. G. I. u, this
ordinance was made law. In each
of these twelve towns, the combined
vote of the order loving men and
women carried the day for no license.
In only one of these towns was it
considered that the same end might
have been gained without the aid of
women. But all of these towns were
small villages, and it was argued by
our we'll meaning opposers, ''This
sort of thing may do for a village,
but it would never work in cities. -
Then we prayed God for a demon
stration of its power in cities, and
soon the w. G. T. U. of Rockford,
Ills, a city of $4,000 inhabitants,
announced that the experiment would
be tried at the spring election.
[ wish there were more space here
to tell of the heroic persistence of
the women of Rockford, of their pa
tient tramp from house to house and
street to street for signatures to their
petition, of their successful suit with
the City Fathers, of their efforts on
election day. There were places of
rendezvous in every precinct, where
the timid women might rally, and
from which they might go to the
polls in company; there were car
riaees to bring the sick, infrm and
aged women; and then a bevy of
fair young girls, not old enough to
vote, but anxious to do somewhat
for the great issue of the day, said,
'We will 60 to the homes where
there are little babies, that their
mothers may 60 to the polls" There
were women of fashion and social
leadership who drove through the
streets all day, bringing women vot-
ers to the ballot-boxes, their car
riages placarded with such legends
as "Vote for Home Protection, -
"Vote for your Homes this day."
There were strong cries and and tears
in many home for success of No
License, and mothers pleaded with
sons, wives with husbands, and
daughters with their fathers, that
every ballot might be a vote for the
safety of the street, the school. the
church, and the home. In every
voting-place there were two ballot
hoXes-one for the reception of
votes cast by men and women fol-
License or No license, the other for
votes of men only, for municipal
officers. Over the former lady iudg-
es were appointed by the City Coun,
Gil. At night, when the ballots OF
the first box were counted, it was
found that No License had triumph.
ed by a large majority. 1t was also
found that more than 1000 women
had voted at this extraordinary cleo.
ton, and only tavo Of the 1900 hao
voted for License. This coupled with
the fact that not more than 2,50C
votes are polled at the ordinary
elections when only men vote, indi
Gated the general movement to be
expected of the women of this ant
every city when SO vital an issue is
presented. The Scandinavian wo
men, the German and the Irish wo
men ranged themselves by the side
of their American sisters in the pro
hibitlon ranks, and against the enc
my which has done so much to make
their homes uncomfortable and thei
lives desolate and dreary. Katrin
came with her ballot, as determined
to save Fritz from his beer as Bridge
to keep whiskey from Patrick. An,
so IN the might and love of mother
hood and wifehood, 1000 wome
marched to the polls and-delivere
the city? Nay, verify. There wa
the other ballot-box to be opened
which done, it was found that tn
votes of the male citizens had electe
the License ticket, so far as th
councilmen were concerned, and thi
coucil at it's first session repealed tn
Home Protection ordinance an
made the expressed will of the pee
pie of none effect.
There was but one conclusion DO.
sible from such premises. The "
c. I. Z. accepted it. Women MAJ
cote an both boGes! They must vol
for the men as well as the measure
for the officer behind the ordinance
for the law and for the law-enforce
Conservative women. who had b.
lieved in the temperance ballot onl,
now became convinced that the ten
perance ballot is the whole ballot.
Conscientious Christian womel
many of them, came to believe fl
the first time that Gods plan for tt
overthrow of the liquor traffic i
cludes the full ballot for avonaan.
The w. C. T. U. seeks the ball
for no selfish ends. Asking it OH
in the interest of the home, Whit
has been and is woman's divine
appointed province, there is no clal
or for "rights,' only prayerful, pc
sistent plea for the opportunities
duty. The fear in our hearts is n
of unwomanly action, but of respo
sibility unfultilled. The dreadf
shadow of a gigantic evil is over u
Up to this time, the efforts of go'
) | mon baya failed tn ont II down