Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1888-10-26
THE w. G. +. U.


Iitican Temperance Union National
Convention.
One of the most exciting incidents, per
haps, in the woman's national temperance
convention at New York was the unvail-
ing attempt of Mrs. Ellen j. Foster to OBJ
tain hearing for the memorial of the
Iowa State w G. T. L. against the prosti-
tuition Of the WOmau's Temperance Union
by its alliance with a political party. ln
this protest, which is a calm, vigorous and
sensible paper, the Iowa women say, in be-
half of large number of their sisters in
other States:
"This alliance with the third party is
wrong in principle. unchrlstian in method
and disastrous IN results.
The basic principle of the Woman's
Christian Temperance Union is Christian
unity in promoting the principles and
practice of total abstinence. The basic
principle of party organization is citizen
unity in political action. These differing
principles are uuequally yoked by the par
tisau aililiation of the national union.
The partisan position of the national
union is q prostitution OF its original pur-
pose 1t must he abandoned or the or
ganlZation Will cease to be an evangel.
The influence of the national union ill
its eutiretyn Is given to political patty
its money is applied through the salaries
of the national officers to the service OF
political party. The moral Influence OF
woman is the power which stands to her
in place of the ballot. This moral intu
enCe is pledged to political party, This
is political robbery and strikes at the
foundation principles of political liberty y
TAe reading OF this memorial was pre-
vented by the passage, by PA to IS, against
the earnest opposition of Mrs Foster, of n
resolution referring all protes,s and
memorials to committees without al
lowing them to be read in the
convention Mrs. Foster then asked
PERMISSION to distribute printed copies of
the document among the members. But
even this was bluutY denied by Miss
Willard, who also refused to permit cop
les TO be given to the press. She was not
altogether successful, however, IN keep ny
the document from the public. This arbl-
/ trary dsbarring of a great State auxiliary
like that of Iowa from even a hearing
in the national convention caused
strong feeling, and the minority thought
seriously of leaving the convention, bn
! finally concluded to take time to consider
their tuture course. At later stage OF
the convention, on Monday. Mrs. Foster
aud the conservative minority carried Il
point IN securing the repeal of the gag by
law adopted two years ago, which pro
vided that any resolution referring to the
attitude of the union toward political par
! ties should be voted on without de-
bate. The motion to repeal this was
made by Mrs. Weeks of Pennsylvania,
who declared it an outrage that an asso-
citation of Christian wo,aen should have
on their code OF laws one interfering with
human rights and tree speech, as this one
did. Mrs Foster followed with a stirring
speech, in which she insisted that the
resolution was almost unprecedented in
history, and the motion was carried in
spite of the opposition of Miss Willard
and her more unscrupdlous supporters, by
a vote of 253 to 40. Other proceedings are
reported as follows for our columns by
Mrs f. b. Lund.
Saturday evening beautiful white ban
ner, appropriately inscribed with mot
toes, the gilt of that noted phllanthrOplst
| Elizabeth Thompson was presented IN 4
speech 10y Rev. Anna Shaw, responded &c
III an appre ciative and feeling manner by
Miss Willard. Gov. John p. st. John was
called forward by Miss Willard amid ter
rifle applause.
Mrs. Mary T. Lathrop, who was on the
programme for speech, said she would
not lntllct a speech upon the audience
but nevertheless made spicy speech in
which she said
Gentlemen We are gone case" q
body of non-votlng citizens. You have
sold out our Sabbath and wrepched oul
civilization. You can't build an ideal or
g4nizatiou here. You have not room
You are too mixed up. Come out to ouI
praiiles. We are here as missionaries and
can't come down to your level, but you
are magnificent and intelligent set OF
heathens to talk to. We have set the na-
tion TO thinking and will set the wor d to
thinking"
sunday was occupied at the opera house
WIlh Il s,rnou 10y Mrs, Elizabeth Green
wood of Brooklyn, in the morning In
the Afternoon speeches were made on so
cial purity and kindred topics by Miss
Willard, DR.. Kate Bushnell, Mrs G. II.
Harris and Dr. Mary A. Allen. Espec-
iaily thrilling was that of DR., Kate Bash
nell regarding the traffic IN girls in the
lumber regions of northern Wisconsin.
On SUNDAY evening Bishop Samuel Eel
lows Of Chicago spoke on the ecclesaSli
cal emancipation of women. He said that
no church was complete in its organlza-
tiOn without recognition OF women IL
ITS official appointments.
On Monday, NJ IS Leonora Barry of the
Knights of Labor, was introduced aud
said forceiul words, cOmmeuding espe-
cially the efforts of the W. G. Il. |. in
their endeaVOr TO Danish the pictures Of
women from cigar stores and other pub
lie places. A resolution of thanks WAS
ordered by the convention to Terence V,
POwderly for his good work in the
knights of Labor.
The election OF officers was proceeded
with, 4O6 officers and delegates being
present. Miss Willard was re elected
president, receiving 800 votes, and was
conducted to the chair and greeted ny the
rising of the audience and waving OF
handkerchies. Ii was an imprt sslvt
ucc tsion when Miss Willard came for
ward, as she referred to having occupied
this position for 10 years.
A IlrIv apfa ~ nd ~