The Monitor., 1888-06-08
The Magnamimity OF Men.

To all acomen oclo JeIie0e that tie home forces
Sho,tld unite IN church and State -
The Prohibition Convention, of Illinois,
held in Springfield May Is and 16, was a
splendid object lesson. Perhaps no other
has ever been held in the history of poll
ties Of which both men and women had
SO much reason to be proud. 1t was hu-
man nature at its best-the chivalry of JUS
tice replacing the chiyalry of etiquette.
Here were nine hundred delegates, only
about $50 of them women. But those
broad-shouldered, big-hearted Illinois men
chose only one delegate -at-large by accla-
nation, and she was It woman. Other
states had elected one, or, in some cases,
two women delegates to indianapolis
these send eleven. Other states had voted
down the resolution for woman's enfran-
chisement, as in Texas and carried it un-
willingly as in-neyer mind WHEREOF
deliberately eliminated it from their plan
and platform for successive years, as in
Wisconsin. But these men of tho prairies
stood squarcly by it without an opposing
word uttered in committee or convention;
sent their earnest exhortations to neighbor-
ing states, saying, "Well be there; will
you be there ?' and applauded to the echo
every allusion to prohibition by woman's
ballot.
When they came to make state ticket,
they included among their candidates the
nl; nf Lao F,Sa II nI
chief nominating speech for delegates was
made by the state president of the Illinois
w. G. r. L. 70 their caucus women were
invited; they were placed upon commit
never was the intimation made that their
presence had "kept just so many men out, "
or was weakening" in its effect.
In short, without saying anything about
the Golden Rule, or perhaps even thinking
that they were so doing, these men Just
acted it out in plain, homelV fashion, as
the gospel doth teach. There was 10 to-
baceo smoke, no saloon patronage but the
parlors and corridors of the Leland House,
that famous lallying place of political
clans at the Illinois capital were thrOnged
with husbands and wives, mothers and
sons, neighbors and friends. intent upon a
general governmental house cleaning, in
the interest Of prohibition, home protec-
tion, and salvation.
What is this gracious object lesson of
manhood s magnanimity fitted to teach?
Much every way, but to my thinking chief
ly this: Women are more to blame than
men that they are so discounted in church
and state to-day. A majority of men in
this country and this age have so far out
grown the false notion Of their own in-
herent right to rule over women. that if
we but had the courage Of convection and
that sense of dignity which ought to mark
us as daughters of the Lord Almighty,
men would, within IA twclvemonth seat us
beside themselves upon the throne of gov
ernment in church and state, governing
the world jointly as He meant they should
when "to them He gave dominion. "
From the day on which they were called
out into the crusade work baptism that
was nothing less than ''newncss of life"
has rested on the women of inois. Their
very first general petition lowing to the
peculiar nature of our local option laws
asked for the ballot on the license question;
their second convention declared that