The Telegraph-courier. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1888-1946, 1888-10-18
Memorial.

- SAAA - 5000
| The Fifteenth Annual Meeting Of the
Woman's Christian Temperance Union
Of Iowa, in session at Des Moines, Oct
ober rs, 1888-To the Annual Meet
ing Of the Noman's Christian Temper
ance Union to be held in New York
city, October 1928, 1888,
GREETING.
| With solemn realization Of the re-
! sponsibility resting upon US as the only
State Women's Christian Temperance
Union that stands protesting against the
partisan position Of the National Union;
with an irresistible sense Of duty to our
selves in our convictions of right, and
our obligation to what we deem the best
interests OF the temperance cause as
we'll as our duty to temperance workers
IN other States who are opposed to the
action Of the National Union, and in re-
cognizing the confidence which the
Christian public has reposed in US,
we pray you to recede from the par
tisan political action taken in 1884 and
reafirmed each subsequent year.
This alliance is wrong in principle
uni Christian in method, and disastrous
in results
"To thine own self be true," is as
vital to the integrity Of an organization
as to individual character
The basic principle Of the Woman's
Christian Temperance Union is Christ
ian 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 ar, une1ually yoked
by the partisan Affiliate IN to the National
Union.
1t is as true in morals as in mathe-
mates, that quantities must be reduced
to common denominator before they
can be added or subtracted.
10 attempc to reduce the Woman's
Christian Temperance Union to the
standard ofparty action does violence to
the equities which should control all
organized effort.
The partisan position of the National
Union is a prostitution of its original
purpose! 1t must be abandoned or the
organization will cease to be an evan
gel.
The influence of the National Union
Sin its integrity" is given to political
party-its money is applied through the
salaries Of the National officers to the
service Of a POLITICAL party. The moral
influence of woman is the political pow
er which stands to her in place Of the
ballot. This moral influence is pledged
to : political party. This Is political
robbery and strikes at the foundation
principles Of political liberty.
The spirit Of liberty is further out
ragged by assaults upon the right of free
speech. This is attested by the action
Of the National convention in 1886, in
the adoption Of the following bylaw,
Section !, Chapter Will, Bylaws Of
the National Union:
"Any resolution referring to our at
titude toward political parties shall be
decided by vote without discussion
And further by the passage of re-
solution declaring that superintendent
must not antagonize in policy of the
National Union. Not only in free
speech in National convention suppress
sed by statutory law, but the tight to
the expression of individual opinion by
National superintendent is denied by
resolution
This alliance with a political party
also makes party fealthy test of loyal
membership in the organization.
In proof of this we cite the utterances
Of the official organ Of the National
Union. In its issue of July 10Th, 1888,
it says Of a vice president of the Nation
al Union:
aMrs. Foster appeared before the
same committee and was greeted with
great applause. She rehearsed her
deep affection for the Republican party
Of which she announced herself loyal
daughter; dwelt upon her services to it,
and implored them to put temperance
plank in their platform. She pleaded
eloquently and closed by declaring and
rovaot;no - fhrno t;rnoc oynr that l