The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1888-01-07
LETTERS FROM THE PEOPLE.
A Mistake Of the Woman's Christian Temp


A Mistake Of the WOman's Christian Temp =
erance Union.
To the Editor OF the Indianapolis Journal
AS earnest temperance woman. feel in
duty bound to protest against the action of the
W. G. T. U. in indorsing the third or socalled
Prohibition party the party of temperance
and woman suffrage.
Thousands of earnest temperance men and
women have no confidence in the third party,
nor sympathy with it. and they can not 60 with
these sisters to its support even though it calls
itself n temperance party and declares for
woman suffrage.
Then the W. C. T. o. ladies will turn men
against them and injure both the cause of tenn
perance and the cause Of woman suffrage by the
course they are pursuing-though for the IN
jury done the latter cause am not Borrowing.
Men are not all fools and they can see that these
ladies are simply favoring the third party in re-
turn for it's support of woman suffrage. indeed
t has not been many months since Frances
Willard, the president of the National w. q. L.
u, said in a communication to THE Voice."
a third-party sheet, that IF the Prohibition
party fails to declare for woman suffrage IN its
platforms it will injure the esprit du CORDS OF the
W. G. T. u, and more language to that effect.
And in Massachusetts thrd-party convention
not long ago another w. c. T. U. leader declared,
as reported by the 1.-THE Voice. that 1.-The women
demand the ballot; if you will stand by them
they will stand by you till DEATH which is only
another of saying the W. G. L. U. will not
stand by the third party unless the third party
stands by woman suffrage So the deal was
made and the w. G. T. U. became supper er
of the hypocritica prayer meeting third party
while that party declared for woman suffrage,
though in some instances. notably in the State
of New York, its declaration for woman suffrage
took decidedly demagogcal turn-politically
denominatod a straddle-to satisfy, if possible,
both the friends and foes of woman suffrage. its
State convention there declaring it favored
woman suffrage as a matter of right, and then
following this declaration with the declaration
that the determination of Intoxicating liquors
is the only test of party fealty.
The w. =. II U. must rid itself OF dema-
gogues if It expects to accomplish any good.
gogy so transparent this; and when wom-
en- who profess to use prayer to God their
principal weapon of political warfare OFT to it
they simply disgust and ALLEVIATE those who 9TH
erwise would be their best friends. The plea of
"womau's ballot for temperance" sounds WELL
but it is all sound and insincerity, and nothing
else, and it will decisive who does not
now favor woman suffrage, and possesses proper
mental equipment into favoring il. When a
majority of men are educated to the point of
legislaring power to women to make and exc
cute temperance laws and other political re-
forms, maj GRITTY of men are ready, willing and
able to make and execute such laws themselves.
and woman's vote is not needed. More than
this, women are not naturally better than men,
and to say so is to insult both God and man, for
saying so is saying God is unjust and that he
made it easier for woman to gain heaven than
for nan, and that man is consequently in
ferior being.
If women are practically better in some re-
which both sexes are responsible, is more exact
ing of women than of men, and because wom-
ans life is more of the home, where she is
brought more in contact with innocent child
hood, while mans life ia more of the world, with
more exposure to it's emptations-surroundiug
influences having much TO DO with the formation
of human character. And it is because of this
difference in their lives that public opinion is
more exacting of women than it is of men. nat
urally expecting more of her With this view
of the case. anything that makes woman's life
more like mans life is for her injury especially
is it true that she is paradisian
condition not participating in political
government which is necessary evil, the
result of Adams fall, than were she an
active participant in all the affairs of govern
ment. Sisters. don't neglect the grand moral
and soc ial phases of temperance reform for poll
tics. Quit clamoring for the ballot and abusing
fathers, husbands: sons and brothers because
you have not got it, and your great social
and moral influence in behalf OF this holy
cause The grand temperance reform recently
brought about in the mining regions Of Pennsyl-
vania shows what woman's moral and social in
f1uence can do Then, reforming the individual
is getting at the root of the disease and effecting
a radical cure: What ladies not belonging TO
the w. G. II. U. have done, the W. G. T. U
can do and be much better employed than now.
Sisters, don't let the name w. G. T.. u. be
misnomer. Honesty is the best policy here as
we'll as elsewhere. LUCETTA FRANTZEL.
Tod