New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1888-10-19
TEMPERANCE AND POLITICS.
AN APPEAL FOR NoN.PARTIsAN ACTION.
THE woMAN's CHRISTIAN TEMPERANCE UNION
AND ITS SOPHISTICATED POLICY

THE woMAN's CHRISTIAN TEMPERANCE UNION
AND IT'S SOPHISTICATED POLICY
TotheEdttor Of rhe Trfbuns.
SIR The National wuman's Christian Temperance
Union will hold its annual meeting In the METROPOLITAN
Opera House, New-York, on October lo-2I. This
body Is composed OF the National onicers' 'rc'pres'
dents lone from each STATED. superintendent OF depart
ments members exoficlo from each state Union uh
all numbering about hundred. and one d'egate
for every 500 members in the local unions. ms l.
a legislative body; It NAV change the constitution
now governing IT, one years notice having been given
Its other acts are not binding upon states or Indvld
uas In a technical sense. but strong Is the mora
influence of Its utcrances that woman VINO dlnrrs
FROM It docs at her peril shc may I've In SWEEP
seclusion II she makes assertion oil her ndiVdua
and contrary views but II she says she thinks thc
party action OF the society was wrong and It's conn
uancc lnadvsablc, she Is oslraczed and aggressveJ
prosecuted
For years the influence OF the organization has been
given to the socaled Prohibition party Any won
an who dares to say her influence shall not be thus
given or, yet who dares to work openly for the
Republican party, is at once made the target OF party
malice and personal abuse. Mrs. j. Ellen roster.
of the presidents Of this body, has been thus
selected her offence is that she boldly stands for her
own political opinions and continually protests against
bringing party politics into the WOmans Christian
Temperance Union. She Is Intense Republican.
but would have the society promise its support to
that any other party.
In former annual meetings Of the National society
the protest against its party action has been. In con-
veniion, small and weak numerically. Ibis may not
be true In the future The prophecies Of the pro
results have been sadly realized In many
Instances and approval OF their position has steadily
strengthened among the local unions OF the country
The Union Its recent annual meeting rceIccted
Mrs Foster president by vastly Increased major
ty, and In a strong memorial, adopted by an Almost
unanimous vote, sends It's formal protest against the
partisan policy which 1t has always opposed
sympathy with the Iowa position among the rank
and lie Of the organization throughout the country
Is known DO ser than before but the make
up Of the gives The president great Official
patronage, which she does not hesitate TO use IN the
Interest of the who will for her and for
her measures Indeed, she sometimes puts the test
of personal Loyalty 10 herself an added u not tho
foremost reason, why every delegate should vote TO
sust ain her policy. shs Is charming woman and
her accomplishments of mind and manner ara most
useful TO her purposes. 1t is dlncult TO know which
Is cons icuOus, the cIafncss of this accomplish ii
leader the devotion TO her OF conscientious women,
or the mental stupOr which makes possible such UNI
questioning following.
The general pubic have not known, and the Chris
tan public have not comprehended the glOwth of This
power It's relation to the best int rests of TEN
perance and good government The women them
selves DO not realize their political Inconsistency they
ures In state and National Legislatures. While they
the vomcnare doing all they In their organization
to rend these men poweress to help them. They
disregard even set aside the advice of lie long friends
Of their cansc. They claim they have rec lived later
revelation, amounting almost to nfalbIlity. In
their annual gatherings ali these Influences have full
sv ay few women resist IT, however. every dc-
egac could 90 from her home and local work. deter
mined TO repIcs mt # and its needs II she would
remember that her usefulness to the country at large
IS measured 10y her aiihiuncss 10 the locality which
she represents and that Gods work in the world needs
political common sense concerning methods well
as consccratcd 'vOtOn TO principle. the proceedings
OF The National convention would not be dominated
by such unreasOning enthusiasm. such Influence
Christian and temperance exercise with these
representative women In their lOcaiics 10 secure
more con dcae action. would he b ssng 10 wonian's
work and TO the cause OF temperance
Philadelphia Penn, Oct. -, 1888. DELEGATE