The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1889-11-13
WOMEN AS BAD AS MEN.
An Excited Debate in the Convention
of the ". @. T. q.

An Excited Debate in the Convention
of the W. @. 7. q.
CHICAGO, Nov. 12.-When the session Of
| the Woman's Christian Temperance Union
! convention at Battery D armory was
opened this morning, it was known that a
storm was coming on. for during the ses-
sion of yesterday, at the motion Of Mrs
| Aldrich and Mrs. J. Ellen Foster of Iowa,
the consideration of the proposed nom
partisan amendment to the constitution of
the organization was set down for to-day.
WHAT THE AMENDMENT PROVIDES.
The amendment provides that the objects
| of the Woman's Christian Temperance
Union shall be to interest and unite the
christian women Of this nation in non-sec-
tartan and non-partisan temperance work
| for the reformation of the Incorporate and
the education of public sentiment in behalf
Of total abstinence and prohibition Of tee
| traffic in alcoholic liquors, the development
| OF social purity, the suppression Of vice and
crime, and the education of the masses in
the duties and responsibilities of good citi-
zenship.
THE CONVENTION AGAINST II
1t was evident from the commencement
Of the debate that the feeling of the con-
proposed amendment The delegates were
not disposed to listen to speeches of the
women who favored its adoption, and sew
eral times there was Kissing and cries of
''sit down."
In moving the amendment, Mrs Aldrich
| OF Iowa said she wished the convention to
accept it because it was simply right, and
just and honest. She said there was no
| definite statement of the objects of the Or
ganlzation in the constitution.
AN ANOMALOUS POSITION.
The Woman's Christian Temperance
Union women occupied an anomalous posi-
| ton, because they declared themselves non
partisan and yet adopted the most partisan
| resolutions. The women associated in the
| organization had political rights, although
not suffrage, and it was wrong for the ma
jority to adopt resolutions binding all
women to support certain political party.
1t was just as wrong for a woman to give
away her political influence as for a man to
sell his VOTE
SOME OF THOSE WHO SPOKE.
Mrs. Henry of Evanston, ILL.,, Mrs. Wells
of Tennessee, Mrs. H. NJ. Barker of South
Dakota, Mrs. Perkins of Ohio Mrs Buell.,
the national secretary, and others spoke in
opposition to the adoption of the amend
ment as reflection on the previous action
of the union, and declaring that the union
was non-partisan, being ready to support
any party which would put a prohl Jition
plank in its platform.
THE CONVENTION DECLARED PARTISAN,
Mrs. j. Ellen Foster then spoke. She
said the convention was partisan despite its
declaration to the contrary. The names of
honorable men in the Republican party
had been dragged in the mud on the con-
vention platform. 81 repeat" said she,
that the convention is partisan. Partisan
in feeling and partisan in its assaults on
republican statesmen"
INTERRUPTED BY Kisses.
Kisses interrupted the speaker. "Yes,
and those Kisses are partisan. They come
from the delegates themselves and not from
spectators"
A motion was made to indefinitely post
pone the discussion. 1t was voted down.
The question was then called on the
amendment A few voices cried for its
adoption, but the great bulk of the dele
gates shouted against it.
Miss Willard, as chairman, declared the
amendmentlost