The Iola register., 1889-02-22
THE STRENGTH OF UNION
The Advantages to be Gained BY Uniting
the Forces.

L
The Advantages to be Gained BY Uniting
the Forces.
The following is an extract from
recent address of Mrs. Mary E Holmes,
president of the Illinois Equal Suffrage
| Association:
''As far as possible the suffrage
workers OF our country should stand to-
gether in a solid body, cemented by one
common interest, and meet the opposi-
ton with a resistance that knows nc
flinching. We can never do that until
there is one parent society, and all the
States auxiliary to that one. A wise
father on his death-bed called his sev.
eral sons to him and asked their atten.
tion to practical truth. He handed
them small twigs. and commanded then
to break Them. which they smilingly
did. He then took a handful and asked
each to break them together; but they
all tried in vain; the bundle OF twigs
would bend and twist. but could not be
broken. The aged father then said
My sons, stand together and you vii.
be strong and able to overcome. Sep
arate your interests, and you will be
weak and easily broken" The grand
and noble men and women who control
! the societies will soon see the advantage
of union. and then Illinois will become
auxiliary to the union association with
much pleasure.
Solicitude has been expressed for
fear this association will impair its use
fulness by affiliatiOn with some party
that has equal suffrage as one of its
planks. We have always been non
partisan as an association, no matter
what the preference OF individuals may
be; and there is no doubt but we shall
continue the same wise course for the
future. How can disfranchised citi:
zen have party? We feel free to ask
any party in power to remove the OBJ
stacles put in the way of woman, which
prevent her from exercising the God.
given right to be governed only by hel
consent.
In our deliberations throughout this
convention, let us remember that the
suffrage sentiment OF Illinois is ready
to be organized and set in motion.
Wherever convention has been held,
or a speech made, the workers have
been surprised at the readiness with
which the mass of the people have re-
sponded to the most radical expressions
on this subject. Seed-sowing has
been for SO many years the principal
work we could do, that we were in dam
ger of neglecting the harvest that is
waiting to be gathered. l doubt il
there is a village or town in our State
where suffrage society could not be
planted if proper effort were made. 1t
would be well if we could have twenty
organizers this year instead of one. II
the plan-of-work committee will de-
wise methods by which the State can be
thoroughly organized this coming year,
We trust the friends will respond and
this convention close with an enthusi- |
asm that will be felt in actual work |
through the whole twelve months until |
we meet again. 1t does us little good |
to meet and read learned essays, or
discuss points of interest, unless we
decide to go home and work hard and
untiringly; unless we decide to push |
the work in our own localities. Sup
pose we can not speak as we'll as
Frances E. Willard or Susan B. An
thony-if we are convinced of the |
right of our position, we can convince |
others. Earnestness and good sense |
are all that we need.