The Vermont watchman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1883-1911, 1890-05-28
A Rejoinder.

Editor of Waterman In view of an
article published in your last weeks issue,
entitled Measurements Corrected" will
you kindly allow space for the following
from the lips and pen of the president of
the National Woman's Christian Temper
ance Union, Miss Frances K. Willard? The
first appeal to the society to become parti-
san was made by the president, in her
annual address at the national convention
in Washington, in the autumn of 1881. In
her autobiography =" Glimpses of Fifty
Years page 377 she writes: "When
prepared my annual address this thought
came to me: For you to favor the prohibi-
ton party as an individual is one thing, and
to ask the Woman's Christian Temperance
Union, in your official address, to iudorse
that party, is quite another. Are you going
to do it? Such action will cost you much
goodwill and many votes But a
voice from loftier regions said You
ought TO declare for the party officially
as aoeu as indicidudHy." From the presi-
dents annual address at Philadelphia
two parties are nationally the two sworn
allies of the saloon. The White Rib
bon Army is the open enemy Of both, while
this new movement prohibition parity,
which, from the disintegrating forces of the
old gathers out the best material for new
hopes, our loyalty. If, as we have
repeatedly declared by resolutions, state
and national, such a movement (the prohi-
bition party movemenO ought to be, is it not
our duty TO help ii to be D.? 1t can not bring
itself about, and we know that we can lend
it no small aid" AT the Nashville annual
meeting, in 1887, the proposed non-partisan
constitutional amendment offered the year
previous by Mrs. Foster was voted down.
The amendment read: "This association
shall be known as the National Woman s
Christian Temperance Union, and shall be
apin
in political work" In commenting on this
action, President Willard says: "The con-
vention held that our non-sectarian charac-
ter had been thoroughly established from
the beginning, and as to being non-partisan
ii aCas far iron, oar intent. In st. Louis we
had passed the Rubicon forever, and with
us il was a case of sink or swim, live or die
survive or perish. | give my heart and hand
TO this vote" OF the partisan attitude of the
society at the New York convention, in 1888
President Willard says, "Glimpses of Fifty
Years" page 461 "The honest, outspoken
position of the society IN saying just what il
means, and being really coadjutor of the
prohibition party, compes respect
and we move forward to a victory slow, but
sure" etc, etc. " But that any consider
able advance in legislation will be achieved
by the pdrty lchOSe cause zoe hare espOuSed
while it retains its present name, |, for one
do not expect" President Wizards ad
dress at this convention contains thes'
words "To-day our National Woman
Christian Temperance Union, while recog
nizing the liberty of each state to be par
tisan or not, as it elects, is PRACTICAL,
partisan, with exceptions so small that they
but prove the beauty of the rule. A
Washington, in 1861, first urged the adj
vantage to our common cause of an alliance
between the Woman's Christian Temper
ance Union and the prohibition party, whicl
had then poled but ten thousand vote
as its maximum after a struggle of tel
years duration. Steadily we hav
moved forward in these years, until, "A
Chief justice Waite said of prohibition, s.
we can say Of our oneness in purpose witt
the prohibition party: That is no longe
an open question in this court"
NoN-PARTIsAN.