The Telegraph-courier. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1888-1946, 1890-01-30
w. c. T. u COLUMN.
EDITED BY THE LADIES OF THE KE-
NosHA w. C. T. u.
PARTISAN vs.. NON ART1sANsHIP.

AS the political press IS now try
ing to make out that Miss Willard is
in her expressions self-contradictory
concerning the words bipartisan" and
''non-partisan," we quote what she
said on that subject in her last annu-
al address, also in the debate at
Chicago:
We object to the misleading prefix
or afix. mon partisan" by means of
which the dissenting minority seeks
to attach to us the stigma of ''parti-
san" We have always been willing
to call ourselves partisan" until that
term has been construed to mean
that we were shut ub to the recQgnt-
h0n of a single political 0rganigah0n,
and such definition we will not &C
cept. We have the partisanship that
in Illinois makes US lend our influ-
ence to the Prohibition party; in
South Dakota to the Republican, and
nationally to the Prohibition party
But so far as being pledged, ever
lastingly, to any one political organi-
cation is concerned, we are "striCtly
non partisan" AS has been sad a
thousand times. we have never add
ed to the tests of membership in the
National w c. T. u, which were, at
the beginning, total abstinence and
the payment of constitutional dues
Nor has any state added to these
tests save Iowa, which has so mar
rowed the broad basis Of the Nation
al w. c. T. u. that woman who
sympathizes with the Prohibition
party is D actically disfellowshipped
while in this convention are Republi
cans and Democrats, Prohibitiorists
and Union Labor party members,
united in our forty departments Of
work, and only disagrceing as to the
political method by which the liquor
system shall be outlawed. For sew
eral years it has been our custom to
adopt a resolution in the National
w. C. T. U. Convention, and in most
of the states, to the effect that our
good word, good will, and prayers
Gnasmuch as we have neither money
nor votes to give,) shall be with the
party that puts forward prohibition
as its primary issue, and since the
Prohibition party is, in most Of the
states, and nationally, the only one
that does this, we have for five years
Included its name incur resolutions
But we would just as readily include
that Of the Republican, Democratic
or any other party that would make a
declaration similar to this, which all
our acts and words as a society have
for so many years declared, namely,
that the saloon must go,
In the debate at Chicago, Miss
Willard said:
Since the president is called in
question in the minority report as to
her utteranCes, the expression being,
"fnaemuch as the President in her
annual address to this body declares
this organization non-partisan," |
will ask Mrs Forbes to take the
chair that | may speak It might
be suitable for me to say that in look
ing over the dictionary we find the
definition Of words changed, as the
word ''to let, as used in the New
Testament, once meant 'to hinder"
In the definitions of current words
certain interpretations put upon them
cause them to assume to US differ
ent light and shade, and for that rea-
son it is that we are in a sort Of
mixed condition about partisan and
non~partisan. My opinion is that we
are non~partisan society. But non
partisan, as held by the majority,
does not imply that you cannot
speak your good word, and show
what side you are on in your resolu-
tons adopted annually by the con
vention, towards such a party in
state or nation as stands for and
crystalizes your principles. The
other view is that those who repre-
sent the majority in this convention
often say we are partisan. We are,
when we set ourselves over against
the definition of bipartisan that
our sisters in some states give.
They think that non-partisan means
that you cannot pass any such reso-
luton. That throws US into kind
of see saw about it. AS Mrs. Lath-
rap has said, while non-partisan in
our organic law, while non partisan
in our department work, if the ma
jority present in the National Con
vention desire to express their svm-f
pathy with political party, they
have a perfect right to do so, and yet
the society as a society is non
partisan.