Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1890-02-03
WHY THEY WENT OUT
Mrs. Campbell, the New State
President, Issues Her Manifesto.
MORAL sUASION FOR DRUNKARDS.
Bat a Dose Of Legal SuasiOn Proposed for
the Drunkard Makers.
THE FACTIONAL FIGHT INCREASES

Mrs. h. c. Campbell, President of the
new Womau's Christian Temperance AL
lance of Pennsylvania, has prepared a cir
cular to be sent broadcast over the State, de-
claring the principles and policy of the new
organization, and urging upon all who be-
lieve in non-partisan methods of temperance
to cooperate in the work. The citizens, ir-
respective of party, color or creed, are asked
for their moral and financial support; pas
tors of churches are requested to notify their
congregations that there is now a anon-partisan
society worthy of their support. Women
throughout the State, whether now engaged
in temperance work or not, who favor the
non-partIsan ideas, are earnestly appealed
to to organize and become auxiliary to the
new alliance. The document is ably written,
very conservative, is concise and to the
point Before being sent out it will be
signed by Mrs. Campbell, as State Presi
dent; Mrs. A. L. White, as Vice President
at Large, and Mrs. Ellen NJ. Watson, Core
spending Secretary. The following is the
circular in full:
The preamble of the constitution adopted at
Philadelphia, January II, 1880, for the govern
Society. which had been organized the previous
day. makes the following statement:
Believing that woman's influence in an or
ganized force is indispensable to success in
temperance work. and that to make it available
it must be divested of the spirit of partisan
ship, we, women of Pennsylvania, unite our
selves for non-partisan and non-sectarlan
Christian temperance work and establish the
following constitution for our government:
Nothing that we could write 0Duld better ex-
plain the fundamental principles of our State
1,oI, +hr44 fro44 44fO int
eating liquors is the greatest evil existing in
our nation. We believe that women are the
greatest sufferers because of this evil. We be-
lieve that total prohibition is the only way S to
'woman's influence in an organized force, is a
mighty agent in the securing of prohibition and
the abolition Of the liquor traffic; hence thou
sands of women all over our land have devoted
their lives to a struggle against the terrible foe,
alcohol, knowing that If they faint not, God
will give them the victory.
THE OPINIONS DIFFER.
In this. as in every other reform, there are
great differences of opinion as to the best way
of securing the total abolition of the manufac-
turing and sale of intoxicants. Some believe
the only way to be through political party or
ganized for that special object; others truly be-
lieve the cause to be impeded by the acts of
that party. Women as well as men have their
political influences and convictions. and who
shall deny them that right, or question their
honesty of purpose in their expression Of their
convictions in favor of the Prohibition, Repub-
lican or Democratic party, as the case may be,
any more than doubt their professions of alle-
glance to the Presbyterian, Methodist, Baptist
Episcopal. or any other branch of the Church
of Christ? In a word. we believe that every in
dividual has a right to their religious and
political preferences; but as an organization,
composed of women of different religious and
political beliefs, we should know neither Sec
tartan or party lines, and hence should not ally
ourselves to any party or church.
From the organization Of the Women's Chris
tian Temperance Union until the st. Louis
Convention in 1884, the above was the policy
and practice of that powerful body of women.
to political party, thereby, as we believe, for
sakIng the high ground they had taken as
divinely commissioned of God to labor only for
the extinction of drunkenness, and settling
down the precarious grounds of party poll
tics. To this action must be attributed all the
divisions, heart-burnings, ordinations and re-
ordinations. breaking asunder Of many ten
der ties of association and friendship, and even
the utter withdrawal of many from the work.
Believing this, we have withdiawn from the
Women's Christian Temperance Union in
sorrow. not in anger, our sole purpose being to
fight intemperance in the way which we think
is most in accordance with the will of God, and
not to antagonize any other body engaged in
the same line of work; feeling that we are en-
that needs no defense or apology, and that is
destined to grand and beneficcnt career.
We, therefore, ask the hearty cooperation of
all who believe in non-partisan methods of tenn
perance work We ask the moral and financial
support of every citizen of Pennsylvania, irre-
spective of party, color or creed, who believes
that the saloon is an evil and that prohibition
is the Onlyremedy.
CALLING ON PREACHERS.
We urge upon pastors of churches that they
unite with us IN our efforts to enlist the large
number of Christian women who have hereto
fore refrained from active participation in
temperance work, because they could not IN
dorse all the complex phases of the work of the
union or its partisan policy by calling attention
from their pulpits to the fact that there is now
society with total abstinence for
the individual and prohibition for the nation
as its sole objects, and advising the women OF
their congregations to organize and become
auxiliary to it; by inviting our organizers to
visit their congregations hold meetings with
the members and explain our work TO them,
by sermons preached to them at what seems to
them to be proper intervals on the sin of drunk
enness and the necessity of organized temper
ance work; by public prayer in our behalf and
by any other means which shall seem to our
ambassadors Of Christ-advis-
able.
We urge upon all members of non-partisan
alliance, and thereby unite our tOrces against
the common enemy. We urge upon women
everywhere throughout our State who are men,
bers of independent societies, and who believe
that non-partisan methods are best, to mite
with our non-partisan alliance. We urge
upon all women who are outside of these
and who are in harmony
with our principles and methods, to organize In
their several localities and to become auxiliary
to our alliance. We tenderly urge all women
who have already declared their allegiance to
our new alliance, to refrain from any word or
act which might seem to be uncharitable or un-
kind to those who differ from US. Let us ad-
here Tlgidly to our avowed purpose to keep
aloof from partisan politics, and we will hnd
easy access to the sympathy and support OF the
best citizenship of the nation Let us hold high
the standard of prohibition: inscribe on our
banners the only motto under which we hope to
march to victory: moral suation tS a IoT the
maker:" Let us keep our Heavenly Father in
the midst:' seek His counsels; lean on His
strength; pray for His wisdom; plan, under
take and execute in humble dependence on
Him for success. and 10 His name shall be the
glory.
We earnestly request all alliances to report
their organizations and the names and addresses
of their officers TO our corresponding secretary
Mrs Ellen NJ. Watson. sos Smithteld street.
Pa, at as early date as possible.
The general officers earnestly ask for the
continued prayers of the members that they
may have the necessary wisdom and discretion
given them for the carrying on successfully of
such great and important work, taking for
our motto: "The Love of Christ Constraineth
U.s."
STARTING COUNTY UNION.
Mrs. Campbell expects to call a meeting
within a week or SO for the purpose of or
ganizing a County Union. Several of the
old unions have already considered the
matter of adopting the non-partisan consti-
tuition, and are ready to join the new society. |
Mrs Campbell feels that no time should be |
lost in getting organized. The greatest |
can be made in starting nom
partisan societies. by Striking while the |
rnn is hot |" or while the agitation is at its |