Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1890-02-04
THE W.G.T.U. DEFENSE
Frances Willard's subcommittee
Throws Some Very Hot Shot.
CHARGES OF AGGRESSION MADE.
Some DiscOurteOus Acts Admitted, But
Coercion Denied.
A PERSONAL WORD FROM HRS. LATHROP

The second bombshell prepared by the
subcommittee of the National Executive
Committee of the W. G. T. o., has been
fred. 1t is a continuation OF the review of
"Truth in the Case" prepared under in
struction of the Executive Committee. It
continues to criticise Mrs. Foster and to ex-
tol Miss Willard. "Any member of the
National Executive Committee through the
years OF this 'non-partisan' struggle can
testify to the patience of waiting, the charity
ofjudgment, and the clinging to old-time
confidence shown by Frances E. Willard, I"
says the circular, and "Mrs Foster owes a
debt of fealty the world can never under
stand, and she has struck her blow at her
| friend from the sacred center of years of trust
and comradeship."
Mrs. Foster is said to be holding her old
place on the National Executive Committee
Of the W. G. T. o., yet, "she has not hesi-
tated to use the knowledge and position
gained BY her official relation to strike the
| organization she should defend. From this
vantage ground she has gone to nation
wide press unfriendly to the W. G. T. q. to
speak against it and its work"
The following compliment is paid to Mrs
Swift, woman who has possibly done more
for the National W. c. T. q. than any other
woman outside of Miss Willard, Mrs. Foster
and Mrs. Lathrop:
Mrs. Swift knows from personal experience
that inside the furry glove of mon -partisanship"
is the iron grip of Republican partyism; she
knows the roots that grew this plant Of disunion
1889. she must see with the rest of the world
that 'non-partisanship" as represented in
Truth in the Case" is a delusion.
An apology is made to the effect that the
national union has not claimed that it has
always come to the wisest decision under
stress of the discussions thrust upon its an
nual conventions since 1884 Not always,
perhaps, have individuals had the clearest
insight when proposing measures to meet
the cross-6re of minority whose chief busi-
ness has been to parade the "Iowa position"
as against the position of the remainder of
the United States quite as we'll represented.
ADMISSIONS MADE.
The admission is made that words too
earnest to be counted as "the highest cour-
tesy" have been uttered in the heat of de-
bate, but the final actions always came in
in equity to all. The present attitude of
political opinion in the national union twas
inevitable !or many reasons more profound
than diplomacy of expressions
l. 1t was from the beginning an organization
of uncompromising Prohibitionists. The total
abstinence principles of the white-ribbon host
were not one whit stronger than their devotion
to the illegal extinction" of the liquor traffic
2. They saw from the first that ''the traffic
must finally be suppressed by the ballot" and
that prohibition is the true legislative remedy
for the evils of intemperance;" and these were
avowed as fixed principles, and without refer
ence to their relation to parties or conditions
possible in the future g. The legal work upon
which of necessity they soon entered and in
which Mrs. Foster led, taught them the close
relation between party friendship and whisky
success, or whisky friendship and party sue
cess, and so the partisan side Of the question
could not be ignored.
In all arguments the attitude of Iowa's
representatives in the National Union are
charged with being too pretentious for mod
esty. Kansas was the real leader for con-
stitutional prohibition. Iowa was politi- |
cally tricked out of splendid triumph, and
has "but statute to-day between the saloon
and its homes, while even that trembles in
the balances, with a Democracy which |
openly declares for the traffic, and Repub- |
licanism that trembles like coward in its |
presence. The Republicans in Maine SUBJ |
mitted.the question, and the forces rallied |
to the non-partisan contest. The W. G. T. |
U. declared fealty to the Republican party
SO long as it renamed faithful to prohibi-
tion."
The circular closes by some personal state
ments from Mrs. Mary T. Lathrop, who, as !
stated before, is the recognized law-giver of |
the National Union. She corrects some |
statements alleged to have been made re-
garding her by Mrs. Wilson, of Illinois. |
She denies ever having said that "the W. |
G. 7. Q. is political organization,'' saying |
that her statement was that "the W. 9. T. |
U. is political.
A DIAGRAM WANTED.
She fails, however, to give a diagram |
showing the difference. She closes by say |
ing: 1--WE do not expect to win cheering |
from such as are in sympathy with these !
license parties. We are speaking for the |
downfall of wrong and the victory for truth,
and are not seeking honor that comes from
men,"
The current number of the W. G. T. U.
organ, the Union Signal, contains a three
column editorial on "Our Friends the Sc
ceders," beginning with the statement that
''the humanness of saints is always finding
fresh illustration as history unrolls." It
laws particular stress on the term "seceders," !"
evidently regarding the non- partisan faction
with as much gravity as aid the nation the
Southern States when they LETT the Union.
The secession" is not regarded rs surpris-
ing nor disastrous. 1t reiterates the state
ment so often made that the Speeding sis
ters, whether purposely or not,
have organized movement in
the interest of the dominant party
of the hour, and are really partisans OF the
most decided character" The Union Sig
nal is little late with its suggestions for
unions to become incorporated, "that no
property held in its name may be allenated
by the seceders." Pennsylvania has already
secured the charters, and will make an
"a