The Forest Republican. [volume] (Tionesta, Pa.) 1869-1952, 1891-11-04
Petition of the Worlds w. G. T. U. for
the Protection Of the Home.
ADDRESSED TO THE GOVERNMENTS OF
THE WORLD.

NN''N'N" A'"eO'Oj AtcbfOoOHtuttV6S uUU
Brothers:
We, your petitioners, although be.
longing to the physically weaker sex,
are strong of heart to love our homes,
our native land and the worlds family
of nations.
We know that clear brains and pure
hearts make honest lives and happy
homes, and that by these the nations
prosper, and the time is brought near.
er when the world shall be al peace.
We know that indulgence in alcohol
and opium, and in other vices which
disgrace our social life, makes misery
for all the world, and most of all for
Us and cur children.
We know that stimulants and
opiates are sold under legal guaran.
tees which makes the governments
partners in the traffic, by accepting as
revenue a portion of the profits, and
we know with shame that they are
often forced by treaty upon popula.
tions, either ignorant or unwilling.
We know that the law might do
much, now left undone, to raise the
moral tone of society and render vice
difficult.
We have no power to prevent these
great iniquities beneath which the
whole world groans, but you have the
power to redeem the honor of the ma.
tions from an indefensible completely.
We therefore come to you with the
united voices of representative women
of every land, beseechipg you to raise
the standard of the law to that of
Christian morals, to strip away the
safeguards and sanctions of the State
from the drink traffic and the opium
trade, and to protect our homes by the
totGl prohibition Of these curses of
civilization throughout atl the terri
tory over which your government ex.
tends.
Miss Morgan, the British Secretary
of the Worlds w. G. T. u, is work.
ing diligently on the Great Petition.
The Good Templars, ut recent meet.
ing in Edinburgh, took fifteen hundred
headings to circulate, which is a grand
action on their part; and Lady Henry
Somerset has seen General Booth, who
promises his full sympathy in the
cause, and the matter will soon be
taken up by his officers. He says he
hopes to send US 100000 names. We
hope that through the diligent efforts
of our English sisters, our Canadian
sisters and our White Ribboners in
the United States, the number of sig.
natures may have reached a million
by the time we meet in Boston, No.
vember 13 to 18. We propose to have
the petition there, and with it festoon
Faneuil Hall or fremont Temple, as
the case may be.
Will not each White Ribboner say
to herself "Have l signedP Has my
family signed' : Has it been circulated
by our local Union ?" and if it has not
let her drop a postal to me at Rest
Cottage, or Mary A. w. Woodbridge,
Ravenna, o., without delay. We do
not, of course, call upon our Cores.
ponding Secretary of the Worlds w.
G. T. u, Mrs. Mary Clement I,eavitt.
to help US with these details after her
many years of arduous labor, but we
fully recognize that she has made the
Great Petition known as no one else
has done.
Miss Jessie Ackerman, the new
President Of Australia is circulating
the petition, and we hope for encour
aging returns from that great country
10 time for the Boston Convention.
According to present estimates, the
petition will not be less than ten miles
long, if the signatures are placed in a
single row.
We are sorry to DO obliged to say
that no country has worked with less
system and assiduity to bring about
this result than our own dear native
land.
This is doubtless due TO the fact that
our women have had so many other
engagements and such intricate lines
OF work to follow out. am sure that
they will not permit this to be the
case when we meet in November, but
that having responded so graDdly to
every other call of the Worlds w. c.
T. u. they will make specially this
time of rolling in the signatures.
There is no time to lose. This is hu
manity's concentrated world protest
against the traffic in brain poisons,
and little time put in now will make
it splendid demonstration, for which
we have prayed, pleaded and worked,
and the returns will yield the largest
capital on the investment in time made
L -. 81 IL