The Cecil Whig. [volume] (Elkton, Md.) 1841-current, 1892-12-10

The National WOman's Christian
Temperance Union.

IcmDCI'tDCC Shiohs
The w. c. T. T., organized in 1874,
as the result of the temperance crusade
in Ohio, has grown TO be an organization
of 200, 900 members, with 10, 600 auxiliary
Unions. Born of hostility to the open
saloon, it at first directed its efforts
mainly to it's destruction through prayer
The members soon found, however, that
they must work as well as pray, anu
that their plans must be broadened TO
include the destruction of the drluk
habit as well IS the suppression OF the
liquor traffic. To accomplish this they
found that they must largely increase
their lines of action and 50 have grown
ND their numerous different departments
of work, which may be, in general way
classified as educational, restrictive, Nc.
Educational, as regards the individual,
restrictive, as regards the traffic.
As they worked along these lines they
soou found, by painful experience, that
the laws under which society was
governed were sadly defective, and that
they needed new legislation.
That is the almost universal experience
of reform movemants-.hat while you
strive to educate the masses in the
principles of the reform, you must
restrain those selfish and vicious classes
yhoss faucied interests are threatened
by it and who cannot he moved by
moral considerations
Now, any society that seeks to
accomplish It's euds by legislation, be.
comes to that extent political, because
laws are only made by legislatures, and
legislatures are political bodies, so that
every reform that seeks the aid of law
to help it on. has to go into politics to
secure that aid Sometimes where the
reform is of limited extent The legislation
is secured through the aid OF legislatures
already elected, but if it be OF great
extent, aud affects large interests, legis-
latures must be elected specially pledged
to carry it out.
Such was the case with the anti slavery
reform, and such has been largely the
case with the temperance reforL.
In nearly every instance where
restrictive legislation has been secured
in the interest of temperance, SO strong
has been the resistance OF the liquor
traffic thai legislatures have had to be
elected specially pledged to pass the law
And this is the manner 10 which, and
extent to which the ". G. 7. U. has
gone into politics. They found the
saloon keepers not amenable to mora
suasion, and they have gone into politics
to get laws to restrain them. They
{ found some cigarette dealers willing ant
, anxious to sell their harmful wares tt
children of the teuderest age, and the.
@ went aud are still going into politics
y to secure laws to prevent them.
| now come to what l presume to b.
[ in the minds of many, the most serious
u charge against this organic alton, that q
par.isanship.
II Now, partisan in the popular sense
!. is one who follows unswervingly an
unhesitatingly the dictates OF part
70 leaders, even though his own JudgmeI
and wishes would il followed, sometime
lead him 20 do otherwise. Or, IN othe
& words, one who votes tie party ticke
right or wrong. We often hear tn
ic spoken of q man ''he is a Democrat 20
If Republican, but not partisan,
ne indicating that he is not rigidly boun
in to support all party measures. In tn
n. sense the w. c. I. U. certainly new
~ was and never will be par isan.
= But if it be called partisan for one
aid by his voice and Influence, (Which
no the only aid the W. G. T. U. can Civ
"a the party or parties which best aocoI
an plish the same ends, aiding them so loI
,e and only so long as they truly rtpresel
is those principles and seek the accompli
* ment of those ends, if l say that
es called partisan, then in that sense t
of w. G. 7. U. is partisan, and 50, If 1t az
in good faith, is every association,
ed whatever ind, religious, reformato
nd labor or other which seeks legislation
sir aid it IN its purpose, because whett
he organized Or unorganized, whether wo
his ing together under a published ma
nc and creed, or temporarily united by
zen bond of a common purpose, there
always party behind every law enact
rth aud for an association to declare 't 3 Il
ais favor OF LsI%SI 49,