The Cecil Whig. [volume] (Elkton, Md.) 1841-current, 1892-10-15
w, G.. L. u.

MIR. EDITOR:
There seems to be a desire on the part of
many to understand more fully the differ
ence between the Partisan and NonPartisan
Woman's Christian Temperance Unions.
Ten years ago the members OF the w. c.
7. U. were united band of women, work
ing harmoniously for the cause to which
they had devoted their time and energies.
In the fall of 1882 the national convention,
responding to an appeal of Miss Willard,
passed mild political resolution. In 1915
the resolutions passed by the convention
pledged the influence OF the members to the
Prohibition party, In the latter year the
president asserted in her address: eve
want the Democratic party to bite the dust
and will do our utmost to work its final
overthrow. 1t is the enemy of our cause
and we pronounce upon it ;he anathems
maranatha of the American home. Nor
can we do less to that degenerating party
(Republican) which some of US loved. X
The two parties nationally the
sworn allies of the saloon. The White
Ribbon army is the open enemy of both,
while the new movement prohibition
party which from the disintegrating forces
of the old, gathers out the best material for
a new party, is the one that h as our pray
ers, our hopes, our loyalty. : Some
of our good friends urge us to he non
partisan because we have always been non
sectarian, but the Cases are not parallel
In 1856 IN addition to passing resolution
pledging Our prayers and influence to the
support Of the Prohibition party" the
national convention adopted the following
by law: ANY resolution referring to our
attitude toward political parties is to be
decided by vote without discussion" OF
course this action Was taken to close the
mouths of those women who believed and
maintained that an organization composed
of individuals of different political prefer
ences, has no right to pledge the support of
that organization to any one party and that
the gospel temperance work of the Union
should be free fir ON the antagonisms that
partisan position would create, ard should
be kept above the plane of party politics
and outside of party limitations.
al 4NdSuflllO ti1uudl Llc6blDB III 1901
a constitutional amendment reading, "I'his
association shall be known as the National
Woman's Christian Temperance Union,
and shall be non sectarian in religious and
non partisan in political work." offered by
Mrs. Foster, was voted down. In COM
meuting on this action, President Willard,
after stating that they had established their
non-sectarian character, said: "As to being
non partisan, it was far from our intent.
In st. Louis OSS4) we had crossed the
Rubicou forever, and with us it was case
of Sink or swim, live or die, survive or
perish, give my heart and hand to this
vote" At this same meeting at Nashville
a stroug resolution was adopted pledging
the members TO cooperate with the Prohibi
tion party, and another asking the party to
reaffirm its former position in regard to
suffrage for women.
At New York in 1888 the resolution
passed re affirmed their allegiance to that
party which II axes its dominant issue the
suppression of the liquor traffic, recognizes
equal suffrage for women, etc. Miss VIII
lard in her address that year said: To-day
our National w. G. L. U. while recogniz-
ing the liberty of each state to be partisan
or not, as it elects, is practically partisan
with exceptions 50 small that they but
prove the beauty of the rule She refer
red to Iowa as being the only State that
was overwhelmingly non partisan. She
said she had asked Chairman Dickie of the
Prohibition Party how the w. c. T. U.
women could help in the Fisk and Brooks
campaign. The convention voted to make
Miss Willard consulting member of the
national committee of the Prohibition
party. Chairman Dickie issued circular
asking the members Of the local unions to
each contr ibute sum not less than ten
cents to the campaign fund.
The National w. C. L. U. continued to
pass partisan resolutions; non partisan
amendments offered from time to time
were voted down, delegates from the unions
and officers in their official capacity attend
ed the conventions of the Prohibition party
and conveyed to them the influence and
allegiance of the w. G. I. u; some of the
officers OF the union were paid lecturers of
the lecture bureau of the same party; its
official organ the Union Signal reported the
conventions and took leading part in the
canvass of the Prohibition party, the states
which fell into line and supported ''Our
standard bearers" were pronounced loyal"
to the national aud the inference followed
that those which did not were djsoyal.
All of which acts prove the parts 4nship of
the National w. c. I. U.
---N-Sp nlrtisan women tsi!ta-tral1u me He'd.
> - . 81. .5c.ss-1 member contributing
feT annual dues to the national union
became part Of the whole and was res
ponsible for its acts. They believed the
political action OF the w. c, 7. L. was
greatly hinderipg rather than advancing
the cause of temperance. In this belief
they felt it cOwardy and uniustitiable to
longer remain in the organ:z alton, and
withdrew from il, aud formed the non par
tisan w. G I U. the corner stones of which
are non sectarianism and non partIsanship,
aud which welcomes within its folds,
women of all shades of Christian aud poliit
ical belief, TO work for temperance AID
prohibition, which WAS the original plan of
the w. G. L. U.
The new or non partisan w. G. I. U.
year ago, had fourteen state organic atoms
with a membership of ten thousand and is