Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1892-10-29
WOMAN IN POLITICS.
Miss Frances Willard Has Words of
l'raise and Censure For
BOTH CLEVELAND AND HARRISON,
Though She Still Sticks to the Party
Led by General Bidwell.
A GREAT PLEA FOR FEMALE SUFFRAGE

A GREAT PLEA FOR FEMALE SUFFRAGE
DENVER, Oct 28-The great National
Convention of the w. C. T. y. held its
first session in this city to-day. The time
was occupied by the usual addresses of well
come and responses, reports of officers and
the very interesting address of Miss
Willard, the President. The following
are the most striking points in the address:
1t has been stated by military experts that
40 well trained soldiers are able to resist
10000 who have no discipline If the tenn
perance army, compared with the great
army OF the world. is as small as this COM
parison-the figures being 40 and 10000
would indicate. and no doubt it is. We
must remember that those who have
their hearts set as flint, those
whose eyes look straight on and who
have caught step one with another so that
they march in an unbroken host, must In
the nature OF things make mighty inroads
on the great mobocracy of thoughtless, 1g-
norant, careless opponents, who, except
when they are drinkers and sellers OF drink,
need but the arrest of thought to bring
them to our ranks. It is for
this reason that the woman's
temperance movements are without
a parallel and without n peer; but it does
not expect to win through any sleight-of-
hand. 1t does not expect to surprise the
enemy by skirmishes or night attacks; but
in the strong light of reason. conscience,
faith, it does expect to put to rout the
armies of alienS--those aliens of appetite.
Ignorance and greed which form the only
hope eofwhisky-makers OF and beer politicians
Va uf,of oh n N
thropic movement has wanted since the
world bcgan-that is power
Homes for Drunkards Wanted.
With reiteration that may have seemed
wearisome have insisted for many years
that our State unions ought to petition
their. Legislatures to build homes for men
who are under the drink habit, and to pass
laws compelling the detention Of drunkards
within these friendly walls. where work
should be provided for them and every ef-
fort made to give them back to the self-con-
troll which. they have thoroughly lost. 1t
seems to me that 1t would be well to estab-
lish an institution Of our own in which the
entire management would he in the hands
phiian thropists as we'll as Specialists.
There is no object that we White Ribbon
ers SO much desire to photograph upon the
brain of every voter as the American saloon.
1t is larger picture in this country than it
can be in any other, because we are the
largest Of republics. The most portentious
factor in American politics is the saloon.
The saloons in New York City control the
votes of 10000 men, and these 10000 consti-
tute the balance OF power, so that we have
20 men who can swing the vote of New York
City; but as the city goes so does the State,
and as the State goes so does the nation. .
If we could we would do more. 1t is idle
to say that the prohibition movement is not
one of continual progress. We admit that
we have passed the stage OF en- thusiasm and
n ndvQncfnU
veterans. The Province of Manitoba, by q
plebiscite, has recently declared by large
majority in favor or prohibition, and its
Legislature ia practically certain to pass
law to that effect.
States Claimed for Prohibition.
South Carolina has shown its colors in a
similar fashion, though by a different
method, and is likely to be the next State
falling into line. Kansas Republicans have
come out nobly fora constitutional amend
ment that shall give women the full ballot.
That means prohibition universally en-
forced. May the movement become general.
If so, it will be warmly supported by the W.
CT. u,
While my honest fealty is given to General
Bidwell and Rev. j. B. Cranfield-our own
ticket-by which mean the ticket to which
the - White Ribboners lend their influence
l can still rejoice in the strong help given to
the cause OF civil service reform by the
Democratic candidate, while 1 grieve
to learn since my arrival Of his
many Hall; and 1 remember proudly
as a patriot the clean. personal record of
the present President while 1 bemoan his
use OF wine and the tact that he can by no
means return to power without the liquor
vote. None of us at this time, when the
shadow of great bereavement hangs over
the head OF our Chief Magistrate, should fail
to tender him our sympathy and prayers.
StattSticians report that during 1890 there
were well nigh 1900 fewer marriages in
Franco than in 1885, A companion statement
5000 divorces in the same country; but, be it
remembered, there is no woman question in
France.
Fair Woman as Political Force.
The recent national census has facts
enough to furnish for temperance labor and
suffrage reforms for the next decade. 1
wrote recently to Hon. Carroll D. Wright,
Commissioner of Labor. asking him to give
me the number of women OF foreign and
native. birth in the United States. The
answer showed the proportion of native to
foreign born women is as six
to one. We talk ABOUT the decadence.of ma
tional spirit, the on drop in our legislation
the while we have in America a reserve
force of native brain, opinion, education, pa
triotism, and we have neither the wisdom
nor the craftsmanship to utilize this mighty
mass OF power. To-day, in the homes of
America, among its teachers and its work.
ing women, are the ballots for which our
purblind statesmen imagine themselves to
be looking.
The Columbian exposition is bound to be
the worlds wonder. Women have a hand
in it this time, and will add the touch of
homelikeneSS that has never been present
in any exhibition of the kind in like degree.
This is u Christian country, and Christians
are commanded to remember the Sabbath
day to keep it holy. Whatever our personal
views concerning the details of this plan,
We must stand solidly as an association in
the emergency that faces US. We must make
general attack on State Legislatures to
cover thcir State exhibits in case Con-
gress does not continue (after election) to
stand for Sunday closing. Chicago will be
the national battle ground for the next
year.
The polyglot petition has been indorsed
and signed this year by LIE, 735 persons.
The present prospect is Chat, with the
putting down or all the names thus gained,
the petition will be over Il miles long.
Names are coming in constantly from all
parts of the world.