The morning call., 1893-11-03
A LONG PETITION.
Half a Mile of Names for
Press Purity.
LADIES STILL CANVASSING.
All the Churches Report Progress,
and Every Denomination Is In
terested in the Movement.

II don't know that can say much te
you," said Mrs. Edna Smell Poulson, when
questioned yesterday by CALL reporter
respecting the progress which the ladies
are making in securing signatures to theil
petition praying for greater purity OF the
press.
"The reason that | have not much to
say" she continued, smiling, "is that we
have stopped talking and gone to acting
You know formerly, when anything went
| wrong, women used to get together and
discuss it, and all the talk would, perhaps,
end in their reading paper OR two. But
now we have gone 10 work, and we are
going on with it quietly and steadily. fol
we think that the best way to prove that
we are in dead earnest is to send up list
of names to the editors which will astOnish
them. Many of the ladies of Oakland
never go to make calls or cross to San
Francisco without their petitions in their
pockets. You know, there is no telling
when we might meet some OF our friends
and get them to sign"
Mrs. Poulson's account exactly described
the quiet energy with which the ladies are
working all over the State. A large num-
ber of our women 60 armed with petitions
uUWdudyo. ColcIudy Odh-
land lady produced one on the ferry-boat
crossing to San Francisco and started
pIuckily through the saloon TO secure sig
natures.
The first three women to whom she pre-
sented it had already signed, the fourth
knew nothing of the movement. When it
was explained briefly. however, she
was splendid thing and should have been
done long ago. She read the petition
through very carefully and then handed 1t
back to the canvasser with a word of
thanks for the chance to append her name.
The next lady addressed was holding a
sleeping baby and excused herself; she
would sign later. The next one informed
the canvasser. with laugh, that she had
a number of the petitions in her possess
sion. and was rapidly getting .them filled.
As it turned out most of those asked had
already signed, but the canvasser was not
discouraged. Every name counts" she
said, "and it is a comfort to know they
have signed"
CALL reporters visited a number of
churches of various denominations yesser-
day. and all reported satisfactory progress.
This is not our work, you erstand," "
| said DR.. Williams of the Plymouth Con-
gregational Church. "The ladies are man.
aging it, and they seem to be doing so with
great activity. l know that number OF
signatures UdFo Deeu OUtdlucu dmUuS EIy
| own congregation and those of the other
! Congregational churches in the city.
II have received unsolicited word from
a parson at Lockford that in his own
| church over fifty had signed. If the other
ladies all over the State have done the
same thing in anything like proportion
they would be gathering in an enormous
number of signatures.
| Most of the Episcopal churches are work
Ing actively for the petitions through the
guilds and women's organizations con.
| nected with the various parishes. The
fact that Bishop Nichols officially ap-
proved the movement In letter which
was read at the meeting In Miss Vests