The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1897-04-15
,g forceful things

A forcefui way of saying forceful things
makes an address by Mrs. Clara Hoffman,
national recording secretary of the w. g.
I. u, something to be remembered The
male sex, or. as she terms Ii individuals
of male persuasion" are not apparently
in high regard with Mrs. Hoffman. though
she has thought enough Of a peculiarly
masculine attribute TO adopt trousers
pockets in her skirts and she has also
acquired the habit of hanging her hands
in these pockets. But aside from this re-
mote tribute to masculinity she Is dis
posed TO look down on man from .
great, overawing altitude. She says
many things that make man feel
about so high" but nothing with which
one would feel competent TO take issue
with any measure OF success.
Mrs. Hoffman hates the liquor traffic,
and fights IL. She strikes not at the sa-
loon and Its keeper. but at the law and
the lawmakers which makes the existence
of the saloon possible. Every blow aim
ed at the liquor traffic is a blow for the
enfranchisement of women. So INSOFAR
ably are these two ideas mingled that
Mrs. Hoffman campaigns to win the death
OF the former through the life Of the latter.
She does not talk against the liquor
dealer but against the people-the men
people"-constituting the power OF the
government. II would be impolitic TO
talk OF the saloonkeeper. who is not pres
ent. she says. She will talk about the
real maIefactors. the voters who are with
In sound of her voice.
There was a fair representation or the
voting population at the First Methodist
Protestant church last night TO hear Mrs.
Hoffman speak. There was a larger con-
tingent OF the non-voters. Both to-
gether made large audience and one en-
I inently appreciative. The prominent
- r~xxFwl In. -
Tuesday evening and addressed a gather
ing in the First Presbyterian church.
Her second public appearance in this
city was last night A biographical
sketch OF Mrs. Hoffman appeared In the
Post-Intelligencer last Sunday. The local
branch Of the ". c. T. L. has been pre-
pairing reception Tor the distinguished
visitor for some time.
The meeting held last night was presid-
Ell over by Mrs Nellie Smith. president OK
the Lake Union Women's Christian Tenn
perance Union. The speaker was intro
duced, after preliminary music by the
fun white ribbon choir OF the church.
by Rev. w. NJ kellogg.
Mrs Hoffman attacked her subject
without prclimlnaries. going at once 70
the cause 90 the domination OF the liquor
traffic. and working logically through 10
the remedy Her discourse was illumined
by figures OF homely force and the audi
/ ence was entirely prepared for such good
] Anglo Saxon verbiage as chuck for
throw. Her voice was powerful, and the
! tntonations dweit pieasiEgly on the ear.
She advanced the theory that one OF
the prime difficulties In aghting the liqdor
;rafic was the tendency In the nation 10
congestion in cities. The census OF 1870
showed a percentage OF twenty nine and
a fraction OF the entire population living
in cities % 5000 or more population. Nun
scipal misrule prevailed in every one rf
these cities north. south. east and west.
There was corruption in every municipal
ifv. no matter what its location Chicago
was a representative city. II was always
changing its politics, now Republican.
now Democratic but always saloon
ocratic" "A for the parties. there was
just the difference between which ami
tother."
Continuing she said the greatest evil
africting the country was the law Of en-
franchisement. A foreigner could live IN
this country Ave years and then become
naturalized and have the privilege OF the
ballot This time was short enough. but
IN All the states OF the Union save four.
even this limit had been cut down, and
foreigner. after residing IN the state four.
six or twelve months. could take the oath
Of citizenship ard have the right TO vote
on all questions Of the city, county and
n
OF this procedure she spoke o. the 1870
Italian lahorers imported IN 1880 20
work on the Rock Island railroad extern
sion. running through 70 Colorado. The
Italians had to receive orders through In
ferpreterS and understood nothing % the
language or customs % the country Yet
when six months had passed they were
enabled 20 take the oath or citizenship
and were voted a. the polls Ike machines
- ~.
while the women @ the country stood BY.
. hauo;less and helpless These foreigners
were mostly individuals q the male per
s,3astoT " who had left their families IN
Ff,rope and intended returning there
when their work was done, They knew
less than fnelr rsules who could AT least
understand something Of the English Ian
Euage Several other Instances she cited
Z ,-harr the arfrarci merit az women had
been defeated ~ fhs foreign vote. And
We, she exciaiuaea. with fns scorn. they
car this government for the people, Of
tire people and by the people. What peo-
rter The men peop3e- L is uOt necessary
that citizen - patriotic or even lnteIh-
Fsnt IN order % be allowed 20 vote Tee
only Indispensable requisite Is masculine
gender"
The fault % tire government anG the
people was that they If4 nothing because
Il Was right. but because % is ezpe3i-
~ Even ire church was polite and
feared 20 - aggressive. II was rot TIE
wrong q slavery that called out re
armies n he civil var. bat = question OF
n. exre6leney o. preserving ths Union.
4 TIE churches we're powsrisss because two
thirds os the members Eere women
vorr.r with opinions btt without the
right 70 register them. Selfish politicians
she branded as rhe most guilty class u
people In tire co0rGry.
The saloGnks~per. she sad. IN cor
: eirssor. is 70 more guilty than the city