Ottumwa semi-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1899-1903, 1901-04-23
Mrs. Carrie Godfrey on Mrs.
Nations Methods.
FORMER is IN THE CITY
Says That the W. c. T. U. Does Not
Indorse Mrs. Nations Methods
Neither Does the Organization Con.
denim Them-cites Iowa Cases.


saloon keepers, and if we were to at
tempt to carry Mrs. Nations work out
in this state we would be as lawless
as the saloon keepers IN Kansas,
where there is no mulct law" This is
the way in which Mrs. Carrie K. God
frey, of Lyons, looks at the Carrie Ma.
tion matter, and was her answer to a
question asked by Courier reporter
this morning, as to whether the Iowa
members of the w. C. T. u. will take
up the work of the hatchet crusader
in this state
Is Conducting Institute.
Mrs. Godfrey is in the city TO-DAY
for the purpose of conducting a w. c..
T. u. institute, which will be held this
afternoon and evening and tomorrow
morning, afternoon and evening, at
the First Methodist church. She is
state treasurer of the organization
and is also superintendent of the evan
gelistic work. Her duties take her to
various parts of the state and she is
thus well qualified to voice the senti-
ments of the members of the w. G..
T. U. all over Iowa.
Does Not Believe in Spurts.
Mrs. Godfrey is what might be call
ed conservative w. C. T. u. worker.
She believes in doing the work of the
organization with care and precision.
81 don't believe in spurts in work of
this kind" she said. l think that the
way in which We can accomplish the
most in Iowa is by agitation and edu-
cation, and this takes long and syste-
matte work
When asked If she endorsed the agi-
tation Carrie Nation made in Kansas,
Mrs. Godfrey smiled, and said: Il am
like Sam Jones in that particular I
do not say that do endorse Mrs. Ma
ton, but / had. rather have railroad
train Irn over me than say that I do
not. Indeed, l think that she did all
right in Kansas, and endorse her ac-
tfons because they help to keep up the
temperance agitation, without which
there is nothing we can do Some one
has to do something in Kansas. for
they do not enforce the laws there.
Mrs. Nation was not breaking the law
when she broke the saloons, for the
saloonkeepers were not protected by
the law | do not think that in Iowa,
where the saloonkeepers are protect
ed by the mulct law. there is anything
to be gained by Mrs. Nations meth
DDS, for by adopting them the women
would put themselves against the law.
Cites Iowa Cases.
There are some cases where this
does not apply, however. Estherville,
for instance, where the women smash
ed the joint, was in the same condition
as Kansas, in that there was no law
allowing the proprietors of the place
to conduct a saloon. They went all
over the town in an attempt to get
their petition signed, but failed to
achieve their object However, they
started their saloon anyway, and thus
put themselves out from under the pro-
lection of the law. The women smash
ed the place, and l cannot see but that
they did perfectly right.
AT Oxford, in this state, l also en-
dorse the action of the few women,
who, because the saloon keepers broke
the law by selling liquor to their hus-
bands, after having been warned not
to do so. I know nothing of the mat
ter at Centerville.
Mrs. Nation Not Condemned.
II think voice the sentiment of
everyone in the Iowa w. C. T. U. when
| say that the action of Mrs. Nation is
not condemned, although it is not Of
f1cially endorsed She is undoubtedly
agitating the public mind in the be-
half of temperance, and this agitation
is one of the steps by which we hope
to reach prohibition.
"In Iowa the question is different
one If the mulct law here is enforced
that is all we want just now. | am a
strict prohibitionist, and l believe the
time will come when the object of the
various temperance organizations
throughout the country will be reach
ed, although do not know when it
will be, but in spite of all this l want
to see the mulct law enforced, since
we have it. do not believe in licen-
sing the liquor traffic, but when the
law provides for such thing believe
the law should be enforced"
Believes In Prohibition.
"You think, then, that the lesser of
two evils is that the prohibition law
should be passed but that boot-leggine
should continue, than that the mulct
law be in force queried the reporter.
Most certainly do, for the passing
of the prohibition law would take pro-
lection of the law off the liquor traffic,
and fewer people, especially the young
men, would use liquor because they
would have less opportunity and less
inclination to drink"
Three institutes have been conduct
ed by Mrs. Godfrey in the second dis
trict of Iowa, as fixed by the w. c. It.
U. This district includes Appanoose.
Davis, Monroe and Wapello counties
and institutes have been held already
in Eldon and Abba. The officers Of