Ottumwa semi-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1899-1903, 1901-02-05
IS NOT SANCTIONED.
Opinions of w. g. T. u. Women
Concerning Acts of Mrs. Nation.
THINK HER MOTIVE is ALL RIGHT
Not Believed That She Will Come to
ottumWa-Opinions of Mrs. S. A.
Stout and Della B. RandeI-Don't
Believe She Is lncane.

On account of the wide spread in
terest which is manifested in the work
of Mrs. Carrie Nation, the temperance
reformer of Kansas, the Courier has
interviewed number of the members
of the w. c. T. U. of this city as to
their opinion of her actions. While
they all seem to think she is working
in good cause, yet they do not seem
to sanction the manner in which she
attempts to carry out her plan of re-
form. The general opinion is, that
she will confine her work to the state
of Kansas wher the law protects her
to a greater extent than in this state.
Mrs. S. A. Stuot.
Mrs. S. A. Stout, president of the
Woman's Christian Temperance I'm
ion of this city says: AS the saloons
are breaking the law themselves,
do not think that Mrs Nation is
violator of the law herself
by her work. The attention
of the people is called to the
lawlessness of the liquor traffic by
her methods and it sometimes requires
harsh measures to overcome crime.
While l myself. were l resident of
Kansas would not join Mrs. Nation in
the work is she is now doing it, yet I
would not hinder her. l think that
Mrs. Nation will confine her work to
Kansas as the laws of that state are
more in her favor than the laws of
this.
The w. G. 7. U. as an organization
does not uphold her, yet it does not
try to suppress her actions. Some of
the members sanction her work, but
only as individuals and not as an or.
ganization. |, myself, tL4nk that the
proper way to suppress the traffic, is
to educate the younger generation to
see the crime and misery it has pro-
duced and they will make laws against
it. The laws then have to be enforc-
ed, or they, as many other temper
ance laws of our states, will be of no
benefit to the cause.
Mrs. D. B. Randel.
Mrs. Della B. Randel, secretary Of
the Woman's Christian Temperance
Union of this city. says: AS do not
know what motive has prompted Mrs.
Nation in her work. can not express
myself as to whether I think she is
justified or not. / do not know wheth-
err it is the irony of her heart, or if she
is being prompted by other people,
which leads her fearlessly on in the
cause. l do not approve of her de-
stroying valuable property yet do
approve of her destroying all
the liquor in her power. When
she destroyed large plate glass
mirror in Wichita saloon the
other day, think she was right as,
the glass was used to exhibit immoral
pictures. Mrs. Nation may look at
the liquor question the same as the
slavery question was viewed by some
during the civil war. 1t was not I'M
til nearly oil of the southern property
was destroyed that slavery was abol-
ished. | think that the w. G. T. u. in
this city does not sanction Mrs. Ma
tons methods, yet it does not con-
denim her.
Will Not Modest Iowa.
AS the law here is different from the
Kansas law, do not think she will
leave Kansas and come to this state.
1 think the liquor will be
suppressed when the ballot is
placed in the hands of the
women. They as rule, do not have
business interests that would suffer
by their coming out squarely and en-
forcing the law. l do not think that
Mrs. Nation is mentally unbalanced
and when think of the enormous
amount of crime and disaster that can
be traced directly to the use of liquor,
the acts of Mrs. Nation seem to be, in
one sense of the word, almost justi-
fed. would not assist her myself,
should it become my opportunity to
do SO, in the manner in which she is
now working, yet am willing to do
anything that can for the good of
the cause. think, that first, the laws
we now have should be rigidly enforc-
ed and that persuasion instead Of
force would be of greater benefit to
the cause"
"When the grip left me my nerves
and heart were badly affected; but l
t.alri,aer AIiIos.,--