The times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1897-1901, 1901-02-04
VIOLENCE NOT FAVORED
Local W. {. I. U. Women Discuss
Mrs. Nations Work.
Prominent Leaders See in Her Ac-
tions IL Possible Temperance Re
ing with the Motto of the Organ
ization. Which Calls for Peace.

| feel keen interest in the recent exploits
/ of Mrs. Carrie Nation in her crusade
against the saloons OF Kansas, is the
| Woman Christian Temperance Union
While it is not likely that the Union
would countenance the violent measures
adopted by Mrs. Nation to drive the sa-
loonkeepers of lie Grasshopper State out
of business. X, interest is felt in her
because she is woman engaged in tenn
| perance work.
| Her crusade is not dissimi1ar to a
movement which a number of years ago
resulted in the organization OF the W. C.
T U. A number of women of good social
position and connected with prominent
families in a small Ohio town became
alarmed at the inroads the local saloons
were making on the morality of the COM
munity. and conceived and put into prac-
tice the idea of holding prayer meetings
J in the saloons These measures were con-
demned in the most bitter terms. The
women who engaged in them were called
| fanatics and cranks. and in some cases
they were threatened with personal vio-
lence. But in spite of great opposition
the custom made great progress and soon
| saloons all over the country were invaded
by bands of women. The cause of tenn
perance received great impetus and the
formation of the W.. C. T. u, which has
at present a membership of 300, 000 was
the result of the agitation. Mrs. Nations
| exploits, although more extreme in their
nature. have been likened to the crusade
| which was the birth struggle of the
| w. c. T. U.
a number of the prominent members of
the w. C. T. U. who live in Washington.
and also some who have their homes 10
other parts of the country were seen yes
terday by Times reporter and asked
| their opinion of Mrs. Nation and the man
ner in which she has recently made bust
ness a dangerous occupation for the vio-
lators of the prohibitory laws in Kansas.
Mrs. Clinton Smith. who ig President OF
the District W. C. T. u. said in regard TO
the matter:
II don't believe that it is the foremost
| intention of Mrs. Nation, concerning
whom | know nothing except what has
| appeared in the press, to simply destroy
the fixtures of saloons and drinking
places. but rather that she adopts these
| methods to attract general public atten-
tiR to the fact that saloons are running
| vide open in Kansas. contrary to law
Her antagonistic mode of procedure is not
at all consistent vita the spirit of the
| w. C. T. L., which stands for peaceful
I
control over the personal actions of its
| members"
Mrs. John Bdwell, of California wife of
Gen. John Bidwell, who was at one time
the candidate of the Prohibition party for
President, is spending the winter in
Washington. She took a somewhat diff
ferent view of the action of the unique
Kansas temperance reformer
Il can't condemn Mrs. Nations meth
DDS of action she said II believe that
God at times is compelled to adopt start
ling methods as remedies for great evils.
And / believe that Mrs. Nation has been
raised up by the Lord. to bring the atten-
tion of the world to the fact that in Kan
sas the laws are being trampled under
foot.
The saloons which were attacked by
Mrs. Nation in Kansas we're Illicit enter
lprises, and of those which were devastated
the owners have no more redress than a
gambler has to collect a gaming debt. l
can understand how woman could be
driven to desperation by the sight of the
ruin being worked by the saloons. And
the refusal of officials to do their duty
would serve only to increase such feel
ing.
why the mirrors and pictures destroy
ed by Mrs. Nation in those saloons she
entered are as nothing compared with the
thousands of souls that have been destroy
ed through the use of liquor
1T is a great pity that a great nation
like ours which would turn out thousands
to fight on behalf of a down-trodden peo-
pie like the Cubans. should regard with
equanimity the great abuses that result
from the liquor traffic From all l learn
1t seems that Mrs. Nation is woman of
pure life and sweet character. Doubtless
she was frenzied by the Indifference to
the existing prohIbitory laws displayed by
local officials. / cannot bring myself to
| condemn her actions"
Mrs. l.. D. Merrick, one Of the promi-
nent White Ribboners Of Washington said:
81 cannot endorse Mrs. Nations actions.
l don't understand how woman could
bring herself to such a violent mode OF
procedure. But ther, maybe extremely
aggravating circumstances N6nnected with
| the condition OF affairs in the places where
she has created such conmotion. Her
| methods are In direct opposition with the
precepts Of the Woman's Christian Temper
ance Union one OF the departments OF
which is that OF peace and arbitration
Her actions are far more radical than
the crusade OF years ago. which resulted
| in the organization Of the National Wo-
mans Christian Temperance Union. OF
| course we cannot see the end which will be
attained by her agitation. Possibly it may
be the forerunner Of great reform
Mrs Alice J. Harris, prominent mem
Der Oh the W OHldn y lHTlSLis'h
| Union of Boston, and who is at the RIGGS
House when asked her opinion of Mrs.
Nations crusade against the saloons OF
Kansas. said:
while. of course, I do not endorse
Mrs Nations methods, still l cannot bring
myself to condemn her. We do not know
what misery she may have suffered
through the very saloons which she has
demolished. She may have been embit-
tered against them by the ruin they work
ed with some loved one and adopted her
present drastic measures after all her
appeals to the proper authorities to close
the saloons, had failed.
at first glance. her conduct appears
unrehned and unladylike. But it should
be remembered that the movement which
| resulted in the forming of the Woman S
Christian Temperance Union was cru
SADIE made agains, the saloons in OHIO
years ago when Christian women went
into the saloons and held prayer meetings
before the very bars. Perhaps Mrs. Ma
tons actions may be followed by an
equally great movement
| "At any rate she is causing people to
pause and think That fact alone will
work =. great good l hardly feel she
should be condemned unless the full facts
| in her case are known. That her actions
have done some good is evident from the
fact that her measures have been endorsed
by large numbers OF Kansas people
Mrs. Laura s. Weightman. Secretary OF
the District Woman's Christian Temper
ance Union, said: II don't wish TO either
condemn or to endorse Mrs. Nation s
actions. This reluctance is occasioned by
the fact that / am not acquainted suih'
GENTLY with the facts TO form decided
opinion. l would imagine, however That