The Portland daily press., 1901-02-16
Kansas Matter Entirely
Says Mrs Stevens.
Thorough ArOusal Among Law
Abiding People of State.

The following despatch was sens out
from Chicago yesterday;
Mrs. L.. M. NJ. stevens of Portland,
Me-, president Of the W. &. Il. u, has
sent the following message to Mrs. Caro-
line Grow and Mrs. Chaplin, editors Of
the Union Signal, the ofiioisI organ:
Print as many GOOD things as you
can of Mrs. Carrie Nation, she certainly
has accomplished much
'iIt was the first endorsement that has
been. given Mira. Nation by the W. q. L.
Us officers.
''Mrs Nation wears q white ribbon,
but she said at Willard hall Wednesday
night: Il have not muon use for the
white ribbon and not SO very much for
the w. q. Il u They wouldn't help me
along with my work. They are too slow
The Endorsement, II we interpret II
that way, WAS given cautiously said
Mrs. Grow, 'as Mrs. Stevens is studying
Mrs. Nation and her methods Truly her
work in Kansas is remarkAb and the
entire W. &. L. U. is now recognizing
IT.
- do you think Miss Willard would
have approved Of Mrs. Nationr
by all means she would have liked
her work in kansas
Il think the W. q. L, U. in Chicago
Is being shaken up by Mrs. Nation, so
are the church pepole, said Mrs. Chaplin.
We are all too apathetio L doubt If thers
will be any bands of home defenders
rorIued here, but surely the women will
be quicsened by the Mrs Nation spirit. .
Mrs Stevens was seen last evening at
her home in Stroudwater by reporter of
the PRESS and asked about this des
patch.
1.-The managing editor of the Union
Signal wrote me and asked what attitude
should be taken regarding Mrs Nation, -
said Mrs. Stevens. 81 inoIosed clippings
from some papers and especially from the
Topeka CapltaI and said that 1t would be
well to print THESE as showing tine atti
tude OF the paper ana l Thought that II
would he we'll to print the good things
about Mira. Nation. We don recommend /
her methods nor do VS. condemn her. She
has, IN years gone by, suffered deeply |
from the liquor traiti3, and SO far as l
have learned the women who have ioiued /
her have been the wives and mothers OF I
those who have been victims OF the liquor
system. Mrs. Nation has had the endorse
ment of ministers, faithful officials and /
other good people to as great an extent as
he has had the endorsement of the W. G. /
L U. One week ago last Sunday she
Epoke in three different churches in To-
peka. At one of the week day meetings
a.
story which was written for such time
as this The title of :he story was, who
Killed Joe BabyS l have been in corre-
spondenos with MIR. Sheldon and Mrs.
Hutchinson, the president OF the Kansas
W. &. L. U., and many other Kansas
people. There is no doubt that these
have been history making days in Kan
sas, 1t is Kansas affair and it is we'll
fer good people TO reserve Judgment The
Kansas psopIe are unlike New England
els in their manners and methods Maine
had an Elijah Lovejoy, but 1t took Kan
sas to produce John Brown. The con-
ditions in Kansas which lad Mrs Nation
20 action are mott regrettable. Ihe con-
stitutional law OF the state was in many
places trampled under foot, and those
who nave allowed the law 10 be violated
have certainly done that which was rn-
justinable II not ansrchical The Nation.
al W. Z. L. U. has not endorsed Mrs
Nation nor has any state union including
Kansas, as far as L have been informed,
and have heard from every section of
the country regarding this matter about
which there is such difference OF opin-
ION. Accord ing TO the Topeka Capital
and letters which L have received today
from Kansas, judge that there Ia a thor
ough arouseal among the law abiding
people OF the state The joints have all
been closed in many of the cities, and in
others, arrangements are being made to
close or to leave the state / believe IN
law enforcement, that the prohi bltory
law is capable of enforcement and think
that there is "a better way than that
which is in vogue in some sections of our
state. Mrs. Nation is member Of the
w. q. Il. u and is also a member OF a
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