The Kennewick courier-reporter. [volume] (Kennewick, Wash.) 1914-1938, 1916-10-19
Womens. Club Dept.
Edited by Washington State Federation Of Womens Clubs
Mrs. Scion Shedd, President
To the Clubwomen of Washington:

To the Clubwomen of Washington:
Thru the courtesy of our president,
Mrs. Shedd, 1 am to have this oppor-
tunity of writing to you on a subject
which is very near to my heart; sub
ject which I believe to be of vital in
terest to every citizen of the state
and especially to every woman. In
presenting this subject, 1 am writing
as one woman to another and not Of
ficially.
When / recall the unanimous en-
dorsement of Initiative No. 8 two
years ago, when I recall the enthusi-
astic applause given to the utterances
OF Governor Lister at our Everett
convention last summer, when he
spoke of the benefits of prohibition in
our state and the need for strength
ening rather than weakening the pow
er of this enactment, I realize that as
whole, we clubwomen stand Loyalty
and heartily for the temperance prin-
ciple.
|. To my regret, I find such wide
spread apathy toward the danger in
volved in Initiative No. "a, the beer
law, to be voted on this fall, that I
fear it may be with some of you, as it
is with many splendid, earnest people
with whom have talked recently.
They are largely of two classes:
Either they feel there is no danger of
the law passing, because of the VIC
tory two years ago; or, they say, this
isn't such bad bill after all; it SIM
ply means that people who want beer
can get it in the state without send
ing out for it, etc. People who voted
for No. seem rather Indifferent as
to whether No. "a passes or not. Here
lies the danger: Let us be sure that
everybody in our community knows
just how this bill will change the
present status Of the liquor question.
In the recent primary campaign all
candidates were agreed in saying that
they believed that No. should not
be changed except by vote of the
people. If, by any chance, No. "a
should carry, these candidates, then
seated safely in Office, would claim
and with a show of justice, at that,
that the people themselves had re-
pudiated No. 8 and that they were abb
solved from their prediction pledge.
Ask candidates how they stand on
No. 10 and No. "a now before you
vote for them.
Let us consider this legislation in
detail.
The brewers sof Oregon, who are
submitting similar bill to the vot-
ers of that state, thru their attorney,
have said to the people of Oregon that
they realize there is prejudice against
the words Brewer" and "Beer;" they
therefore ask the people not to speak
Of their bill as the brewers Bill" or
the "Beer Bill" What title, think you
women of Washington, do they ask
for it? The Nursing Mothers Bill!
If the people of Oregon do not rise
up in their wrath to resent such an in
suit to the motherhood of their state
and to their own intelligence as cit
liens, they will deserve the disaster
they invite.
How many of you received and read
the initiative pamphlet, the white
Hope" as, believe, Secretary Howell
facetiously termed It? When you
read it, you will doubtless agree with
me that better name would be the
"Last Hope;" the last hope of the
brewers.
In the argument made for No. "a
by it's proposer, you will find eight
propositions, printed in capital let
tiers and intended to catch the eye of
the busy man, who, if he reads it at
all, will read as he runs and not con-
Germ himself too closely about the
truth or falsity of assertion. Of these
statements, the final five are either
false or misleading in the effect of
the truth stated unless one knows the
bill; the third is true, unfortunately,
but can be remedied; the last two, if
true, may give US hope. I would like
to quote these in full and answer them
in full. Space will not permit. If
any of you are interested in more
complete treatment that I can give
here, shall be glad to supply it.
First statement: "No. "a does not
involve the question of prohibition at
ALL" It absolutely nullifies prohibi-