Illinois W. C. T. U. the Pioneer. 379 Believing that the hour had come for us, the Woman's Christian Temperance Union of Illinois, at its annual meeting, nearly two months ago, indorsed the action of the Lake Bluff Convocation, held a few days earlier, and composed of representative temperance men and women from twelve different states. In many a meeting of our temperance women I have seen the power of the Highest manifest, but in none has the glow of Crusade fire been so bright as when these daughters of heroic sires who, in the early days of the great party whose defection we deplore, endured reproach without the camp, solemnly declared their loyalty to the Home Protection party, wherein dwelleth righteousness. Let me read you the statement of doctrine to which we women of Illinois subscribed: "We recommend that, looking to the composition of the next legislature, we request and aid the Home Protection party to put in nomination in each district a Home Protection candidate, committed not more by his specific promise than by his well-known character, to vote for the submission of a constitutional amendment, giving the full ballot to the women of Illinois as a means of protection to their homes. "Finally, to these advance positions we have been slowly and surely brought by the logic of events and the argument of defeat in our seven years' march since the Crusade. We have patiently appealed to existing parties, only to find our appeals disregarded. We now appeal to the manhood of our state to go forward in the name of 'God and Home and Native Land.'" Ten days later the Liquor League of Illinois held its convention, the day being universally observed by our unions in that state in fervent prayer that God would send confusion and defeat as the sequel of their machinations. Let me read you their declaration : "Resolved, That the district executive committee be instructed to make a vigorous fight against all such candidates for the General Assembly, no matter what political party they may belong to, who cannot be fully relied upon to vote in favor of personal liberty and an equal protection of ours, with all other legitimate business interests." They want protection, too! and they know the legislature alone can give it. But we know, as the result of our local Home Protection ordinance, under which women have voted in nearly a dozen widely separated locali- | ties of Illinois, and have voted overwhelmingly against license, that our enfranchisement means confusion and defeat to the liquor sellers. Therefore, since for this we have prayed, we must take our places at the front and say, with the greatest reformer of the sixteenth century: "Here I stand. I can do no other. God help me. Amen!" Here, then, at the nation's capital, let us declare our allegiance; here let us turn our faces toward the beckoning future; here, where the liquor traffic pours in each year its revenue of gold, stained with the blood of our dearest and best, let us set up our Home Protection standard in the name of the Lord! But the convention took no action; the sentiment of the society was not yet ripe for the declaration I so earnestly desired. 380 A Secession that Did Not Secede. Of this convention, held in Foundry M. E. Church, the most notable feature was the large attendance from the Southern states, a delegation of thirty or more from a majority of these states, being present, headed by Mrs. Sallie F. Chapin. At this convention the following resolution was adopted : "Resolved, That wisdom dictates the Do-everything policy; Constitutional Amendment, where the way is open for it; Home Protection' [1. e., the vote for women on the temperance question only], where Home Protection is the strongest rallying cry; Equal Franchise, where the votes of women joined to those of men can alone give stability to temperance legislation." The Plan of Work Committee also recommended: "A Committee on Franchise whose duty it shall be to rurnish advice, instruction and assistance to states that so desire, in inaugurating measures for securing and using woman's ballot in the interest of temperance." The Southern delegation requested permission not to vote upon these measures, but showed a degree of tolerance not to have been expected of them at their first convention. Besides, Susan B. Anthony was present as a visitor, was introduced on motion of a delegate and publicly kissed by an enthusiastic Quaker lady from the West. All this had alarmed the conservatives, and a few of them withdrew, stating that they could no longer keep us company. The New York Tribune, which had never reported our work, nor shown the least interest in our proceedings except as an antagonist, now came out with displayed headlines announcing that our society had "split in two." The facts were that out of a total of two hundred and eighteen delegates, only twelve to fifteen delegates left us. They made immediate overtures to the Southern women to join them, stating that "then there would be a conservative movement divested of the radicalism that was destroying this one"; but the Southern ladies said, "they had seceded once, and found it did n't work." Not one of them joined the malcontents, but the latter formed themselves into the "National Woman's Evangelical Temperance Union," which had, perhaps, a dozen auxiliaries, but soon died for lack of members. At this convention the constitution was so changed that actual membership became the basis of representation instead of, Mission and Com-mission. 381 as heretofore, allowing so many delegates to each congressional district, no matter how few its white ribbon women. New women came to us continually with bright ideas about the work. Personal initiative was at a premium and a new department usually developed from the advent of a woman with a mission, to whom, after a study of her character and reputation, we gave a com-mission. We thus conserved enthusiasm and attached experts to our society. WCT CHAPTER II. NATIONAL CONVENTIONS. In August of 1882, a "Home Protection Convention" met in Chicago, to which rallied the "old liners" as well as the new converts. There were present three hundred and forty-one delegates from twenty-two states. A substantial reorganization of the party followed, the name becoming "Prohibition Home Protection Party." Gideon T. Stewart, of Ohio, was made chairman of the national committee, and Rev. Dr. Jutkins, secretary. I there became officially related to a political party as a member of its central committee and have been thus related almost ever since. A new force was added to the Prohibitionists by means of this convention, chiefly drawn from the Crusade movement and consisting of men and women who had dearly loved the Republican party and who retired from it with unaffected sorrow. In the autumn of this year I renewed the political attack, closing my annual address before our National Woman's Christian Temperance Union Convention in Louisville, Ky., with these words: Protection must be administered through a mighty executive force and we call that force a party. Happily for us, what was our earnest expectation last year, is our realization to-day. The Prohibition Home Protection Party stands forth as woman's answered prayer. In the great convention of last August at Chicago, where three hundred and forty-one delegates represented twenty-two states, where North and South clasped hands in a union never to be broken, we felt that the brave men who there combined their energy and faith were indeed come unto the kingdom for such a time as this. "The right is always expedient," and the note of warning which this non-partisan convention may sound in the ears of partisans will serve the cause of constitutional amendment far better than the timid policy of silence. It will help, not hinder, our onward march; for we must each year fall back Our First Political Resolution. 383 ward if we do not advance. God's law of growth does not exempt the Woman's Christian Temperance Union. Therefore I call to you once more, sisters beloved, “Let Us Go Forward!" As we now proceed with the duties in whose sacred name we are met, let it be said of us as of a gifted Southern statesman, whose biography I have read in the Courier-Journal, since coming here: "He never questions the motives of men. He always argues the merits of the case." As the great general said to the boatman, so the temperance cause is saying here to us, 'Remember, you carry Cæsar and his fortunes." God grant that we may be so wise and gentle that the cause we love shall not be wounded in the house of its friends. "We have no time to waste In critic's sneer or cynic's bark, Twill soon be dark; Then choose thine aim And may God speed the mark." But I saw that the convention was reluctant to make this new departure. Profoundly convinced that it ought to do so, I sought my friend, Mrs. L. D. Carhart, then president of Iowa Woman's Christian Temperance Union, and asked her to write a resolution bearing on the subject. She told me afterward that she went alone into an undisturbed corner of the church, lifted up her heart to God in prayer, and wrote the following, which was adopted with practical unanimity: "Resolved, That we rejoice in the day that gives recognition to our prohibition principles by political partisans and we will endeavor to influence the best men in all communities to commit themselves to that party, by whatever name called, that shall give to them the best embodiment of prohibition principles, and will most surely protect our homes. " Nothing is truer than that most people are more afraid of words than of ideas, and as this resolution avoided naming any party, while really pointing one out by its description, the convention passed it with very little difficulty. At this convention, Our Union was consolidated with The Signal and removed to Chicago. The Flower Mission, Kitchen Garden and other departments of work were added, and prejudices against the public work of women were broken down as never before among the Southern people. The number of delegates present was one hundred and forty-six, from twenty-seven states. Receipts from state auxiliaries, $4,046. The next year we called "OUR TEMPERANCE ROUND-UP," borrowing the expressive phrase of the Western plains. I was |