The Temperance Movement Makes Its Mark in Seattle
Western Washington women organize to battle 'worthless' sensational literature and the influence of the liquor trade.
The story, cleaned up
A cleaned-up reading of the newspaper page: spelling and layout repaired, one story lifted off a crowded page. It follows the original closely but it is not a transcription. The original page is below; read it if a detail matters.
About twenty delegates reported at the convention, which opened yesterday forenoon. This number was largely augmented by members of the local union. Mrs. Margaret Le Sourd of Olympia, President of the Western Washington Division, led the devotional exercises. The report of the organizer, Prof. Mattie L. Hansee, showed that during the year unions were established at Seattle, Coupeville, Semiahmoo, Ferndale, Anacortes, Whatcom, Oak Harbor and White River. Mrs. C. K. Jenner delivered a report on 'Influencing the Press,' decrying sensational daily newspapers and the circulation of 'vile' sheets among children. She called for legislative action to make it a misdemeanor to sell or show such publications to minors, citing the example of Governor Cleveland of New York. The assembly also discussed the necessity of introducing temperance textbooks in public schools and resolved to resent invitations to visit places of amusement where liquor is sold.
“The door of millennial glory has a child's hand on the latch.”
This 1884 convention captures the W.C.T.U.’s push to weaponize moral outrage against what they viewed as the 'vile' media of the era, a dynamic that echoes contemporary debates over content moderation and the regulation of information access. The group's success in influencing local politics shows the early power of organized grassroots advocacy in Seattle's civic life.
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