Fulton County Tribune (Wauseon), March 13, 1914

AN APPEAL FOR WORKERS

W. C. T. U. Solicits Aid in Finance and Influence for Coming Equal Suffrage Campaign-Through Organization Being Planned.

Do you know the is a Woman’s Christian Temperance Union in Wauseon? Are You a member? Do you know what it stands for? If not investigate, get in line, something doing.

We think sometimes the community in which the Womans Christian Temperance Union is laboring fails to see what it stands for in that community. It is classed as a bunch of temperance fanatics; that may be true to some extent, but it reaches out farther and broader and deeper than that. W. C. T. U. is interested in all moral reforms; its aim, votes for women, the W. C. T. U. want equal suffrage for the same reason that other organizations of women are asking for the ballot and for the added reason that they may strike the fatal blow to the liquor traffic. Our object, State-wide and Nation-wide prohibition. When the women get the ballot, they will vote for prohibition. It is the wives and sisters and mothers and they only, who will drive the nails into the coffin of John Barleycorn” – Jack London.

Womens Suffrage is now the live issue before the American people State of Ohio to vote again on equal suffrage amendment in November election, petitions to be filed in April Indications of awakened Interest - Success Predicted.

We are just starting in this campaign for suffrage and we are earnestly soliciting the aid of every good woman and man. Wauseon citizens are so generous to assist every good movement coming to town, now we are much in need of finance and influence to carry on this campaign. Won’t you help us?

Colorado on the firing line
Then forward Colorado!
Hurrah! Hurrah! We’ll all unite
To win the fight for God and Colorado! Unite and fight for
God and Colorado!
“Everybody’s singing it to the ringing tune of “Dixie” because its true.”

Because every denominational meeting in the state has come out for state wide prohibition this year. Because the forces of the Anti-Saloon League led by Rev. Arthur J. Finch, a clean, honest, brave and resourceful man, are marching with the W. C. T. U. as never before. Because the great Methodist, Bishop, McConnell is giving his time and wisdom to the initiatory conferences that mean so much and leading his fine body of preachers in that state into the thick of the fight.

The petitions to initiate the constitutional amendment are in charge of the W. C. T. U. and it goes without saying that our clear visioned, courageous president will see that the remotest hamlet speaks its need, under the dome of the capitol, for a clean state.

The Anti-Saloon League of the state has set itself the task of organizing the counties to the last votes and in view of that vast domain that will be a great achievement.”-Union Signal.

In 1914 the Woman’s Christian Temperance Union (WCTU) started a new a campaign for women’s suffrage. Everyone knew what the women of the WCTU would do if they were granted voting rights. 

The WCTU was founded in Cleveland in 1874 with the primary objective of combating the influence of liquor on society. It would prove influential in the temperance movement. The WCTU was inspired by the Woman’s Crusade, which was an anti-liquor effort conducted during the winter of 1873-1874. The WCTU eventually grew to become involved in more than the temperance movement, this included the suffrage movement. It became key organizing many leaders in the suffrage movement and getting more women involved in the fight for suffrage. The WCTU started a campaign for women’s suffrage in 1914 with the help of some outside the organization. 

One of these individuals was Rev. Arthur J. Finch, a member of the Anti-Saloon League. The Anti-Saloon League was one of the most powerful prohibitionist groups in the whole country and worked with many other organizations of the same goal. Another to help was American Methodist Bishop Francis John McConnell. McConnell was born in 1871 in Trinway, Ohio, and entered the Methodist ministry in 1894. After McConnell had served as pastor in churches in Massachusetts and New York, he became president of DePauw University in 1909. He was elected bishop in 1912 and worked for various reformations such as supporting the Report on the Steel Strike of 1919.