GOOD TEMPLARS.
Up to 1852-3 women were excluded from the several temperance secret fraternities which had come into existence, such as the “Sons of Temperance” and similar societies. To give to women a chance to work for the cause in the same way the order of the “Daughters of Temperance” was organized, but Mrs. Bloomer persistently refused to connect herself with them for the reason that she believed that women and men should be admitted to all such societies on a footing of perfect equality. The church opened its doors to both alike; so she insisted the secret societies should do the same. But in the latter part of 1852, the order of “Good Templars” was organized in Onondaga County, and soon spread out over the adjacent counties. It admitted women to membership and to all offices on an entire equality with men. Mrs. Bloomer was greatly pleased with the idea, and when a lodge of the new order was established in the village she soon became an active member, took great interest in its work, and held various positions in the lodge. She believed that it furnished an opening for women’s work in the Temperance cause which should not be neglected. In a notice of this new temperance organization, in the July number of the Lily, Mrs. Bloomer says:
“Of course, to those who believe that women should not work together with the men in the Temperance Cause this organization presents insuperable objections. No man who is not willing to admit woman to entire equality with himself in labors, duties, honors and offices, who is not willing that her vote should be deposited with his in the same ballot-box, and her voice be raised with his on all questions relating to its affairs, need apply for membership in this order. But the number of such men is small, indeed, and is daily growing beautifully less. It has long been the desire of many Sons of Temperance to admit women into their doors, and the recent omission of the National Division of that order to comply with that desire has sadly disappointed many of its best members. But what the Sons of Temperance have refused to do, the Good Templars amply provided for, and this feature we believe to be one of its chief excellencies, and which more than any other will commend the order to the hearty approval of the high-minded and right-thinking portion of the temperance community.”
The first State gathering of the new order was held in Ithaca, in June, 1853. Mrs. Bloomer was appointed a delegate to it from her local lodge, along with her husband, and when the state grand-lodge was organized she was admitted to that, also. A Rev. Mr. Wilson had been engaged to deliver the address, but he failed to attend. Mrs. Bloomer described the result as follows:
“They then selected me to take his place. On the morning of the public demonstration, an unthought-of trouble arose. The church which had been engaged to Mr. Bristol was now refused to a woman. Its trustees would not open it for a woman to speak in. This caused a great excitement among the men. They gathered in the lodge-room to consider the situation. They were puzzled to know what to do. They would not give up their speaker. There was talk of going to a grove, but it was too far; talk of speaking in the street, but there was no shade; and the lodge-room was not large enough. Finally the Baptists came to their relief and offered their church, and I did the talking to the immense throng who gathered there.”