When they had been in the city eighteen months, some few of the churches had helped forward the work, just as some churches did in other cities. Penloe decided that every church and every society of every kind that had for its basis of organization love and justice, should receive a special invitation to join in this great moral reform movement, and special work should be allotted them. Penloe and Stella made a personal visit to the leaders of the various sects, denominations and societies, and ably presented the case for their consideration, showing that the life of their organization depended upon their members being active living workers for truth, purity and justice. He put each society on record as to where they stood, whether its organization was merely that of a social club, or whether it was ready to stand and work for the principles it claimed to have for its foundation. Be it said to the credit of each society, sect and organization, they all responded heartily and coöperated with Penloe and Stella in helping forward the grand reform; for they saw it was useless to prate about love, purity, justice and freedom, with woman debarred by law from her legal and political rights and tolerating a social custom which excited the worst passions and bred prurient curiosity. It was a grand and glorious sight, such as the world had not witnessed before, to see Catholics, Unitarians, Methodists, Universalists, Baptists, Episcopalians, Congregationalists, Presbyterians, Theosophists, members of the Jewish Synagogue, representatives of the Vedanta, together with the Y.M.C.A. and Y.W.C.A., Christian Union, Christian Science and Socialists Societies, and all other such societies join in the work. The members of these various bodies coming in contact with those two great spiritual luminaries, seemed to receive such an influx of the Divine as purified their own organizations and made them what they should always be, a great power for good. With such concentrated efforts by such an army of workers, the enemy gave way and New York City became the beacon light to travelers from other nations; not as it had been a city of greed and lust, but a city where woman stood before the law the same as man, and where its citizens were beginning to walk a little more in the line of purity and freedom.
Just before the battle was won in the State of New York, the agitation which had been going on in England, Wales, Scotland and Ireland for over two years culminated in a victory for the reform forces. Two years after the State of New York was won, the C.M. had carried every State in the Union, and also Canada. Australia and New Zealand not wishing to be behind in all that stood for advanced thought and freedom, fell in line with the other English-speaking countries.
Penloe and Stella did not consider the work finished yet, and they called for a congress of representative workers to meet in the Auditorium in Chicago at a suitable date, which would give all time to be present. Each State and country were to send two delegates, one man and one woman. Australia, New Zealand, England, Scotland, Wales, Ireland, Canada, and every State in the Union were all represented at the Congress.
When the Congress assembled, it was unanimously agreed that Stella should preside.
After the meeting had been opened and some preliminaries had been gone through, Penloe said: "In the call for this congress it was stated that its purpose was to consider how best to carry on this great work in foreign countries, but before doing so I think it would be best to change the name of the work. It seems necessary that some names, as well as races, should pass through the period of evolution. The reason why I will briefly state, as follows: In some countries where it is necessary to carry on this work, they are not in bondage, and the name C.I. would not convey the meaning of the full scope of our work; for while it is true they do not discriminate between the sexes, yet they are in bondage in many other different ways, and while the work originally started with the idea of freeing men and women from the shackles of sexual bondage with the name of 'Sex Reform Movement,' yet afterwards it was called the 'California Idea,' and the name included Woman's Suffrage, so as to make her free before the law, before man, and before the whole world. And as it grew its name changed to 'California Movement.' But now that the work has grown to such gigantic proportions, having about taken in all the English speaking countries, the work has also grown in its scope of usefulness and its object now is not only to free the mind from sexual bondage, not only to see that woman holds the same place as man in the eyes of the law of the land that she lives in, but still more, to FREE HUMANITY FROM ALL BONDAGES OF EVERY KIND OR CHARACTER. Therefore, I propose that the name to be given to the movement shall be 'Reform Forces,' for under this name and banner all can work."
After a little discussion the name given by Penloe was adopted unanimously.
The next business was to hear from some of the delegates in regard to plans for carrying on the work in foreign countries. After hearing many different plans proposed, and listening to various suggestions from many of the delegates, the plan mapped out by Penloe was finally carried unanimously.
It was something like this: That each country or State should have its special work. Europe was portioned off to England, Wales, Scotland, Ireland, Canada, New Zealand, and Australia. They were to divide the work among themselves. New York took Southern India, Pennsylvania took Northern India. The northern half of China was allotted to Illinois, the southern half, to Ohio. Mexico was given to Texas. The islands of the Pacific to California. South America was portioned off to other States. Massachusetts was given Japan, Egypt was given to Michigan. Persia to Indiana. Every State had a certain work of its own in some foreign country separate from that which was done by other States and countries. Each State or country was to send just four teachers to the country they had taken to enlighten. The teachers must be all round characters, with high intellectual attainments, and possessing at the same time rich spiritual gifts and free from family ties.
The line of work marked out for the teachers was as follows: First, to locate themselves in the largest city in the country to which they are sent.
To make themselves thoroughly familiar with the writings and teachings of the founders of the predominant religion of the country to which they are sent.