[3] The convention of the U.S. National Centennial year was held in Newark, New Jersey, in the Central Methodist church, October 25-28.
[3] Disregarding the earnest pleading of her friends, Frances Willard repeated her "women's suffrage speech" at the packed church.
Though she was applauded after finishing her speech, the conference chair, Annie Turner Wittenmyer came forward saying, "I wish it clearly understood that the speaker represents herself and not the Woman's Christian Temperance Union, for we do not propose to trail our skirts through the mire of politics.
It had come to Frances Willar's thought early in the work and been accepted as the motto of the Chicago W.C.T.U., then of the State of Illinois, and lastly, of the nation.
It was at the Newark convention that a majority of the members pledged themselves to pass the cup untasted at the sacramental table, if they knew that it held alcoholic wine.
organ was found to be so heavily in debt that its committee of publication resigned, and Jane M. Geddes, of Michigan, Mary Towne Burt, of New York, Caroline Brown Buell, of Connecticut, and Frances Willard volunteered to save the day for this new journalistic venture and literary outgrowth of the Women's Crusade by putting in what money they had as a free-will offering, gathering up gifts from their friends, and agreeing to give several months' gratuitous work to the paper.
Willard also said:[3] "Our Union has circulated the petition to Congress for a Commission of Inquiry into the cost and results of the liquor traffic in America.
The desired Commission of Inquiry has been ordered by the Senate, in response to the wish of the united temperance societies of the land, but the subject did not come before the House at the last session.
[3] The report was accepted, copies were ordered to be published at once for distribution among the delegates, and the recommendations were referred to the Business Committee.