The Wide Awakes Gear Up for Three More Governors Races
The Wide Awake’s gubernatorial victory celebration is on their terms: They defy the sexists and welcome the radical Women of Hartford Club to host their Grand Ball and speak and introduce program portions. The 10,000 members vote to end Chalker’s power to sell “official” merchandise, instead, they distribute free uniform patterns to any manufacturer who asks. They drop mandatory membership dues – their Party must welcome the poor, not build barriers. They allow any affinity group to start Wide Awake chapters anywhere, no matter the race, ethnicity, or gender. Celebrating the victory in Hartford is mere pretext. The event is timed for the build-up to the Governors’ races in Pennsylvania, Ohio, and Indiana. This gala serves as the model super-rally for regional organizers to emulate. Sperry invites only the most friendly newspapers and periodicals to document the weekend. Illustrated news periodicals were specifically invited so that working-class non-readers could find instruction from the Wide Awakes’ method of organizing America’s youth into a lower-class army for change.