The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1874-04-11 00:00:00

THE WOMEN'S WHISKEY WAR.

The New York Tribune of March 16, says that in
Ohio the opposition to the temperance movement
seems to have assumed an offensive position. "Various
expedients are to he resorted to, and some attempts
at braying down the crusaders with brass bands have
been made. Nevertheless, the army of women marches
on from conquering to conquer, and there seems to be
no diminution in the determination and spirit of the
workers." The same paper says :—" Revenue returns
in Ohio give a new phase to the temperance crusade.
It is shown that, in consequence of the fierce onslaught
made on the drinking places by the crusaders, receipts
from internal revenue taxes have fallen off in eleven
districts at the rate of more than 350,000 dols. per month.
The revenue derived from distilled and malt liquors in
those districts is estimated at about 80 per cent, of the
whole amount collected. It will be seen, therefore,
that the falling off in consumption has been quite
large. When the whole account is adjusted, however,
it will be found that the loss is only apparent ; the
gain by the reformation is real."

The American Correspondent of The Time*. supplement-
ng his previous remarks on this means to an end," says

The female 'whiskey crusaders" have at length got
Into f'ongress. A communication was this week
presented to the Senate, signed by Mrs. P. K Law-
rence, of New York, which had been framed at a
reusing, temperance meeting in that city. It in-
formed the Senators that, "&a the tidal wave of
the temperance crusade will soon reach Washington,
in behalf of the army of women who are alive to the
movement we ask you to join our ranks." It
besought the presiding officer, Senator Carpenter,
noted for his " championship of women," to "step
to the front," and requested that he, with Senators
('handler and Sprague, "form a committee to-receive
our praying band at the bar of the Senate," the
formality to be conducted "under the escort of your
chaplan. ' l'he letter caused great merriment in the
Senate, f e• whatever fame the three Senators named
may 1 ave achieved, they do not have a very pro-
nounced reputation as teetotallers. The Senatereferred
the latter to the Committee on Finance, mid ordered it
to be printed.
The "female crusaders," who are not achieving
much success in Ohio, and none at present anywhere
else, have stirred up a bitter opposition On the former
State. Bishop Rmenerans, of the Roman Catholic
Church in Cincinnati, has pronounced against them,
ead the Germans have held a large meeting there in
denunciation of the movement. A number of clergy-
men and others made speeches, and very strong re-
solutions were passed. One resolution was referred
to a committee to consider and report upon at
a subsequent meeting. It declared that it is the
duty of citizens to see that their fellow citizens
are protected in their vocation, and also th.- duty
of the State to protect its citizens against lu-
terfereuce with th• ir business; that it is contrary
to the spirit of liberty and justice for women, in the
name of religion, to interfere with the rights and
liberties of citizens; that the motive of this move-
ment is to re-open hatred between natives and
foreigners; and that men are using woir_en as instru-
ments for this xrarpose. The Germans have their
blood iip in this question, and it is quite evident
that in' the West the whiskey crimele has seen its
best days. In Chicago the women have been wait-
ing upon the Mayor to get him to veto the City
Ordinance allowing the liquor saloons to be kept
open.on. Sundays, the passage of which by the City
('mined, in spite of the remonstrating female deputa-
tion I referred to in my last letter. The Chicago
Mayor was very polite to the ladies, but firmly de-
:ilined their request. He told them that this ques-
tion was one of the main iesuee upon which he had been
chosen Mayor- and he had pledged himself to the policy
indicated in the Ordinance • and that he could not
nonoursblyrepudiate hie pleges. The Chicago women
are about giving up in dieguet, for the May, a• has since
approved the Ordinance. In W oreester, Massachneetts,
the State constables have begun a vigorous enforce-
ment of the Prohibitory Law, and have seized 400
gallons of liquor. The crusaders took advantage of