Western Reserve chronicle. [volume] (Warren, Ohio) 1855-1921, 1855-05-23
A THRILLING SCENE.


Permit me to illustrate my views Of
the traffic in moderate drinking, by re-
lating substantially a thrilling scene,
which occurred in Connecticut, while
the people were gathered together to
discuss the merits of the license ques.
ton, and decide informally whether
neighbors should any longer be permit
ted to destroy each other by vending
alcoholic poisons.
The town had suffered greatly from
the sale and use of intoxicating liquors.
The leading influences were opposed to
total abstinence. At the meeting, the
clergyman, a deacon, and the physician,
were present, and were all in favor of
continuing the custom of license, all in
favor of permitting a few men of high
moral character to sell alcohol; for they
all agreed in the opinion, that alcohol in
moderation, when used as a beverage,
was good creature of God, and also, to
restrict the sale or moderate use, was an
unjust interference with human liberty,
and reflection upon the benevolence of
the Almighty. They all united in the
belief, that in the use of Intoxicating bev-
erages, excess alone was to be avoided.
The feeling appeared to be all one way,
when single teetotaller, who was pres
emf by accident, but who had been a
former resident of the town, begged leave
to differ from the speakers who had pre-
ceded him. He entered into a history of
the village, from its earliest settlement /;
he called the attention of the assembly to
the desolation moderate drinking had
brought upon families and individuals !;
he pointed to the poor-house, the prison
house, and the graveyard, for its hume
rous victims he urged the people by
every consideration of mercy, to let down
the hood-gates, and prevent, as far as
possible, the continued desolation of fam
lilies, by the moderate use of alcohol.
But all would not do. The arguments
of the clergyman, the deacon, and the
physician, backed by station, learning,
and influence, were too much for the
single teetotaller. No one arose to con-
tinue the discussion, or support him, and
the president of the meeting was about
to put the question-when all at once
there arose from one corner of the room,
a miserable female. She was thinly clad,
and her appearance indicated the utmost
wretchednesS, and that her mortal career
was almost closed. After a moment of
silence, and all eyes being fixed upon
her, she stretched her sttenuated body
to its utmost height, then her long arms
to their greatest length, and raising her
voice to ashrill pitch, she called upon all
to look upon her.
EYES," she said, ''look upon me, and
then hear me- All that the last speaker
has said relative to temperate drinking,
as being the father of all drunkenness, Is
true. All practice, all experience, de-
clare its truth. All drinking of intoxi- /
eating poisons, as beverage in health,
is excess. Look upon me. You all know
me, or once did. You all know l was
once the mistress of the best farm in this /
town. You all know, too, l once had
one of the best-the most devoted of
husbands. You all know had five noble
hearted, industrious boys. Where are
they now? Doctor, where are they now?
You all know. You all know they lie in
row, side by side, in yonder church.
yard; all-every one of them filling
the drunkard' grave They were all
taught to believe that moderate drinking
was safe, excess alone ought TO be avoid
ed and they never acknowledged ex
cess. They quoted yOu, and yOa, and
you," pointing with her shred Of finger
to the minister, deacon. and doctor,
Gas authority. They thought themselves
safe under such teachers. But saw the
gradual change coming over my family
and prospects with dismay and horror;
felt we were all to be overwhelmed in
one common ruin; l tried to ward off
the blow l tried to break the spell-the
delusive spell-in which the idea of the
benefits of moderate drinking had involv-
cd my husband and sons | begged,
l prayed but the odds were greatly
against me. The minister said the poi
son that was destroying my husband and