Carroll free press. [volume] (Carrollton [Ohio]) 1834-1861, 1856-02-14


come nov 10 the important point 10 this
viz. Were the circumstances
connected with the sand Of January. and the
doings ofthat day, such as TO justify persons
in taking the work Of redress into their own
hands? do not take ou myself to pronounce
an unqualified Yes. or No to this question.
But will enter somewhat into detail, and when
the history Of the whole case becomes known,
it will appear that the conduct of those who
led in that demonstration, was after all not so
unpardonable.
It's known to all residing here that this vii
lage, like too many others. in our land, has been
cursed with the evils flowing from the use Of
intoxicating drinks. There have been those
who have so little conscience, and feel 60 little
the obligation to love their 'neighbOr as them
selves that they have been willing for the sake
Of gain to traffic in spirituOus liquors. Aud
the traffic has here produced the miserable
fruits which it has produced everywhere. Il
has been followed by domestic sorrow. Itha
sent the husband reeling home TO bis heart
broken wife. 1t has sent the child homo in
state Of brutal intoxi9 alton to his distracted
mother. It has siezed the last dollar, that
should have been expended for family necessa'
ries, and conveyed it to the house Of the dealer
in rum. 1t has brought idleness and vice and
vulgmity and every species Of immortality in
its train. This state,,of things has been the Oc'
casion of many painful and distressing pang
to those who are the friends Of morality, So
briefly and good order. Nor have they been
wanting in their efforts to counteract these e.
wills. They have not folded their hands and
INDUCED in fruilless lamentations. They have
held meetings. They have had the evils Of
the traffic fully depicted. They have petition
ed for more stringent laws. They have ap.
pointed committees to visit the persons who
sold, expostulaled with them on the iniquity
Of their business, and urged them to abandon
it, They have entered into written contracts
with the liquor sellers, by which the latter
bound themselves never more to keep nor to
sell anything that would intoxcate. They
have entered prosecutions and attempted t.
have the penalty of existing laws inflicted on
offenders. But with little or no success, as
some way was always found to let The rum
seller 60 unwhipt Of justice. Thus have the
friends of viltue and order, labored to remove
the evils OF ntemperance from our midst. and
wipe away the disgrace that is attached to the
name Of our village on account Of rum selling
and rum drinking among us. And of late
days this state of things has been growing
worse and worse. Keepers of liquor shsp'
were becoming unwonIonly bolder. They
boasted that despite the law despite public
opinion despite all opposition, their business
was prospering, and they were selling more
than ever. What was to be done in such a
case? Nothing was to be expected from tht
promises ofsuch men; for thesa promises EaC
been made, even reduced 10 writing, and ther
basely violated. Nothing was to be expected
from the law. Somebody would be found who
for ten dollars would discover some informal
ity in the proceedings case would bt
dismissed aud the accused sent back to pursue
his nefarous business. Nothing was to be
expected from moral sussion. For of all hope.
less employments that Of addressing arguments
and appeals to the conscience of the rum sell
Ter, is the most hopeless. In this state Of
things what was to be done? Must the stream
Of death ever flow? Must children and youth
be corrupted and demoralized without remedy
Must the miserable inebriate 20 on from day
. to day hastenng to drunkard's grave; arc
= at every corner meet, in the shape Of dram
shop, trap door through which be is liable a
: any moment to drop into the drunkard's hell
Must the wife. the mother, the sister, see hus-
band, son or brother 20 to destruction without
any possible relief? Must set Of men, heart
less, covetOus men, without conscience and
without principle, make havoc of their fellOy
men, and fatten on the sghs, and groans. and
tears Ofsulferng humanity, and none be found
: to rebuke them? The ladies Of this village
' answered "No." This shall not be. Wha
! neither promises, nor law, nor moral suasior
: w4l do, we will do for ourselves. When the
power of organized society proves unavailing
n and fails to redress our grievances which ar,
s no longer tolerable, we will ourselves find
st remedy. Such was the answer Of those nobl
;, women. And with cool, deliberate determi
Of naticn they did their work, and in doing
3 administered to the rum sellers of Carrolto
n such a rebuke as will not be soon forgotten.
., Such we're the circumstances that led to III
y demonstration Of the 22nd Of January, on th
lie part Of the ladies': and such was the head an
lr front Of their offending. Il was not an offenc
is for which they should be hanged or drowned
n' 1t was not an offence for which they them
re- selvaa Nh noht In ha ashamed az -, - Il.