Indiana American. [volume] (Brookville, Ind.) 1833-1861, 1857-10-23

"~-t@fHf
up aud destroy every yestige of the rum
hends In our land. God and angels would
smile upon such -work."-The E,rami-
"er, (Msf)
How terribly shocking Il must be 20
the delicate. sensitive nerves Of the
Lords Of Creation" to see one woman
drunk; and yet they can see men, or
something bearing the semblance Of men,
Keeling and staggering upon every corner
Of the streets. and il is not even worthy
Of remark. While we regret that ANY
woman, should so disgrace our sex, we
do not know but that il will be for the
best, as il seems TO be the only thing that
can rouse the men, aud cause them TO
remove traffic that has been for years
sending out its 100000 drunkards annu-
ally. to shock the nerves and offend the
delicate and refined natures OF the women
Of our land.
They ask with holy horror What
do men mean that they do not rise up and
destroy every vestige of the rum fend in
our land 2" And have not women been
sounding that question in your ears for the
last quarter Of century--and how little
have you needed IL? And after enduring.
till endurance has ceased TO be virtue,
and we come forward and claim the ex-
ercise of our God given rights, for ouI
own protection, we find that men are
again shocked and mortified, that WOMEN
should t0iat 10 do what they esteem their
highest privilege and greatest glory.
We do not know which would most
thoroughly rouse the Indignation, and
call forth the execrations Of community
a woman that would get drunk, or one
that would 60 to the ballot-box and vote
for a prohibitory law. Both are anathe-
matized. and branded as disgrace to
humanity. We are not even permitted
to take the stand in public lecture on
the subject without meeting with sneers
and opposition, from those who profess TO
be the earnest advocates of the temper
ance cause, andiwho are loud and long in
their denunciations Of the rum traffic, and
give US frightful pictures Of the misery and
suffering entailed upon the women by it |;
but if we should be forced to give utter
cnce to our feelings, tell our own tale, the
wrongs inflicted upon us-we are told we
are out ofow sphere, and Paul is quoted to
prove that we should stay at home and
ask our husbands. But some Of Us have
none, and others have such poor besotted,
rum-soaked, brandy guzzling specimens,
that they are incapable of taking care Of
themselves, much less Of giving others
any information. We suppose Governor
Wizards wife would receive a glowing
account Of the temperance movements
from her poor drunken husband, and our
poor drunken Governor. And no doubt
Judge Perkins wife finds her Constitsi-
tional partner, good instructor, in the
principles Of temperance, judging from the
very lengthy and logical argument accom-
panying his decision, by which we believe
he sealed his own condemnation; and
will cause many others to follow him to
perdition. Bnt still we must not think
and speak for ourselves on this question.
Not long since Antoinette l.. Brown was
turned out of the Worlds Temperance
Convention by resolution offered by
General Carey, the acknowled Champion
of temperance in the West, merely be.
cause she was woman for the resolu
ton began with these words Resolved
That common usages have excluded
sconea from the public platform" &c
We are reminded Of an anecdote that W,
have heard Frances d. Gage relate, anC
which we think beautifully illustrates on
position.
She said, "there was once the wife Of
distiller, that had for her washerwoman,
poor irish woman who would get drunk
So she thought she would remonstrat
with her, and endeavor to reform her
Said she, Hetty, why do you do so? |
is bad enough for your husband TO drink
Men viii have their privileges, but accHe
must never do those things
lefty turned big quid of tobacco
round and round in her mouth, and wit
a loud laugh, said, why is il / drink,
it ye are asking? For the best Of rasonl
cause rmdry, Its no fine gowns ye'd b
getting, il somebody didn't drink the true
your husband s as busy as bee in buck
wheat, . making. And my husband ma
drink il ye say? If it's strength, whic
needs il most him with his great stron
frame, and iron fst-that could send IN
sailing over the house or me that
only five feet three, in the slippers tina
my mother gave me?
go Its pack Of fools ye women are her
in Ameriky, letting your husbands drinl
and smoke, and chew, and all the goo
things and ye think it's all well enoug
for them, but w must not woock bit
it,
"'But arrah, my lady. I'll have IN
share Of il. Your men arnt going TO g
ahead Of me, and if it arnt right for nae,
Amt right for nobody. And your hu
band. good lady, askin' your ladyship
pardon for spanking the same, is Car wor
than poor folks. For isn't IL larned ms
that he is. and master at the law Al
doesn't he know better than poor ignora
folks like me and George And yet
is every day making the wicked h
waters, and bidding US drink, and TAXI
our nice bit Of earnings from us; Al
sending US to perdition both in this wor
and that which is come.''
Now we do not claim the rights nj
privileges, that this poor Irish woman d
but on tho contrary we ask the priyilc
ofprevsnting both men and women fro
indulging in those ruinous and disgraceI
habits Whiakv and toharco ara mo,