Worcester daily spy. [volume] (Worcester [Mass.]) 1850-1888, 1871-05-29

A young man lay dying few years ago, in Chicago,
OF that dread disease. hydrophobia His father,
once preacher possessing almost the eloquence Of
angels. had been so degraded by drink that, while
the son was dying he lay in drunken sleep in an
other room. Reused from his stupeefaction to
stand by the death bed this father once so honored
but now debauched, only took advantage of the oc.
casion to hide bottle under the pillow of the dying
son, to which he might make frequent visits under
pretext of seeing the sufferer. Thus, in twenty
five years. step by step step by step, the once pow
erful preacher became filthy sot. Even now, in
an eastern state, friends trying to work his
form. Yet this is only one case.
A woman in Boston, more dear to the speaker
than any other woman on earth,-eXcept her own
daughters,-had. for twenty years. suffered from the
those years of suffering, when there Is no hope of
reform, the wife goes out into the world the hus.
band must henceforth go in one path and she In
another. Yet the man who has thus liberated her
he had sworn to cherish, until her own personal
safety and the well-being of her children demand
the separation, has instituted legal measures TO OBJ
tain possession OF the children, to bind them out at
service; and unless the laws are speedily amended,
or the wife willing to to the divorce court to let
all the world know the hidden SORROWS of her home
the husband will succeed In his purpose. Yet this
Is only case, and the community is full of such
terrible experiences.
In the thirteenth century all Europe was mar.
shalled into armies, and, for three hundred years.
the continent was shaken with the tread of armed
men and prancing war horses. The object of all
these crusades was to wrest from the paw of the
eastern barbarans the tribute of the dead Christ.
In laboriug now, the reformers fight for no empty
tomb, but their warfare Is for the saving of human
souls, the grandest work of the age. How can men
who claim to have their faith firm In the doctrines
of Christianity refuse to assist in enactment and
forcement of proper laws upon this subject!
Though laws, in themselves, are well nigh impo-
tent unless sustained by the moral sentiment of the
people, yet moral suasion is also sometimes weak,
and needs the law for an instrument.
do not wish, said the speaker, to be misunder-
stood in regard to the church. 1t is sacred insti-
tuition, one that know, and one with which am
identified. honor that there are many churches
and many ministers who will gladly assume their
portion Of the labor in the temperance reform But
what claim is, that the churches too intent on
perfecting and arranging their machinery, too much
occupied in holding meetings for "perfecting their
organization" TO hBAe time to reach out into the
field and make hearty effort to save the one hum
dred and sixty thousand souls annually going to the
drunkards doom in this country fall the churches,
agreeing to disagree, if necessary, ON other
points,-would unite and bring their influence to
bear on this one vice of intemperance so great
would be the measure of success that in one year,
the curse would be driven from our midst
Mrs. LiVermore closed by an eloquent allusion to
the work of woman in the field of temperance re-
form. She met the argument that the influence OF
the wives of the drunken and debauched would only
tend to an increase Of vice. by the statement that
She had purpOsely spent much time in investigating
this place Of the subject; and said she 81 would be
willing to submit the question of prohibitory law
tomorrow to the votes of the wives and the daugh-
tiers of the drunkards of Massachusetts, and pledge
myself to abide by the result forever In spite Of
the day and tine OCCASION she was twice interrupted
by applause.