Shepherdstown register. [volume] (Shepherdstown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1849-1955, 1871-03-04
Women and Wine.

and are burdened with shane. man
who can sing of wine and women IN the
same breath. is one whose presence IS d's'
p-ace. and who.e touch "a pollution
man WHO can forget moIber and SISTER. or
vie and daughter and wsu'ony engage
ia revei IN which The name OF woman Is
invoked to heighten tie pleasures OF tho
intoxicating cup, j., beyond controversy
and without mitigation, beast "Dost
thou think, because thou art ,lriuous
+, there shall be no more cakes and ale
Av. cakes and sle, II YOU will, but let H
be cakes and ale. lie, not the name by
which We call the pure and precious
ones at homo be brought 10 10 illuminate
a degrading feast,
OF The worst foes that womsn has ever
had TO encounter, inc stands al the head.
The appetite lor strong drink IN man has
spoiled the lives OF more women-rulned
more hopes for them, scattered more ior-
tunes for lhem, brought to them more
shame, sorrow. and harjship-ihan any
other EVIL that lives. The rounuy num-
bers tens of lhousands-nsv hundreds OF
lhousanJs-of women who are widows
to-day. and siI IN hopeless weeds, be-
cause their husbands bSvc been sIsin by
strong drink. There are hundreds OF
thousands cf houes, scattered all over
the land. IN which women live lives al
torture, going through all the changes OF
suffering that lie between the cxueme' OF
fear and despair, because those whom
,hey love, love wine better than they 10
the women they have sworn 10 love.
There are women by thousands who
dread to hear at the door the step that
once thrilled them with pleasure, because
that step has learned to reel under the IN.
huence of seductive poison. There sro
women grosning with pam, while We
write these words, from bruises and bru.
lslties inflicted BY husbands made mad
by drink. There can be no exaggers'ion
10 any statement made IN regard TO this
matter, because no human imaginaiion
can create anything worse than the truth.
and no pen il capable Of porlraying tho
/ truth. The sorrows and horrors ot
/ wI.e with a drunken husband, or a moth
/ er with drunken son, are ss near The re-
4 allzarion OF he'll as can he reached IN this
world, least. The shame, the lndig-
nation, The sorrJw, the sense OF disgrace
for herself aud her children, tha poverty,
and not upfrequenlly the bege'ry.-
the fear and the fact OF violence, the lin
gerinR. life long struggle and despair OF
a. a In.
are enough TO make all women curse
wine. and engage uniledly TO oppose II ev-
ervwhere as the worst enemy Of their
sex.
Yet, after sll this, on days Of fesiivi.
ties and enjoyment, the women here and
all over the country, set out upon their
tables well-flled decanters which, before
night closes Gown, ale empileJ into ihe
brains OF young men and old men. who
90 recilnR home ~ bessuy state OF Inioxi'
cation Woman's lps give The invitation.
womsB's hand fills aud presents tho
pIsss, womsn's careless voice laughs a.
the mischevous drsugh, upon their
friends. and. having done all this, woman
will retire to bslmy rrsl, previously hsv-
ing rerk koud the number OF those 10 whom
she has. during he day. presented dam
perous temptation, and rejoIced over IL in
the degree Of It's magnitude.
woman ! woman l. it not about
/ time that lhIs ting were stopped Have
sou a husband, Q brother, con Are
/ hey stronger than their neighbers Who
have, one after anoIber, dropped ioio Tho
graves OF drunsarJs Look around you,
and zee tie the desolsilons that drink hss
wrought among your srqpaInIsnces. and
+ then decide whether you have srighi to
! Il,ce iemplo'ion 10 any mans way or 20
sughl to make socisl custom resprcta.
Die ~hich le. d, hundred Of thousands Of
men into bondage and dealh. Why must
lie bottle come ou, eserywhere Why
can there not be frslsl occssicn with
out this vulgar guzzllna Of strong drink !
Woman. there ATE some things that
you can do and the IL one yoU can
make drinking unpopular and dl.Rrsceiul
among the young You can utterly dis
counlensnce all dunkirg IN your own
house. and ou can hold in su'p'cion ev.
cry young man who iouch's The cup.
You know hat no young man who drinks
can safely be trusted With the happiness
of any woman. and that he 10 as unfit 10
man can he Tor womsn's socieiy. Have
this understood that every young man
who drinks is socially proscIIbsd. BnGg
up your children to regard blinking 80
not only dangerous but dHRrseelBl.
Place temptation 10 no man's way. IL
men will make beats n ihem'tlTes. let
them do il IN other soriely ihsn yours.
If Your mercenATy hu.hsrd. t'si their
customers from private stores kept 10
their counting rooms. shsmt them into
decency by your regard Tor Ibe honor Of
your home. Recognize The living, euI-
bic feet that y inc la. always teen. aud 10
to-day, The curse Of youf sex ; that %
siess the hearts Of men away from you,
that IT dries up yoor property. that il
endsneers your safety, that u can only
tripe sod evil. II social custom compels
you to present vine at your fessis. rebel
sgsn.r u. aud make sOeI,l custom in
the Interests Of virUe and purity. The
matter is very much in your own hands.
! he women Of tie country. IN what 10
csllrd poIIie society. can do more 10 make
the nation lempeTsie than all The legi'ls-
tors and iumulIuoOs reformeH that are