The new Northwest. [volume] (Portland, Or.) 1871-1887, 1873-12-26
LETTER FROM LAFAYETTE.

Nun la -
IN, Dear Mrs. D,miwdy:-Knowing
that YOU take an interest in the affairs
and gossip Of our little town, l herewith
send YOU a few items which you are
free to print if you deem them OF SUM-
cient public interest to justify your
readers in their perusal.
Mr.. Leland, the temperance speaker,
lectured in the church last evening.
The house was we'll filled, the most oil
our people being wide awake and enthn-
siastic on the temperance question We
have flourishing Lodge of Cool Tenn
plars, and, although n member will occa-
sionally violate his pledge, those VINO
are firm in the cause will work the
harder and Reform him if possible.
Wehave new hall, nearly completed,
which think speaks well for our town,
when we take into consideration the
fact that our Lodge has been in work
ing order only since last March.
Mr.. Leland is good speaker and
quite humorist, as l suppose you are
we'll aware. The only objection have
heard against him is that lie does not
urge Woman's Acknowledgement as the
only means by which intemperance can
be driven from our land. / am well sat-
isiied that he kao1cs this, yet he seems
to lack sufficient back bone to say so. He
appeals eloquently to the legal rOters,
telling them that the only remedy for
the curse lies in the 6dIlOi-JOr, and yet
ignores the fact, so patent to every
thinker, that the present legal voters
the majority of them-are and always
will be in favor OF the traffic in intem-
perance.
How wish / had yielded to an inspi-
ration that possessed me to arise and
say: "Ah, my friend, the curse will
never be removed by the votes of men
alone. But gire 1comen ae ballot, and
she will help US out of the miserable re-
suits Of our own mismanagement. You
will then find that King Alcohol, who
has been fought for many years By
hundreds of as good men as yourself,
but who has only thrived under your
opposition, as the fast-increasing liquor
traffic proves, will be conquered by the
legal power of those whom you persist
in disarming by your unjust assumption
of political superiority But 1 must
get off this strain or somebody will
think I'm a "shrieking female" with
"wrongs' for them to deride, and you
know men do not like to he called
"womanish."
At the close of Mr.. Lelands address q
paper was circulated among the UOters-
meaning the properly sexed citizens, of
course-requiring their signatures to a
pledge that they would not sign any
mans whiskey petition in Lafay-
cite precinct for the term of one year.
This paper received between twenty-five
and thirty names, and is to be presented
to every legal voter in the precinct
within the next few days. Whether it
will do any good or not remains to be
seen, but doubt it.
Our new hall is to be dedicated on the
9th proximo, and good time is antici-
pated. This is not an official letter of
invitation from the Lodge, but do wish
you would come, or send somebody for
that occasion who has sufficient nerve
to tell the people of the only way to
make Temperance Reform effective.
Our village has been quite lively all
winter, thus far. We have had two
neck-tie sociables, one gotten up by the
ladies, the other by the gentlemen. A
literary entertainment was also given
by the young people, and We have had lee
lures from Professor White, ETC., etc.
We are to have Christmas Tree, and
on New Years Eve grand ball, the
proceeds to 50 towards the new hall.
But lest weary you and your readers
will close for the present, subscribing
myself yours for Justice, NJ. Y.
LAFAYETTE, Or, December Is, '73.