The Richmond palladium. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1855-1875, 1874-04-08
RICHMOND,
FROM FRANKLIN.
FRANK JOHNSON Co, IND /,
:2d Mo. 81. 1874.

FRANkLIN D JOHNSON Co. IND
Sd Mo. 81, 1874.
On the BIRD and 24th I lectured at
Brookville, Franklin county; on the
18th at Connersville, Fsyette county,
and on the 26th at Liberty, Union
county.
At Brookville, l found the whisky
influence so great that the friends OF
temperance failed to get consent to
have the use of the court house for
the meetings. The Commissioners
have no scruples against allowing the
court room to be used for dancing
parties, but when it comes to lecture,
on q subject which concerns the very
existance of temperance and virtue in
our midst, then they hesitate as to the
propriety Of allowing the court house
to be used In Franklin county, l
understand that saloonkeeper is
going to run for representative. lam
glad the whisky party are going to
make square fight there. The SOON
er they array themselves fairly and
squarely on the issue of whisky, the
better will it be for the cause of tenn
perance-'an open enemy Is better
than a covert foe" So long as they
remain inside the two political parties
for the purpose of manipulating nom
nations, so long will the cause of tenn
perance suffer.
At Brookville, one meeting was
held in the NJ. E. Church, and the
other in the U. p. Church. The
houses were filed. Both ministers
were present, and cordially assisted in
the meeting. Notwithstanding the
dominance of whisky, found many
warm supporters of temperance there,
among whom is Doctor Goodwin, who
was one of the Electors of the State
at the last Presidential election. The
Doctor is a very influential man, and
thorough Reformer in every sense
of the word. While at Brookville,
called upon A. NJ. Dawson, editor of
the Brookville American. who is do
ing good work for the cause of tenn
perance. He has the moral courage
to speak boldly out in favor of tenn
perance, and that says good deal for
an editor in place where he knows
that whisky rules. Several whisky
men have withdrawn their patronage
from his paper, but he has gained
more than double as many subscribers
by his fearless advocacy of temperance.
Hence the gain Dy an honest course.
The women OF Brookville are just be-
ginning to wheel into line in organic
ing crusade movement. The saloon
keepers display considerable uneasi-
ness with the prospect.
At Connersville, the large court
room was jammed almost to suffoca-
ton. Here l found there had been
several woman's meetings held; l at
tended one of very interesting char
acter, where pledges for citizens. vo-
ters, property holders, druggists and
saioonkeepers were adopted. These
pledges were read in the mass meet
ing, before my speech. and seemed to
produce a profound sensation. As l
went from this meeting, in company
with p. j. Roots, to his comfortable
home, four beings in the shape of
men condescended to pelt us with eggs
the very best thing they could have
done for the cause of temperance.
Let them pelt, the more they pelt the
more it damages their infamous call
ing. Whom the gods seek to de-
stroy they first make mad" rejoic-
ed for our cause, but 1 felt sorry that
it occurred in Connersviille, for Con-
nersville is pretty little town, and
has many noble people in it. Were it
not for the saloons which are fast
seducing their young men, Conners-
vile would be very pleasant place to
live But it is high time for the wo-
men to move in the work there. Social
and public drinking has been for some
time, and now is, the great bane of
society there. While waiting at the
depot for the train to go to Liberty,
one of the citizens told me, that during
the last twelve years, he had been
called upon to put the winding sheet
on no less than sixteen persons, who
had died of DEL IRIUM TREMENs, in
that town! What terrible record
of misery and suffering does this re-
veal? And yet, in the face of such
horrible facts as these, there are peo-
pie who are opposed to the woman's
movement, and sympathize with the
grogseller. How different would
these same people act if mad dog
should run down the street, foaming
at the mouth and threatening to bite
some one. In an instant they would
he inspired with an impulse to run
and despatch the dog, and save people
from getting bit. But forsooth, al
though there are more than dozen
doggeries in the town employed in a
business which leads directly to the
production of delirizm tremens, as
foul and horrible a disease as hydro
phobia, when the women propose to
shut up these deps of ruin, those