The Idaho world. [volume] (Idaho City, Idaho Territory) 1864-1918, 1874-04-23
From the Lewiston Signal.1
THE TEMPERANCE CRUSADE.

LIE xGmEE6ANCE CkUSAUE.
Probably at no time in the history of this
country has the sentiment of the people of the
older States been more intense against the traf
tic in spirltuous liquors than it is at the pres.
ent. The same or similar intensity is begin.
ming to be experienced in some localities upon
this coast. Where or when this will culminate
it would be impossible to predict with any GER
tainty. 1t is apparent that some vital moving
cause underlies oil the present extraordinary
excitement upon this question. It would seem
that the pent up wrongs OF ages were sought
to be redressed by the earnestness which the
battle is now being waged against King Alco-
hol. The manner in which the mothers, wives
and daughters of the land lay aside all the usual
conventionalities and ordinary forms and rules
which have heretofore checked their public ex-
preston of feeling upon this question. and in
which they now appear and act, has a signi6-
cance that they mean to accomplish what they
have undertaken. That they are encouraged
and supported by an equal number of fathers,
husbands and sons in this work, is fully appar.
ent. Never before have the women of the
country become so prominent in any great work
Of reform. Can this be vanity in them for
public display, or desire in them to usurp
places and labor which belong to men alone or
does their present conduct spring from the
wrongs and sufferings which they have under
gone at the hands of the lords of creation while
under the spell of drunkenness? From the
position we occupy, the American women ap-
pear to be too well informed and too refined in
their tastes and manners to be moved to engage
in this crusade merely from vanity or ambition
to usurp the rights Of the men. The lone vigls
they have kept over the halffamished children
for days. and often weeks, while the drunken
husbands and fathers have been wasting the
hard-earned but scanty pittance Of the house.
holds at the gilded saloons, have so wrung the
hearts of many of these mothers, and fortified
their resolutions that all the ordinary proprie-
ties OF society sink into insignifcance compared
with the one great result to be achieved, to-wit:
the suppression of the liquor traffic and intem-
perate drinking. That they are sincere and
earnest in their efforts ard prayers cannot be
doubted by any intelligent observer, and there.
fore they are entitled to our highest respect
II in some matters we may think their zeal is
not well directed, still we owe them our respect
and confidence for the love they bear toward
those Of our own sex who are besotted by
strong drink, and their untiring efforts to re-
claim them back to sobriety and selfrespect.
There is one omen of good in this movement,
and that is, if all the mothers, wives and daugh.
ters OF the land will it so, drinking liquor in
public will become unpopular in every COM
munity, and those who do drink strong drinks
will be those only whose appetite has been
trained toit, and they will do it in secret. We
think the women should know and use their
moral strength in suppressing this evil, and we
believe that the gallantry of American men gen.
orally will not interfere or place obstacles in
the way of their success. The opponents will
only be those whose souls and conscences have
become SCARED and hardened by long. continued
habits inimical to the peace and good order of
society. There is reason to helleve that the
different temperance organizations extant dur
ing the past few years where women have been
in full fellowship as members, have inspired
and enabled them to undertake this great work
Of reform with the earnestness they now ex-
hibit. 1t is to be hoped that good, and great
good, will result from their labors. not only to
The morals of the country, but also to its inan-
,ial status.