Gallipolis journal. [volume] (Gallipolis, Ohio) 1837-1919, 1874-05-21
From the Cincinnati Gazette.
FOrty-three Women Under Ar.

The police authorities that do not en-
force the laws against the liquor traffic,
that do not suppress gambling or houses
of i'll repute, and that did not interfere
to any extent with the "blaekguards," !"
as Judge Marchant termed those who
insulted the women crusaders, dis
tinguished themselves on Saturday by
arresting forty-three women, who went
on to the streets to sing and pray, and
marching them to the station house. 1t
was blOodless affair of course. The
women went upon the streets with no
other protection than that respect which
Americans of the male sex always eX-
hibit toward females. They were not
armed. They had no armed followers.
They were moved by desire to oppose,
in their own way, the liquor traffic.
They use no violence. They do not
smash windows or break deeanters, but
talk TO those Engaged in the liquor traf-
fic, and sing and pray in the saloons,
when permitted, or in front of those
places when not admitted inside. 1t
was against this class that the Police
Commissioners decided to enforce the
law, and here is the only law to be
found bearing upon the case:
sit shall be unlawful for three or
more persons to assemble, except at
public meeting of citizens, on any of the
sidewalks, street corners, vacant lots, or
mouths of alleys, and there conduct
themselves in manner annoying to
persons passing by, or occupants, or res
idents of the adjacent buildings"
The letter and spirit of this law is Of
ten violated, and very little is heard of
its enforcement. 1t is enforced in this
case because the women are engaged in
a crusade against the liquor traffic, and
for no other reason. This is the chief
significance of the arrests. We observe
also that the business of the saloons is
carried. on largely in violation of law.
The liquor traffic is, to great extent an
unlawful business. The women sought
to suppress the traffic by moral force
and not by law, but the law above quoted
is enforced against them, while the au-
thOrities make no effort to enforce the
laws against the liquor traffic. tits also
shown that the class who violate the
laws against the liquor traffic virtually
command the police force of Cincinna-
ii, and not only defy the authorities,
but compel them to send to the station
houses and arraign in the Police Court
forty-three respectable women, engaged
in what they consider labor of love.
This is precisely the position of the au-
thorities, and a humiliating position
it is.
The women, in our opinion, made a
mistake in attempting street work in this
city. They have not succeeded in clos
ing any of the saloons, and in the ma
ture of the case it could hardly be eX
pected they would succeed by street
demonstrations in diminishing the num-
ber of salOOns. If their object was to
arouse public sentiment, there are other
ways in which it can be done, without
exposing themselves to insult, and even
bodily injury; but the women and their
immediate advisers have thought other
wise, and while we could not approve of
their methods, their motives were not to
be impuSned.
On the other hand, the brutal con-
duct of some of the saloon keepers
has aroused a feeling that it is to be
hoped will not be further melted.
Americans have a respect for women
that cannot be disregarded with safety,
and this feeling Is not confined to those
who approve of the street crusades, or
who are even to be classed as temperance
advocates. This is feature of Ameri-
can society that it would be well for
those who violently oppose the women
to consider.
We hope, now that the authOrities
have acted in the premises. and that the
case has been brought into court, that
street work will be abandoned, and that
measures will be adopted to compel the
an fOrpnmant Of the laws There is nDb-
lie sentiment here sufficient to prove
that the rnle adoptrd by the Magyar
against the women can be made to work
more than one NAV.