Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1874-03-11
The womans' Temperance Movement.

Ing hucn TCmhIhhDic ttihptiduNO iN'N'"
ton in the West, is now being introduced
into scores of Eastern cities and villages,
and contemplated in hundreds Of others.
Hence It is becoming in US to look it in the
face as a practical question.
That it is marvellous both in its methods
and results, is seen at glance. The war
fare is carried on by the women alone, and
the only weapons are prayer to God and
personal appeal to men. And behold the
results Thousands upon thousands Of hab-
itual drinkers have abandoned their cups f;
hundreds of dealers have left the business,
and pledged themselves never to take it up;
scores of cities aud villages have been swept
clean Of the traffic, and such a public senti-
ment created as will never allow the bust
ness to be introduced again. Where thou.
sands of barrels of liquor we're before con-
sumed, not a barrel now finds a market, and
the wholesale trade is COMPOUNDED 10 view
of the prospect. These are results that
cannot be denied, and speak volumes in
favor of the movement. All the temperance
efforts of the last forty years combined
cannot point to such results as have been
accomplished in two months and the work
has but just begun
We confess to feeling full Of hope in
respect to the subject. The truth is, the
times are ripe for the movement. II could
not longer be deferred. The startling re-
alities of intemperance have filed the minds
Of the American people until they have
finally reached the heart. The damning
facts that more than a billion of dollars is
expended every year for drink, to say moth.
ing of the cost Of crime and paupcrism thus
produced that FIVE hundred and sixty thou
sand persons are engaged 10 this death
dealing business that intemperance sends
one hundred thousand persons to prison, and
more than that number to drunkard's graves,
every year, and reduces to beggary two
hundred thousand children--could no longer
be blinked out of sight. The pertinent
question of what are you going to do about
III" is now to be answered.
And when such great moral revolutions
are ready to break out, it isn't worth the
while to stand too much upon the order Of
their coming, or decry any agency because
it is unusual Let God send by whom He
will send All the devices of men have
failed. Women are the greatest sufferers
from intemperance. They are especially
the repositories Of moral power. They
have less of the dead weight of the world to
carry in the race They stand nearer to
God than do men, And if lie sees fit to
make them His chosen instruments, let them
bear alolt the ensign of victory, and to Him
be the praise.
That the effort is religious in its inspira'
tions and motives and methods, is the surest
possible warrant Of its success Persistent
personal persuasion, combined with constant
dependence upon prayer for the help which
the Spirit of Truth can give first exhaust
ing their own powers, and then trusting
God for what lie can do these are tn,
methods. The astounding audacity of The
men who open grog-shops on purpose tc
trade upon the weaknesses and vicious ap
petites Of men and youths, and sending
them upon the swift road to ruin, is a
length being matched by the courage ant
faith of these Christian women
We would fain add fuel to this fame o
temperance enthusiasm until it shall hay
swept over the whole land and utterl
consumed the accursed rum traffic. An
yet we should do well to give heed to th
lessons Of experience, so far as they may b
applicable to this new movement. Til
work is not to be done once for all, and s.
down as ended Eternal vigilance will
the price of this liberty. Nor will it
accomplished by any single agency, prob
bly--even by this. The pulpit alone ca
not destroy the evil pledges cannot pr
hibitory laws cannot; the Good Templa
cannot; the men surely cannot-neith'
probably, can the women. God, withO
human aid, will not. But all this does I
prove that it cannot be done. Now, me
than ever before, it is clear that it loH
done, and that speedily--by "long pr
strong pull, and a PULL ALL TOGETHER