Marshall County Republican. (Plymouth, Ind.) 1856-1878, 1874-04-30

cellent taste by Mrs. f. Fl. Blain, Secse-
tary of the Ladies' Temperance League,
Friday evening, the 18th inst, at the meet
ing at the Presbyterian Church, is pab
lished at the request of a number OF the
ladies of the League:
Friends and Citizens Of Plymouth:
When We, the ladies of the Temper
ance League" decided 10 hold a meeting
here to night, and 10 conduct the meeting
entirely ourselves, we did not hope 10 ac-
complish any great results by SO doing,
but we asked the prioiLge of speaking to
YOU and asked you, as a favor, to come
and hear what we have To say in justitica-
ton of our course and in defense of our
cause. We hope nothing from any elo-
quent or pathetic appeals which may
please the fancy, but carry no weight with
them; we hope nothing from any argu
ments. however sound, or reasoning, how
ever logical 1--WE leave that part TO the
lawyers, politicians and editors), but We
do hope something from our sincerity, the
purity of our motives and our desire to ac-
complish only good in our community.
| We beg of you, gentlemen, not 10 pbs us
down as strong minded tc0. nen, the aboani
nation OF all mankind, but, if you will,
call us strong hearted, and believe that we
are willing 10 do and dare much for con
F., science sake and for each other; anu. we
do beseech of you, don't cls - us With poi
/ iticians of our country, for thar would be
even worse than calling US strong mind
/ ed We ask for no greater distinction,
no higher honor than to he just what We
are:-your own sisters, your daughters,
your loving mothers and faithful wives,
and We ask only the privilege Of praying
! for you and entreating you tO be Your own
noble selves; To shake OF the lethargy
which has crept over yOu and I'D wipe out,
now and forever. the trail OF the serpent
which, Like wounded snake. drags its
slow length along" and is steadily and
surely coiling its folds around you, only
at last to crush you in its deadly embrace.
We hear every day that all this talk
about Temperance is old that the subject
/ is worn thread bare and that there is moth
/ ing new or interesting to be said about it.
/ Ii Temperance is old, to your shame and
our sorrow, we know that intemperance
is of equally ancient date, and We have
not even the consolation OF believing that
its age is likely to put an end to its exis-
tence. Like the liquor which it feeds up
on it seems to gain strength with age.
and, should there be any indications of
fesbleneSs. any totlering in its steps, as
We have iancied there might be ere long.
the hoary-headed monster has many anx-
ious watchers, many careful nurses who
will make every effort 10 prolong its life.
/ Yes, the subject of intemperance as old,
and yet-ask the mother, whose heart is
bound up in her noble boy, just entering
manhood, (but to her only yet her darling
child, rs she sees him gradually thurst.
| ing aside her influence, being lured fur
ther and fur her from her pro,ectiEg c<sre
| by evil associates, and seeking congeni-
ality and conviviaIity where she dare not
follow him, though she trembles. knowing
not half the temptations and destinations
which are set before him and which she
| is powcrlesS to avert. When at last the
horrible work is done, when, though she
has feared ii long, she for the first time
sees and knows the degradation 10 which
her noble boy has fallen, ask her. rs her
mothers heart yearns over her child, as
she breaks forth into an agOniZing prayer
that her boy may b.. saved, ask her If it is
the same old story. Ask the young wife,
who SO Willingly gave up father, mother,
home, and with perfect love which cast
eth out fear" proudly gave her life and
happiness into your keeping; ask her,
when, for the first time, you came stag.
gering into her presence. changed from
her loving, watchful, tender husband into
demon worse than the vileSt brute that
walks-as she sees grave open and in it
buried her faith, trust, youth and happi-
ness, and the future is only long. long
/ blank to her, ask then if the experience is
not new at least to her. Ask the little
child rs the first dim consciousness of
sorrow creeps into the loving, trusting
heart, when she climbs into mammals S lap,
lays her warm. dimpled cheek close to
yours and the bright blue eyes are full OF
wonder that mammals eyes are dim and
look 50 sorry, and she nestles close to the
aching heart-the precious comforter
ask your child if the first dark lessons Of
life are not alpays ,seU.
Never till it is brought home to the
hearts of each of us, do we realize how
terribly new the sorrow is, and, though
we have heard for years of the untold mis-
cries which intemperance brings, we are
startled to find how little we have
known till now. We think there needs
I lO SuLuCAt " p1tfO tuot
is great wrong. We believe that is a
question to which there is but one side.
II there are here to night any saloon
keepers or liquor sellers, we would say a
few words to them. We are perfectly
we'll aware, gentlemen, that ii you obtain
a license to sell liquor. and fyou conform
to the requirements of the law in selling,
your business is legitimate business and
you have legal right to carry it on.
Your legal right we have never question
ed. your moral right we do. We do not
believe that liquor sellers as class are
unfedged innocents who do not realize
the misery and suffering their business is
the direct cause of bringing upon thou
sands of families throughout our land nor
do we think they are devoid of conscien-
ces and hearts and do not care for our suf-
ferlngs. We believe many of them at
least, have big, warm, tender hearts. They
are good to their wives and little ones,
they care and provide for their mothers
and ssters-and it is to their hearts we
would plead eur cause for the love they
bear towards their own homes and fami-
lies, we beg them to have mercy upon US
and ours. We believe. were it not for the
purely business light in which they look
at it, they would not differ so greatly