The Lambertville record. [volume] (Lambertville, N.J.) 1872-1968, 1874-02-11

BY PROF. H. r. SANFORD.

In the village of Fredonia, N. ", at til,
charter elrction last March the question of Ii
cense or no license was presented, and til,
trustees favoring license were elected, and WI
have since suffered the consequences.
December II Dio Lewis, of Boston, lectur
ed before our Library Association, and as III
was to remain over Sunday the pastors of the
village Churches called a Union Temperance
meeting in the largest church, to be address
ed by the doctor. The house was packed,
and the address was of deeply religious
tone, and the speaker seemed carried along,
as he afterward said, by an unseen influence,
and the audience felt the inspiration Near
the close he related the manner in which the
liquor traffic was stopped in his native village,
in the central part of the State of New York.
| thirty-nine years ago. There were four rum
holes, as he styled them, and the fathers got
drunk while the children worked in the fac
tory and supper ed the families
Finally thirteen of the boys were decoyed
into the rum-shops and made drunk This
was too much. The mothers held a prayer
meeting, and, with Joined hands, they sol
EMMY pledged themselves to continue cir
efforts until rum was abolished from their
town. Early next morning eighty-fonr deter
mined women marched through snow a foot
deep to the rumselers stores There they
sang, prayed, and read their appeal Three
promised to quit the business; the fourth
stubbornly refused. The next morning they
| a,,I h.
How long is this to continue?" they repli-
ed, "Until you give up the traffic." and
when he said he could not otherwise support
his family, poor p;lsed woman replied that
they would support them with their needles.
He yielded, and next day poured out his Ii
quor. None has been sold in that village
since.
At the close Of the address present action
was determined upon, and the meeting was
regularly organized. Stirring speeches were
made by the pastors and others, and when
those were asked to rise who could sustain the
movement, it seemed as if every one ROSE
Such enthusiasm has scarcely been seen siuce
the days of war meetings.
At late hour the meeting adjourned till
the next morning at 10 O'Clock, when no less
enthusiasm and no less religious interests
were manifested.
| The committee of ladies retired TO the SEES
sion-room to organize, while the men remain
ed to pray.
A little past noon a procession of over ON
hundredof the most respectable and influer
tial ladies of the village, headed by Mrs. Ban
ker, wife of Judge Barker, of the Suprem
Court, and the pastors wives, marched fort
on their mission. They visited both the ho
tells and all the saloons and drug stores, A
each place they sang, prayed, and read thei
appeal, to which was afterward addet
Scripture reading.
Before the close of the day one druggis1
had pledged himself not to sell as beverage
These visits were continued daily for severa
days, aud still continued at greater intervals
/ Itmight be thought that such dens ofiniqu
ity are improper places for LADIES' to visit but
they feel that if men and boys are enticed
there they to may go. In nearly all cases the
greatest respect was shown, and sometimes
the feelings of the habitues of these places
seemed to be deeply moved by such earnest
devotons and pleadings in places accustomed
to resound with jeers and oaths. These pro-
cessions attract great but respectful attention,
and it is a common remark that upon the
counteuances of the ladies are depicted SOL
emnity aud determination. One of the two
hotels has also closed its bar. Daily union
temperance prayer meetings were commenced
Immediately, which have continued until the
present time, excepting Saturday nights and
couple of days during Christmas festivals, cir
culating from church to church, and Sunday
evenings large audiences listen to a temper
ance sermon in one of the churches, this be-
| ing also union service.
The laGes have formed permanent society,
with the name of "The Women's Temper
ance Union of Fredonia," holding weekly
meetings for business. aud have also under
taken the relief of drunkards' families.
And now, most singularly, some persons
who have been accustomed to drink have vol
UNFAIRLY pledged themselves to quit as an
outgrewth of the movement.
Now, after the lapse of nearly three weeks
the interest continues, and public opinion is
being very rapidly formed in favor OF temper
ance, and the indications are strong that AT
the village election two months hence the IL
ouor traffic in this village will receive Its
death-blow.
People and newspapers far and near are no.
t,c;no the movement, and it has been inau
urated in other places in similar manner by
DIR. Lewis and the results here are eagerly
watched
Has not the time fully come for general
advance of the temperance army along the
whole line? If this evil, which is under the
curse of God, is ever uprooted, the Churches
must be aroused, and their membership puri-
fed from all who will use any Intoxicating Ii
ouor as beverage, or who will aid the
traffic.
Our Sunday-schools must Systematically in-
struct the children that it is sin in the sight
of God to indulge in even the milder forms OF
alcoholic stimulants.
If the temperance sentiment of our State
could be thoroughly aroused, even this win
ter, we might get the Pennsylvania Local OPP
ton Law by counties-cities voting separate
! tvand LEFT the license law be repealed, so that