Lamoille newsdealer. [volume] (Hyde Park, Vt.) 1860-1877, 1874-02-25
The Woman's Crusade.

When the women of, Ohio began thci
assault upon the liquor shops, almos
everybody supposed the movement would
be nothing more than the aeetiug excite
ment of an hour. The ladies would pa
.rade the streets, and assemble in the
churches, and sing hymns, and raise thcil
voices in prayer; would carry about the
pledge for signatures, and thrust the pen.
Gil into trembling and beery hands would
keep little towns and villages ia turmoil
for few days, aud exact all surts of i'm.
possible promises from unwilling sinners
but We were not to expect practical re-
suit from such extraordinary and irregu.
lar proceedings. Even ifths women were
stout enough at heat to withstand the
jeers, and insults, and brutal remarks that
4 would certainly assail them. and vigorous
enough in body to endure the long watch
of prayer, hour after hour, day after day.
from the early morn till the night far
spent, the time must soon come when the
spiritual excitement that inspired the
crusade would die away. to be followed
BY the inevitable reaction. But two
months have now passed. and the women
are more earnest than ever. Driven out
Of the bar ROBINS they kneel In the muddy
streets, which may be cleaner after all
than sanled floors bestrewn with the re.
fuse of conviviality. They mind neither
the cold winds nor the pelting rain. All
manner of engines of defense have been
brought up against them without avail.
Here an uRregenerate saloon.keer throws
snuff into the midst of the praying band.
There an irate rufian assaults them with
apoker. Vulgar caricatures are displayed
in the shop windows. Coarse jests are
heard as the crusaders march through the
streets. The law is invoked to prevent
trespass upon private prmises and inter.
ference with legal occupations and in
this part of the defense it is important to
notice that the wholesale liquor dealers
are helping the rum-shop keepers with
money. Nevertheless the crusade goes
on, and the roll of victory lengthens ev.
cry day.
1t is apparent that we have all under.
rated the strength of woman's en,husi-
asm and devotion. These generous and
Christian impulses are something more
than out bursts Of sentiment; they are
important forces in the government of So
'oiety. If the Ohio temperance movement
can be guided with reasonable discretion,
it may regenerate the whole region. 1t
will not, of course, destroy intemperance,
and probably it will not permanently
check the sale of liquor: but it may make
drinking more disreputable. and save
thousands of neu whose case is not yet
hopeless. The danger in such movements
is in attempting to 60 too fast or too far.
The Ohio ladies will do we'll not to mis-
understand the legal aspec. Of their case,
to begin with. No doubt, they have been
guilty in many instances ola technical tres.
pass; and though the courts are evidently
in sympathy with them, they may easily
place themselves 10 such position that
the'law will be compelled to interfere. /.
TIE committees Of gentlemen, organized
to assist them, have kept prudentiy in the
background, and we trust they will have i
sense enough to remain there, since their |
appearance in the front. even Under the |
pretense of protecting the ladies from in. {
suit, would probably lead to scenes Of Vi
olence fatal to the whole enterprise. Let .
the women keep their tempers and respect {
the law, aud they will have things pretty |
much their own Tribune. |,