The Leavenworth weekly times. [volume] (Leavenworth, Kan.) 1870-1880, 1874-02-26
+" PRAYING BANDS
The Ladies Decide Not To En-.
gage In the Crusade.
COngratulating HOwls from the
SalOOn-Keepers and Free
Lunch EiendS.

The crest moral epidemic which is sweep
ing everything before it in the principal
cities of Ohio and Indiana. threatened At one
time to attack this city. The ladies of the
various churches, thinking they must emu
late the example of their sisters in the east,
put their heads together in consultation, ss
to the prepriety Of holding saloon prayer
meetings, and after full two weeks Of mental
wear and tear heve wisely concluded TO let
the festive "whisky singers" and trembling
..beer jerkers" REST in peace. But this con-
clusion was only arrived st after p.Utracted
and excited debates in that great TOral mill,
the ''sewing society"
In one Of the meetings held not many
days ago, 4 fair crusader, in arguing the
question pro and con, said: ''But even the
long suffering man drars the line s9me-
mkere." This reminds us of household
raid one of our former associates OCCASION
ally mentioned. The lady of the house WAS
beliigerent, and her lord was meek. After
suffering all kinds of defeat and humi!ia-
ton, the latter vas actually driven TO take
refuge under the bed. This appears to have
eiung. the manliness in him, for he remarked
in the most desperate manner 10 the irate
female who was poking the broom handle
into mis- hiding place, while he edged towards
the furtherest corner, that there uds point
where man ought 10 take q Stand for bis
rights, and he thought he had gone about a.
far o. he meant to. Or, according TO the
quotation sbove-''a long suffering man
draws the line somewhere."
But looking at the reverse side of this
subject, perhaps it might also be said that
long suffering community must "drau the
line someuIere." Woman who have suffer-
ed from the traffic in the ruin of their hus-
bands, brothere, sons and hOmes; society,
which is ravaeed as if BY fire with the
plague of intemperance, and i.s baneful
consequences; the State, which psys its mil
lions annually for penal, reformatory and
charitable Institutions, nine-tenths of which
would not be required If it were not for this
traffic; all these and other interests may ask
if they ought NJ to make stand somewhere
and somehow. But how? That Is the ques-
ton. There is no problem 40 thoroughly
inwoven with the personal life, the social,
business, political and governmental inter-
ests of the country, 30 lsbarynthine in it,
nerves and fbres. as this. To the solution of
this temperance problem the most eagaciOu.,
earnest and courageous men have set their
minds. Various have been the schemes.
Moral suasion, the pledge, the Washington,
ian movement, the Father Matthew society
Sons and Daughters of Temperance, Good
Templars, prohibition, loo Il option, saloooR
and side walk prayer meetings, all these
and other plans of reform have been tried,
with a greater or less degree OF success. 1T
would he exceedingly foolish to say that 10
advance ground has been occupied by the
friends of temperance. This would be de-
cidedla false. A public sentiment on the
subject has been created which did not ex-
ist years ago. Drunkenness is no longer toll
Grated in decent society. The conviyiai
glass has vanished from the tables of our
homes, dnd is taken only in the saloons, the
club, or other localities of quasi respect
ability. Even wine is TO great en,ent ia
booed as society drink. Furthermore, the
powerful latent temperance sentiment ex-
isting all about us is shown in the |
present Ohio upheaval. This crusade could |
not have been STATED by an
itinerart lecturer, unless he had found a state |
Of feeling which by little probing could be
aroused to the wrsthful storm which is now
sweeping all before it in that state. But it is
not by such spasmodic movements a. this |
tha. the great work is to lie efectually done.
The agitation may prove absolutely beus fetal.
Another stsp may have been gained even af-
ter the inevtible reaction. 1t is 50 that pro-
yress is made. The retrogressive wave sel-
dom carries society back to its original st4nd
point. But 1t is far better, and We think,
more certain, TO work calmly, inteliigentiy,
upon the structure we are set to
,reate, than il ia 10 hurl material about with
he strength and the fury OF Ti;ans. aud have
10 system or certain stability. We think
he women of this city have come to a sem
sible conclusion.