Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1874-03-07
OLYMPIA, SlTTlD,Y l0nliNG. Nif. +. lS.i.
INTEMPEIATE ZEAL.

the past few weeks with accounts Of L
tirst-class sensation which has Appeared
in some parts of Ohio, Indiana and
PENNSYLVANIA, in the form Of "p.ay
ing bands" of women. who appear,
whilo laboling under some peculiar
mania, to have enlisted in vigorous
but novel crusade against in:emr
Their plan Of action appears: 10 be, TO
visit tie saloons and engage in prayer.
singing, andeyhoytion. The owners Of
these establishments are subjected to
every phase OF moral suasion," while
their freguenters, and patrons, rs Il
general thing, are only too glad to es-
cape as hastily rs circumstances Will
permit. Their success in closing up
the saloons mas been but partial, and it
is evident that any advantage derived
can be only temporary. Tie movement
may he classed with the many religious
manias which periodically arise, and as
this appears to be OF The miller sort, and
not attended with any Of the horrors
or atrocities sometimes perpetratcd in
the name of holiness, it is probably
best that it should he allowed to spend
its force without the stimulus which op-
position always invokcs. AS an advo-
cate of the political rights and equality
of women, we regret that tie movement
should have been auguratol at time
when their cause was making steady
progress, without positive opposition
FROM any quarter. As friend Of all
reasonable reforms, we are sorry that
the only practical means Of promoting
sobrietv, las never leen tried by the
advocates of temperance reform. All
must concede that drunkenness is an
evil, and one OF alarming magnitude;
but it should be likewise admitted that
prohibitary laws have contributed but
little if any aid in supprcssins it, The
craving for stinulants is not an ac-
quired appetite, though it may become
strengthened by the immolerate use Of
strong drink. The desire for some bev-
erage to warm the inner man, and cheer
his spirits, is universal. 1t has been
manifested to be as strong in women,
who delight in their tea-parties, rs in
men, who if left to choose, would pre-
fer the milder wines, or malt liquors,
whose deleterious effects are scarcely
overbalanced by their benefits upon the
human system. An effort to promote
the use of the purer, lighter beverages
has not been tried by any temperance
reformers, They have invariably at
tempted too much, and have failed as
they will continue to fail, as long as
mankind is constituted as it is in the
present generation at least.
Fanaticism never accomplishes any
important results unless it rides on the
crest of some deep wave of popular
commotion. 1t is short-lived, and like
the delirium of the drunkard, soon en-
hausts itself by the extraordinary power
thrown into brief spasmodic move
ment. Every storm is soon followed by
n calm, and all undue excitement
must inevitably be followed by season
ofrelaxation. Experience continually
teaches us the utter hopelessness of
any good results by means so directly
in antagonism with the spirit and prac-
tees of the age.
But this is not the main objection we
urge to the present movement. Itper-
verts the uses of prayer, and impairs
the popular estimate of sacred things
Prayer is opricelessaboon mankind,
for us to see any propriety in making
it weapon to punish evil-loers into
submission. 1t is "heaping Goals of
fire" on their heads in too literal a
sense, for us to ascribe much of that
Christlike spirit of meekness and humil-
ity which should characterize His fol-
followers to the leaders in the Ohio
crusade.
The lega! aspects Of the case should
likewise be considered, and if the de-
cision of Judge Stafford - in a suit
brought by DIR. Dunn, keeper of drug
store, at Hillsboro, Ohio, WHO was, as
he expressed it, being prayed out OF
business and sung into bankruptcy
is OF any weight, the movement might
AS well cease at once. The Judge af-
firms g that these women have no
more right to pray in front of man s
house than they have to file saw or
grind hand-organ, and that if DR..
Dunn objected to the use of his name