National opinion. [volume] (Bradford, Vt.) 1865-1874, 1874-02-27
TIE Whisky War.

TIE Whisky War.
Incidents and Triumphs Of the Crusad
| ~ IL 10 carried ON In Ohio.
The whisky war in Ohio continue
with unabated vigor, and fresh move
ments are being inaugurated through
out the State. The Cincinnati Con,
'nercial relates a description given b
a refugee, who has arrived In that cit
from Macarthur, Vinton Co., Ollic
where he had sort OF club. room wher
a game Of cards could be played and
drink OF whisky taken. He was driver
out by the woman's war against whisk,
and cards. He said "They climbed
night. ffty. -four of them, young and
old, rich and poor, some in rags ant
some in fine harness. Each of the fifty
four women camo up personally anl
spoke to me, and hoped I'd get new
soul. OF course ] had to treat 'em po
litely. There was only one lamp burn
ing in the room when they came in, sc
lit another for them, to make II
lighter. Then they took. out their
hymn books and all began to sing to-
gether. One or two OF 'em led, and
the rest joined in. After they had
sung fifteen minutes or 80 they all got
down on their knees and prayed. There
was one woman there who could pray
loud enough to be heard all over the
village, which has only eight hundred
inhabitants. A woman would pray and
the rest would join in With an a.n-men
"a long and loud one. One of the
women that prayed was seventy years
old. She prayed so long and strong
that she got herself all Of tremble,
and had to be lifted to her feet and
carried down stairs. One time they
called all got down on the outside, and
sang and prayed"
Reporter-You closed up, finally.
Mr.. G.-There was nothing else to
do when they were carrying On that
way. They closed everything in the
village down to an oyster saloon, where
the folks were in the habit of playing q
game of cards to see who'd pay for the
stews, place whore there wasn't q
drop of liquor sold.
Reporter-How do they treat fellow
in their prayers?
Mr.. G.-They are very kind in their
prayers at first. They pray for fell
lows soul, and then stick petition
before him. If he don't sign to quit,
they pray for lightning to strike his
shop.
A correspondent describes speech
of Van Pelt delivered in front of a
saloon in Morrow, Ohio. He says
"Van Pelt launched into the most un-
reportable speech have listened to for
some time. He told of the evils he had
Witnessed in the saloon business, the
ruined men he had known. and the
misery it caused, then gave comically
unphilosophical explanation of 'Why
the great God put the stimulant into
the corn, if he didn't want men to use
it, stating that peaches contained
arsenic enough to kill men, 'but it is
no sound reason why man, because God
put brains into his head that he could
do it, should distil this arsenic out to
kill the human nation off the face of the
earth.'"
In subsequent speech Van Pelt
made one astonishing statement That
the liquor dealers in Cincinnati had
offered to supply him with liquors free
of cost for one year if he would hold
out.
A correspondent from Shelbyville,
Ind, says: On Wednesday, at the
saloon Of George Deprez, while the
large number of women we're engaged
in prayer and singing, a noval and Pc
:uliar emotional incident occurred. Mr..
Deprez had, as has been his custom up
On every occasion except the first visit
Of his lady friends. politely opened the
door of his establishment and welcomed
in the crusaders. There was the GUS
tomary singing Of hymns. succeeded
by frequent prayers. In the interim |
between these one of the ladies address,
ed the remark, kindly, to the proprie-
Tor, Mr.. Deprez, you are too intelli-
gent a man and too much of q gentleman
aot to acknowledge that selling liquor |
IS great wrong p Mr.. Deprez made |
answer by saying, Unexpectedly: |
Madame, I do not lay much claim
% being q gentleman so long as I am |
engaged in this business and if 1 |
Ihould be the very first to quit it to |
'blige the ladies Of shelbyville, it
wouldn't surprise me-"
This was gratefully accepted by the
,rayerful people as great and prom
sing concession on the part of Deprez.
While these interesting matters were
ranspiring in Deprez's saloon there
we're present two deeply attentive spec
ators leaning against the tall bar in the
ear of the room. These men, James
Thomas and one Lacy, we're moved by
he spectacle of the pleading women to
lsk for their prayers, and they were
,iven with deepest pathos and sympa-
hetic eloquence. Thomas and Lacy
melt during these solemn scenes, and
vhen they were concluded these men
we're overcome with remorse. Jim
Thomas came forward to say, in grief
leavy words, 81 am not sure all of you
now me, though some Of you possibly
nay"
To this several responded, "We
now you, Mr.. Thomas, and our sorrow
3 all the keener."
"Well, then," he went on to say,
you remember me when I was a pros
erous and well-to do merchant in your
,idst, living happily with dear fam
y in my own pleasant home. And now
ou leok upon the wreck that I am
mother warning against intemperance.
~ family were compelled to fly from
,e, and are broken and scattered-my
God knows where All my
roperty has gone. am in poverty, in
isgrace, and q confirmed drunxard..
'h, ladies. I hope you will all pray for
le. and close up these gaping tempta-
ons-these hundreds and thousands
[ saloons i''
So wholly had Thomas yielded to his
vice that, when moneyless,