The Wheeling daily register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1864-1878, 1874-02-14
women's War on Whisky.


method OF fighting in!emperance 7
Shall we call it ianaticism and condemn
it outright, or shall We overlook some
OF its Objectionable features and give it
our approval? For we may consistent
ly approve the design, and even the
general method OF this warfare, with.
out com uniting ourselves TO the pro-
priety, on ordinary occasions, Of eide
walk prayer-meetings and unladylike
boldneas. Because some minor features
of this movement offend our sense of
propriety (uot right), must We therefore
condemn the whole movement as ia
natical? Something's savoring OF fanat-
icsm are to be expected 10 every ef-
fective effort to overthrow evil. Traffic
in LIQUOR is old, and new victories over
it can be made only by new methods.
The evil is terrible and its treatment
must be desperate. Drinks which ruin
are not prepared by gloved hasds. aud
women who would snatch the glass
from husbands AID cons, may be allow
ed to suspend the rules oil propriety. En-
gagged in snch labor OF love they cease
to be fit subjects OF social criticism. A
lady of rank and culture follows her
husband even into the grog
shop, and pleads with him to
return with her, and when
human love fails 10 move him, she falls
upon her knees and calls upon her God
to soften his hardened heart. 1t is a
strange place for a lady OF culture she
| makes a spectacle" Of herself, and
subjects herself to the coarse laugh OF
men whom drink has transformed. But
| who does not justify her and honor her 7
H er course lie not 30 strange as IL his,
whom she would reclaim. The ladies
OF OHIO towns are pursuing q similar
method, only wives, mothers and sis-
ters unite, and instead OF seekipg TO
reclaim only those they love, with a
larger philanthropy, they would res
cue any poor unfortunate, and, striking
at the root OF the evil, would turn the
dealer himself from s.hellish traffic.
Noble is the act OF any lady who, in
her love for q relative, follows him into
the saloon or gambling den, and there
plies him with every possible influence
earthly and heavenly. But infinitely
! more noble is the lite oil that daughter
! of the distinguished DR.. Chalmers,
whose face is known in some OF the
lowest doggeries Of Edinburgh, whittier
she habi,uslly resorts 10 plead, and
pray, and reason out Of the scriptures,
with the victims OF strong drink. All
honor, then, to the equally noble wo-
men of Ohio and Indiana.
But it is one thing to honor these
women and quite another to approve
their method and commend it 10 others
MANY good people read the accounts
With feelings OF mingled regret and fear
Tbey shudder at the thought Of their
viyes or daughters iramping through
the streets, and becoming "the gazing
stock" of low men. They fear the
cause of religion will suffer by being
transferred from churches to salooos
and that the people OF the world vii
have lees reverence for religious exer'
c,ses; they cay "tauaticism ID slways
followed By q reaction, and the las
becomes worse than the first"
We have no disposition to pronounce
these feelings unreasonable and thes'
fears groundless. They will find
measure OF sym pathy in every human
heart. Yet il is a question how tar VI
to be governed by these natural feelings
and how tar we ought to resist them
The performance OF duty is often yer.
repue attic even the higher prompt
/. inss OF our nature, and sometimes re
ouires that We run the rick Of dreade'
, consequences. OF these two thisgs "
NAV be sure: First, that no decide
nroaress in the temperance cause ca
be made while public sentiment on tn
. subiect remains as it il. The mos
strinseut lsws may be passed and To
} most terrible penalties attached to the
violation, but unless the people are de
c;Ssdly awake and determined I
! execute them, they becom
40 much waste paper. or'
> the usual Temperance agencies 81
!, relied on, they must have u
approval Of the people generally 90
must be vigorously used by them. IL
great trouble has always been TIT
Z Itopls will grow weary in well doio
5 90 thai whilst there have been mar
, periods OF even tour Or Eve years dur'
e ton, in which intemperance has grea
}. " decreased. these periods have bee
Itfollowed by others Of much longer DUR
q Itioo. in which the ranks Of the inteu
I'll berst, we're feariully recruited. On
al he Sons Of Tenpersnee gave gre
= ii 4 u.