The daily Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1873-1877, 1874-06-09
The Woman's Petition to our
Board of Supervisors.
THEY INDULGE I'M a LITTLE skEIlMks
TAI SCHOOLGIRL coxPosrrIoN.



A committee Of women claiming TO rep
resent the Temperance Leagues Of Rock
Island and Moline appeared before the
our boardy Of supervisors on Friday Of last
week and were introduced by Supervisor
Feaster, the polite gas-bag of the concern,
whereupon Mrs. @. G. Starr, Of Moline,
proceeded to read their petition. At the
conclusion of the proceedings Sister Feas-
ter moved to grant the prayer Of the wom-
en-an absurd form Of motion, at best III
he wanted to test the matter he should
have introduced formal resolution declar-
ing that the board would not grant any Ii
cense, ETC., etc. the coming year. On mo-
ton Of Sup'r Kerr, the matter was laid
over till next meeting. A better way
would have been to have referred the Pc
tition to a committee to report at next
meeting, aud then let the board, through
committee, face the music, and give rea-
sons for its action.
PETITION.
To the Honorable Gentlemen of the
Board of Supervisors Of Rock Island
County, of the Sovereign State of Illinois,
in session assembled: We, daughters and
citizens of the domain over which you pre-
side, representing the earnest wishes of
the organized interests Of temperance and
sobriety in our communities, have pre-.
sumed to come with petition and appeal
We would, therefore, while knowing that
your sessions are filled with cares of state,
ask that for short time you extend to US
the sceptre Of gracious hearing, having
patience while we prefer our request.
We rejoice today in free government
and in free institutions. The family is the
central group-the State in miniature
around which government throws its fos-
tering care. The family is the State in
miniature, the town group Of families,
the county but group Of towns the State
a cluster Of counties, and our vast Free
Republic but group Of sister States its
its western slopes bathed by Pacific waves,
its breadth the American Continent In
this land, from ocean to ocean, all the fam
lies Of n-kind are represented and
protected beneath the broad folds of the
American flag. The infinite Father God
over all, source of all government and law,
completes the mystic circle and trinity
family government, State government and
the government Of God.
Rejoicing then in our fair heritage of
freedom, and the age in which we live, we
yet cannot fail to see the dark clouds in our
horizon. There is a stain upon our nation
al escutcheon. 1t is the
BANE OF INTEMPERANCE
America is to-day nation of drunkards,
and while we believe that UOI pOpul coo
dei is as true to-day as when used by the
Latin races, We, the people. must appeal to
the different forms of our government to
ward from us this great evil, hoping that
our law makers viii have faith in the pure
instincts Of the people. In behalf, then
Of the individual, the family, the town,
yea Of the county, whose rights and liberties
you guard, we pray you 70 use every power
in you vested, legislative, moral and Christ
ian, to discontinue and preventive sale and
use Of intoxicating, malt, yinous, mixed
and fermented liquors in the county Of
Rock Island Of the State of Illinois
Perhaps the gentlemen of this Honora-
bic Board have read aud heard the Stats
tics Of drunkenness in our land until weary
Of the DER true tale. Figures and facts
are good for measurement and compari-
son.
As among the few reasons for our ap-
peal to you to legislate against the cause
OF so much evil unmixed with good we
beg leave to present few OF the facts of
figures for the year 1870, beginning the
present decade.
In the year 1870 there were in the Uni
ted States one hundred and forty thousand
licensed liquor saloons.
Allowing twenty feet to each saloon on
either side the street these would make a
street two hundred and sixty -five miles
long. Through this long street in 1870
marched daily in and out FIVE million men
and women for Intoxicating drinks as a bev-
erage.
Of these 100000 are confirmed drunk
ards. They are of all grades and ages
from gray headed men to fair haired boys,
the coming men to rule the State This
lisa
SAD AND sICKENING SIGHT
But do not turn away, for here comes
another army. From among these come
one hundred thousand criminals. From
jails and prisons and penitentiaries they
come.
From these licensed saloons, these
schools of crime, graduate every year an
army 10000 strong into the hopeless sor-
rows of drunkard's grave and drunk
ards eternity.
In view OF these facts in our country at
large, we pray the Supervisors of Rock Isl
and county TO refuse to license the sale of
Intoxicating drinks.
But do the figures stop here? If not
shall we turn away now? Shall we hide
our faces from the two hundred thousand
innocent children Of drunken parents?
What is their inheritance do we ask
The iniquities Of their fathers"
They must each bear the stigma of the
drunkards child.
Reared in the school Of ignorance and
vice, they keep the sad procession full.
This then is part Of the record Of fact
OF one year Of traffic in intoxicating drinks
in our land. How then about the great
procession, the fearful army of drunEards
moving in solid columns down to death?
But these, appalling as they seem, are
only records which figures give.
do we think that figures can count tn,
tears OF drunkard's wives?
Gan hgures number the cruel words anC
blows OF drunken husbands and fathers
Can figures tell the crushed homes of fai
young brides.
Can figures tell of the aching, hearts O
mothers, whose sons are drifting driftin,
into the snares of the wine cup, drIftin,
beyond their reach into the outer darkness
OF vice and shame?
In behalf then of
WEAK AND SUFFERING HUMANITY,
It's untold, uncounted sorrows, we pray yo
30. IL