The Rutland daily globe. [volume] (Rutland, Vt.) 1873-1877, 1874-04-28
The Womnn's Temperance Move
mcnt.

IT'S OCCASION, IT'S NATURE, AND ITS OBJECTS.
A sermon delivered in the Second Con-
gregational church in Bennington, Sabbath
evening. April 81, by Rev. C. b. Hubert,
pastor:
"And David said, what hive now done?
Is there not n cause 81 Samuel. fS: 90
'The weapons of our warfare are not
carnal, but mighty through God to the pull
ing down of slrongholds. II Corinthians
10; A.
There exists at the present time, in our
country, beginning in Ohio and divergng
thence in every direction, what is popular
| ~ known rs the wOman's movement
but what might with more correctness be
denominatcd a revival of temperance under
new auspices, and where women conscious
of the insuiferabc wrongs which they have
endured are the leading actors. This is
recent and somewhat novel manifestation
of power in the social and religious life of
the country, and il may seem to some OF
YOU as too uncalled for and too eXtravagant
and ephemcral to justify~a survey of It from
the pulpit But think not, and | think
you will agree with me as we advance. to
consider " its Oc' asiOn its nature. ana its
object.
ANU HDN ltlT II tDllSlNtIdllbll Ol inc OC
casion which has nauguraied this move
ment and which to most minds will not
only justify but applaud and aid it for
ward. The facts are these The time
was-and that time is within the memory
of many of you-when Intoxicating liquors
were n common beverage, when to with
hold them from the table at family or
party gathering or from ones corps of la
borers in the field, savorcd a spirit of rar-
simony. which looked very badly in a man.
especially a Christian man. But it was
discovered after while that this habit of
drinking was fraught with terrible evils. 1t
was soon acknowledged that it involved an
immense waste OF property, destroyed do
nestle happiness. undermined the consti-
tuition, was the prolific parent of pauper-
ism ard crime, and was filling the land
with drunkards. The dcmoralizing inhu-
ences of this debasing habit were so palpa-
bic and glowing, as to arouse at length the
public conscience. Then commenced what
was known as the temperance reform. 1t
was mighty, it was grand. In the van
guard stood the christian ministry of every
denomination, nor was the church slow to
follow heirleadership. Multitudes, irrespec-
tive of ecclesiastical lines. fell in to swell the
ranks of the temperance community.
High above all voices rang the clarion
notes of Dr.. Lyman Beecher, rallying the
ministry and churches Of, y SSM pE1EWG9d.
ful and widespread. II carried in il many
of the elements of the moral sublime.
But in all this movement the weapons of
their warfare were rot carnal. Oratorv
was their chief instrument, nor was it in
Hated, sensational or frantic. 1t was de-
lucrative, argumentatiye, thoughtful and
effective. 1t reasoned with the people of
temperance. 1t laid siege to the under
standing, judgment and good sense of men
and carried them captive by severe and sound
arguments. BY means Of diagrams which
were hung before the audiences, it showed
the power of alcoholic drinks to influence
the digestive organs and create an artificial
thirst That has the obstinacy of an organic
disease. By chemical analysis it showed
| That the liquors which men were using with
such freedom, so far from adding ANYTHING
to the resources of life in a man are intlin-
sically nOXious, and detract in the end from
the vital force. Appeal was also made to
facts facts Astounding in every COM
munity and spread before every eye facts
of CHASTITY horror, showing the rayages of
this baletA habit, amidst reputation prop
erty, life, and scattering tirebrands. arrows
and death in the domestic circle and turn
ing what would otherwise lie II peaceful
home into very pandemonium and this
portrayal of actual and astounding facts
was accomplished in way so graphic and
by appeals so faithful and persuasive. that
the people were compelled to hear, to feel.
and to act.
In the pulpit, in the town hall. in the
school house, on the platform, in the leafy
grove, by the sea- ON the mountain here
there, everywhere, the voice of the temper
ance preacher and lecturer was heard. Nor
was 1t heard in vain. More this move
ment did not content itself by simply call
ing to It's aid the resources of oratory. 1t
engaged from the first the services of the
press, that briarean-handed engine of might,
and scattered through the length and |
breadth of the land, in every city, country
town and district, temperance publications, |
books, tracts, leaflets, pamphlets, temper |
ance almanacs and newspapers. Chick |
as antumnal leaves that strcw tie brooks !
in Nilambrosa," and the people were call |
cd on not only to hear, but to read.
But the people in this early movement |
were required To do more than to listen to
temperance documents. They were sum
moned To action. ''to he doors of the word
and not hearers only" AT this point an
peared on the stage for the first time in the
history of the world "'rhe Temperance
Pledge, a phenomenon indeed but an in
strument of power which, notwithstanding
Its abuses, has been an angel of mercy to
million homes, n piece of paper with
name on it. hear you say, and nothing
more, "A piece of paper with name on
It,, reply, which has sheltered, warmed,
clothed, educated, blessed and fed many a
household, n roll of honor to the men that
signed it, and sunshine and sweet summer
to his home. God bless the day when the
temperance pledge, like the sun, rose on the
horizon of this dark world, with healing in
Its beams Thus the temperance reform be-
gan To this date the weapons OF its war
fare were not carnal but mighty through
God to the pulling down of strongholds.
Oratory, the press, and the pledge, these
were the instruments employed But the re-
form was not completed, for while it carried
with it the better portion of the commun-
ity, and in theory the majority of the COM
munlty; yet, practically, the great body of
the people remained outside the temper
ance tanks. Drinking habits still prevailed,
not only SO, they were INDUCED in in the {
spirit OF cxultation and defiance. Domes-
tce discords, sufferings and public riots
continued to disturb and vex the peace of l
the family and community. The vendors I.
OF liquors, iratc and vengeful as they were, I
raised strong barrier of resistance. All
this the friends of temperance anticipated !
but they withstood the shock and held firm .
y the ground they had gained. AT this \
time there existed temperance law G
in this state and in other states, d
\ law which implied tacitly that t
he sale of intoxicating liquors was an I
Evil. A law which required, therefore, as z
compensation for this evil, the payment G
~ all vendors into the state treasury of L
certain sum of money. This law was n
Known as the license law Under il any a
me could sell liquor who would pay the v