Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1874-10-14
L Stery of the Temperance Movement
in the West 49, 10
BY REV. E. P. ROE.

50 / think such action is unladylike,
unwomanly, and altogether wrong"
said Mrs. Elliott warmly. "Ihe idea of
women marching In bands through the
streets, followed bya rabble of rude men
and boys; the idea of refined ladies
i forcing their way into some filthy bar
room Iull of obscene, guzzling, i'll
omened looking loafers, and kneeling
on the tobacco-stained floor in audible
prayer These temperance movements
always tend to fanaticism, but this is a
little worse than anything have heard
of yet. Must woman unseX herself, and
brave the most disgusting phase of pub
hcity? Must the pearls of religious
feeling. even in the most sacred form of
prayer, be cast before the swine that in
fest these low dens?" 80. ae $3.50
The speaker was a young and, very
pretty lady, who had lived in our town
about year. Indeed, she had not been
married much longer than that, having
come to us as bride. She was d fine
type of the New England girl, quite
brilliant and ready in conversation, very
refined and high-cultured, a little opin-
donated, but intense III her disgust at
the pronounced phase of woman's
rights. Home is woman's highest
sphere, - was wont to say, ''and
there she can be the power behind and
above the throne" As we came to
know her well, we found that she pos
sessed a warm heart and Christian prin-
cipIe, though not very obtrusive in man
ifesting either. Something of the cold
ness and repression of New England So
ciety tinctured her manner, and made
her seem a little formal at first in con-
trast with our free, hearty western style.
Like too many of her sisters, instead Of
gaining hardness from the bleak hills
and chill winds Of her early home, she
appeared a frail blossom that would
ever need the shelter of the tenderest
love and care. ~ sse9
Her husband was western man, one
who had grown up in our young city.
He was well connected, of recognized
abilt.T as lawyer, and with future be-
fore him of the fairest promise. 1t had
occasionally been whispered that he
drank rather freely, but no one had ever
seen him the worse, for it. His lovely
young wife seemed to possess boIindless
influence over him, and for the greater
part Of his first year of married life he
had been very domestic. But of late he
spent his evenings out more frequently,
excusing his absence by saying that
there were parties that could be seen in
the way of business better at night than
during the day. a"h 81" go
I had my fears, but the wife suspect
ed nothing. sza tf"--
-.Fvo or three of us were sitting socially
w1ll our work In her pretty parlor one
afternoon, when some remark on the
strange temperance movement that had
lately been developed led to Mrs Ell
hott's decided expression of opinion
with which [ have commenced this brief
record of an experience SO different from
my usual quiet life.
[ wilI merely say to the reader that I
an a middle-aged widow lady. quite
ALONE IN the world. My home is next
door to that of Mrs. Elliott, and from
some secret affinity we have become very
intimate. Years before, my natural
heart treasures had slipped from me,
and I, IN my loneliness, found it very
easy to love my young neighbor as a
daughter. Through a side entrance we
lran III and out of each others homes
with perfect freedom, and often sat
with our work together. f"o
This afternoon, Mrs. Judge Ashman,
another intimate friend, was also with
us Her only immediate response to
Mrs Elliott's words was deep sigh.
At Last she said: 3@"H) e+ioa-
The evil grows SO desperate, I can
scarcely wonder at any effort to counter
T IL -
[ can scarcely understand this one. [
do not see how lady can go to such
place as you describe, [ suppose, only
too truely. But the trouble is, the worst
mischief is not done at these 'dens. ,
Many of our drinking saloons are ele-
giant III all their appointments, and are
frequented by gentlemen. : 'saeg r..aa|
esNo matter" answered Mrs. Elliott,
almost hotly; GO womanly delicacy for
bids that she,should go to such a place.
They are frequented by roues and gam
blers also, who differ from the ragged
Ioafers only in being better dressed. In
each case she is liable to insult, and to
sec and hear things which, to pure,
refined woman, are verse than blows.
I'd rather meet the coarse brutality of
the Isdens than the contemptuous leers
and knocking smiles OF the gltded
saloons.
=" What you say, my dear, seems per-
fectly true, and / have always felt 50
myself. But oh! what can we do? what
can we do? It's dreadful to sit still
With folded hands and see the. havoc
these places are making -. - 4 .eIe
The pathos and distress of Mrs. Ash
man IS voice were too deep to be caused
by merely general appr eciation. of the
evils of intemperance. I had read the
~ $500 n .L9ew -