Richland beacon. [volume] (Rayville, La.) 1869-1890, 1874-03-14
: Dun the Daily Nlck burger.
TIE II Z T. RANCE,

the growth OF q desire to avoid intcm
pe.alcr, and To secure the man
blessings to be gained by temperate
industrious lives, there is no discussion
0 Of the need of reform in this respect
, but only the proper mode to be usct
to gain snch desired end. 1t i
hardly faig 20 throw any obstacle il
in the way Of those who ,hink, ;ha
they are in possession Of a means bl
which the evil can at least be abated
1t is always best for thinking persons
and logical reasoners, to inquire earn
= cs,ly into any movement befor,
bringing the batteries Of ridiculc L
bear on it merely because it sound.
spicy, and comports with q carclcs:
eXtravagant manner of thinking
There are many journals in the land
who fire of their broadsidcs of con
tempt, and snap away their spicy
squibs, merely because it is the stvle
TO fall into this easy, thoughtless
manner of commenting on grave
question, forgetting that they offer nc
escape from blasted hopes, ruined
lives, nor any consolation to mothers
wives and sisters, who see not only
their own wrong and suffering but
who see those they dearly love, and
! who TO them are mere precious than
life itscl', daily, yea, hourly dragged
! down to the graves Of drunkards.
paupers, and criminals. Women are
| therefore not satisfied to be dismissed
| nv saying to them, "my dear ladies.
temperance is the best THIN, cut. bu.
you must not dare to 60 outside of
your proper sphere" They choose
to act and think, and work, where
their own good, and the welfare of
those most dear to them, are at stake,
in the best way they can, and they
are right, regardless of the sncers of
those who know not or refuse TO see
their worthy motives. 1t is all fine
to talk of woman's sphere, and to
ridicule her femininity, but it bias not
been satisfactorily settled yet, what
is her proper sphere; and if :, is going
beyond her duties to try and save her
loved ones, it is Interesting 20 inquire
how circumscrbcd are the limits of
cher proper sphere 2" The shafts Of
,licule can be hurled at any thing,
lat they are not proof, and are only
used to distract the reasoner and
! thinker. Religion has been ridiculed
thousands and thousands of times, but
it has proven nothing against it.
And those, who affect to laugh away
the efforts of northern women TO
benefit their race, should remember
the realty of their case. On this
subject metropolitan Journal says:
1t is the essential reality of the
/ Temperance crusade in Ohio which
mak"s II important. OF course it will
be 'eXPioited" by professional philan-
thropists and agita'ors. Charla,ans
and witless enthusiasts will often
prejudice the wise and sympathetic
spectator "A kind of religious frenzy
and folly will pain the sincerely de.
vout. Many will shake their leads
at the probable reaction. and more
will be diSgusted at what will seem
TO them shallow sensationalism. But
when all is said, and all objection ad-
mitted, there remains the reason of
this movement. The women whose
homes are ruined. whose hearts are
broken, whose lives are wasted by
drunken husbands and sons who see
atevery corner the smiling fend, the
DEVILS trap set to catch human happi-
ness; who are dragged hopelesslv
downward, day by day. toward abjec,,
helpless poverty and all its terrible
temptations, and who see no succor
any where-these women and their
tragedy are the power and the conse-
Grafton of every such movement.-
The hymns may be poor stuff, and
the prayers mere sushes of vanity
aud conceit, and the excitement phys
ical frenzy, but under all the mean
phenomena is the inexpressibl and
far-reacbing sorrow of suffering wo-
men. A dran.seller who sees IA wife
whose husband be has ruined appeal
ing to God in ber mysery, as she
kneels in his presence Or before his
door, is the very kind of man to be
profoundly, even supcrsti,iously, dis
turbed, anu TO vow to rcnOunce his
,rade. He can deal with mobs Of
swearing men and pistols, but
,hrong OF. women kneeliug in PRAYER
for lila, pcrpicycs aud cou!ou1ds bin.