The Valley Virginian. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1865-1895, 1874-03-05
The Female Crusaders.

We have very little patience with anything
that assumes the phase If fanaticism. We
do not believe that any great social or moral
reform was ever accomplished by rant and
fury. The work, to be substantial, must
commence with the convictions. Appea Is
to passion and feeling may, in the excessive
fsrvor they excite, attain something that has
the sex,bance Of change. But it is mere
surface work. 1t does not reach deep down
to the seat Of the disease, and consequently
must prove evar escent in its effects, aud dis
that we regard the wild fury which is reck-
lessly rushing on tho women Of some Of the
Western States, and especially Of Ohio, in
their crusade against the whiskey vendors.
We give elsewhere detailed account OF their
operations at Aenia. This was probably the
most violent outburss that has yet been re-
corded. 1t was the elimination Of faaati
cism, and exhibited degree Of ungoyerned
feeling that assinilates it to insanity.
We reverence woman il her proper sphere
We could almost worship her, when through
the gentle5winninss Of refined and sensi-
tive nasare, she draws men from vics, and
pleads ia her own persuasive and resistless
manner, der claims for the protection and
care Ct the sterner sex. 1t is incontestably
true that she is the greater sufferer from the
evils of intemperance But in this she is
not always blameless. Many noble soul,
with sensibilities equally as delicate as her
own, has been driven to the bowl by the re.
palsion of the home hearth. 1t is not un-
frequently that husband and father, wearied
aad tired of the business routine of the day,
seek repose and lest where they should al
ways abide, and find them not. The useless
complaints, and sometimes peeyish and fret
full temper, of the queen Of the home circle,
have swollen the ranks Of the dram drinkers
to greater numbers than the prevalence of
vicious tastes. Oppressed with business
cares and brain racked with the labors and
VACATIONS of the day, to fad, instead Of the
genial, loving smile, lulling into quiet ard
conteniment, tempest and a storm, is
enough to drive saint to some other So
lace, which is generally the wine cup. Wo-
man has it in her power to control and infu
eace man for good. Her CHEEKY welcome
aud beaming smile, coming '.like breezes
from the spice Islands" will drive away
care, and convert home into refuge, and
throw around it attractions irresistible
There is scarcely man upon this green
earth who cannot be won by woman's love,
and it is because she herself perverts her
calling and Instead of the ministering angel
which poetry and romance have represented
her, she sometimes becomes such horrid
repuisive termagaut, that men fly from her
presence, not uufrequently, and sesk the OBJ
Iivion Of strong stimulants. We venture
the assertion that two-thirjs of the clamor-
ours creatures whose conduct at Xenia was
enough to crimson the cheek of genuine fl
male modesty and virtue with burning
blush Of shame, are ;ntolerable viragos at
home, with whom it is hell on earth to
live The very fact that they were capable
Of the frenzied excitement and wild heather
dances and vociferols believing that are re-
ported of them, constitutes an unanswerable
argument in favor of this assumption. The
very thought Of an army Of women parading
the streets of aity, stopping in front of the
bar rooms, and raising a howl 10 the name
of prayer, and perveriipg the sweet inhu-
ence OF her voice in song, to the boisterous
SCREENINGS Of hysteria, is enough to shock
the sensibilities Of true female character -
Let her throw the mellow charm Of loving
heart around the home hearth, and utter her
soft earnest prayer pleadiugs in the quiet Of
her own chamber, where they will fall upon
the inner consciousness Of her erring hus-
band, brother or son, and if that man is not
a beast. he will melt beneath its gentle inau-
ence and reform his ways, if reform is possi-
ble But from such demoniac rawlings as
polluted the air Of Aenia, 'sGood Lord de-
liver u.s."