Gallipolis journal. [volume] (Gallipolis, Ohio) 1837-1919, 1874-03-19
TEMPERANCE ADDRESS
BY MRS. MARY ] aKEES.

Published by request Of the League
H. President, Ladies' and Gentlemen:
When ] find mysels rising 10 at
empt TO address this very large an d
1telligent audience. what shall next
nd myself attempting to do | am
ot able 10 determine. However,
lat will be determined hv where
nty as an earnest worker in this
reat cause points me To.
There are various rnmOrs sfi0at
lat are false; wish to correct some
them, those that we most particu-
lrly care for. The enemy has re-
orted that there is mntiny IN our
amp; that we are quarreling among
urselves; that we are ahout to dis
and; all these are utterly false. We
york together in perfect UNI jsOn; We
re a united, determined band, with
Iut one aim, one object in view, that
3 the utter determination Of the
!reateet curse the world has ever
;nown, from out cur community. 1t
las also been said that We have lost
aith in the honor and integrity of
he noble Judge, that in Gods pru-
ience was sent TO rs. snd also in our
'rosecnting Attorney, both of whom
ave stood so firmly for the right,
End have 80 justly dealt The law TO
offenders, all these false reports are
the productions Of the enemy, that
are writhing in agony, as it were,
under the pressure Of the work We
are doing. Our work was commenced
in the strength Of God; there was
where we applied for aid to carry on
our work. The God of all wisdom
saw what was necessary to he brought
to subjngate those men that have for
so many ears been tranpling under
foot all the rights, both civil and
legal, of our land. Now, were il not
TOR these varied events that are daily
transpiring in our midst, | would
not care to encroach my thoughts
upon your attention.
There is also very much being said
in regard to woman's sphere. Very
many serious solicitndes are enter
tained for fear some one will get be-
yond the circnmscribed limits that
some kind and considerate friends
have, out of the very goodness of
their hearts, and after much thought
and deliberation, marked out for us.
Truly this is an age OF progress,
the conclusion that seems to be arrived
at has been a subject of deep study,
one that has utterly bsfiled the brain
Of the most wise and learned of all
ages, and not until almost the close
of the nineteenth century has any
boundary line been found.
Now, whenever hear man that
dares to presume to say what special
work God intended women to do. the
first thought that comes TO my mind
is, how passing strange it is, how
easy it is for us to discern the mote
in our brothers eye, and yet remain
in total ignorance of the huge beam
that exists in our own; how easy it
is for man to say what woman should
do, and what she should not do, for
getting all the while what man has
done, and what he might have done.
l ask if the proof can be produced
since the beginning Of time, if you
please. that woman has ever wan
dered Sc far from the purpose for
which she was created, as has man.
We know that because Of the tempta-
tion Eve offered Adam, we are
charged with being the source of all
the evil in the world. hut that seems
to me to be very weak argument for
man TO produce against woman. That
event is demonstrative of the fact
how utterly wanting man was in
moral courage from the very creation,
and when we cast our eyes out over
our land to-day, and behold the fear
full state Of society that we know ex-
lists, there is much evidence of the
fact that mans moral condition is no
better yet. But We, women of the
land, have undertaken the job. we
are determined to root up aud tear