Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1875-03-24
Women at Work.

At a Joint session of the Senate aud House
Of Representatives Of Indiana, a few days
ago. over which the Speaker Of the House
presided prayer was offered by Mrs. IIar-
ney, President Of the Woman's Christian
| Temperance Union, after which Mrs. Ex-
/ Governor Wallace was introduced aud read
q "memoral " or temperance petition from
over twenty thousand women Of Indiana,
over eighteen years Of age. The memorial
sets forth the evil Of thctemptiug rumshops
and m,okcs the help Of law to "repress the
traffic which is the prolific cause Of intern
perance" ltclaims that while women have
no voice in making the laws 10y which they
must abide. and from which they must re-
c,iye or fail to receive protection, they have
d. the unquestiuuabe right to stand upon the
threshold Of legislation and plead for laws
which will give protection to the wives, moth
ers, daughters and sisters who suffer pre-cm-
inenty from the rum traffic"
Mrs. Wallace after reading the memorial.
AID referring to the twcuty-me thousand
and fifty names attached to it and others on
tlie way, proceeded to make an eloquent ap.
peal to thrmrmb,rs of the Senate and House.
in which She said
"uu mot suppase that we come before Won this
day fanatics neither a. women who would
leave the sacred aud beloved precincts OF home to
enter the arena Of political strife. But we come to
YOU rs earnest Christian suffering women from
all positions aud relations of liic appalled, and
terrified 40 the magnitude of the liquor traffic and
It's threatening aspect with reference 10 the lib.
critics ui our country You have no right To license
and protect an evil by law-an evil which imlov-
ershcs the land, destroys the happiness Of our
homes and los it, system uf sure and criminal
poisoning sends annually to "a drunlaId's grave
sixty thousand Of our Sous. Every dollar aCcru-
ing tu the state, derived irUm such a source Of
revenue. brings curse with IL. ay. of blood
Our children are being educated 10y IT, CIR hands
are covered with H. our very garments are suotted
Who are the luw-makciso of this land@ NocroWned
head, mo- will of amy arbitrary d,sput, rules over
us-hut We, the people are our own rulers and
Wo stand arraigned this day az the bar 81 God as
nation ot murdefers We are p1rtic. pscrimilis,
just as far Hs indi, idua influence extends to
gu the crime and SORROW resulting from this di,-
holical traffic. all ovei this broad land It's wretched
and helpless victims are stretching forth their
hand, and crying tu us for aid aud protection
trum it, Hvagcs We talk about the dark ages
stand aghast ut the horrors of the lnquistiun and
think all It's terrible history must be the offspring
of a diseased aud perverted Imagination yet IN
the boosted enlightenment of the nineteenth cen
tury Ia land OF Bibles. Christian churches and
free institutions, We license and legali1e traffic
which, for crime. cruelty. and oppression Of the
weak aud doleucecs~, puts the very demons in
paudemunum Ia the blush. There is much in
this question above the little petty distinction of
party. 1t Is a question of life and death to the
freedom ut this nation. Yea, more, the eternal
destinies oi the youths OF the land your children
and our~. The consequence of your action IN this
matter will be felt when the names OF Democrat,
Republican and independent, will be forgotten
Desperate causes require desperate remedies.
Shall We be silent any longer? Nay, verify. And
although il is not our purpose To array the women
OF this land against the men, YOU will have to
c'ose the churches aud public schools burn the
Bibles, detuoliSh the machinery which gives to
women leisure Tor improvement and develop ment,
crush out all the tod-giyen instincts, aud roll the
world back In It's history thousand years ere
this movement OF the women can be stopped. 1t
i. the natural outgruwth Of her suffering and en-
lightment the pent-up agony Of years, and il must
be heard Rachel weeping iur her children, aud
not 10 be comiorted because they are not