Ellsworth American., 1876-12-07

nial Fourth OF July, the banners of Cath
Ollie Total Abstinence Societies were Oite
the only reminders that the Republic ha
any temperance people within its borders
as they were the only Offset to brewers
wagons and distillers' casks. while anon,
the monuments Of our cause, by which thi
memorable year Is signalized, their foun
tain IN Fairmount Park-standing In tn
midst OF eighty drinking places licensed b,
our government-is chief. Catholic wo
men would vote with Protestant womeI
upon this issue for the protection OF the
homes.
Again, among the sixty thousanS
churches OF America, with their eight mil
lion members
Two-THIRDs ARE WOMEN.
Thus, only one-third of this Trustworthy
and thoughtful class has any voice in tn,
the puplic school. the rum shop nesitles Il l.
this Christian land. Surely all this must
change before the Government shall b,
upon His shoulders who shall one day
reign King Of nations as he now reign:
klng OF saints.
Furthermore. four-fifths of the teachers
In this land are women, whose thoughtful
judgment, expressed with the authority oi
which spesk. would greatly help forward
the victory of our cause. And finally, by
those who fear the effect of the foreign ele-
ment in our country. let II be remembered
that we have six native for every one wo.
man who Is foreign born, for 1t Is men
who emgrate in largest number to our
shores.
When all these facts (and many more
that might be added are marshalled into
line, how illogical IL seems for good men
to harrangue US as theyod do about our duty
to educate public sentiment to the level oi
better law and their exhortations TO
American mothers To train their sons to
vote Alright. As said Mrs. Governor Wal
lace, OF Indiana, until the crusade an oppo-
nert of the franchise, What a bitter sar-
casm you utter, gentlemen, to US who have
the public sentiment Of which you speak,
all burning in our hearts. and yet are not
permitted 10 turn il TO account.
Let Us, then. each one of us, offer our
earnest prayer TO God. and speak our hon
est word TO man in favor of this added
weapon In Woman's hands, remembering
that every petition In the ear OF God. aud
every utterance in the ears OF men, swells
the dimensions OF that resistless tide OF in
fluence which shall yet noat within our
tlau women who have crusaded In the rum
shops. urge that YOU begin crusading in
halls OF legislation, in primary meetings
and the Offices OF excise commissioners
Roll in your petitions. burnlsh your areu-
ments. multiply your prayers. Go TO the
voters in your town-procure the official
list aud see them one by one-and get them
pledged 10 local ordinance requiring the
votes OF meu and women before license
can be issued TO open rum-shOp doors be-
side your homes; 20 10 the Legislature
with the same ;-remeInber this may be
just as really Christian work As praying In
saloons was in these other glorious davs.
Let us not limit God. whose modes of op-
GRAFTON are SO infinitely varied in nature
and In grace. | believe In the correlation
of spiritual forces. aud that the heat which
melted hearts 10 tenderness In the Crusade
Is soon 10 be the light which shall reveal
our opportunity and duty as the Republic ;
daughters
rrCuEueu, vtie III. az. ~ tuU IaI-uu " i-con-
sin home where | was reared; and sitting
by my mothers chair, with chld's atten-
tive ear, / listened TO their words. He told
US OF the news that day had brought about
Neal Dow, and the great fight tor prohlbi-
ton down in Maine, and then he said: Il
wonder II poor ,run-cursed Wisconsin Will
ever get a law like thatr And mother
rocked while in silence, In the dear old
chair love, and then she gently said;
"Ygs, JOSIAH, THERE'LL BE SUCH LAW
ALL OVER TUE LAND SOME DAY, WHEN
WOMEN VOTE"
Nv father had never heard her say as
much before. He WAS great conserva-
tive so he looked tremendously astonish-
ed, and replied, in his keen sarcastic voice :
And pray how will you arrange it so that
women shall yoteT Mothers chair went
to and fro little faster for minute, and
then, looking not into his face, but into the
Pickering flames of the CRATE, sherslowiy
answered: Well -ay TO you, as the apost-
lie Paul said to his jailor; You have put
us into prison. we being Romans, aud you
must come and take us out.
That was seed-thousht in girls
brain and heart. Years passed on, in
which nothing more was said upon this
dangerous there. Ny brother grew to
manhood, and soon after lie was twenty
one wears old. he went with father 10 vote
Standing by the window, girl OF sixteen
years, girl OF simple. homely fancles, not
at all strong minded, and altogether igno'
rant Of the world, looked out as they
drove away,mv father and my brother ,and
as looked felt strange ache in my
heart, and tears sprang TO my eyes. Turn
Ing TO my sister Mary, who stood beside
me. | saw that the dear little innocen
seemed wonderfully sober, too. said
Don't you wish we could 90 with then
when We are old enough. Don't We love
our country just as well as they dog and
IL, fr,. y
OF course, we ought. Don't | know that
but you mustn't tell soul-not even moth
er; we should be called strong minded
In all the years since then. | have KEEP,
these things. and IN any others like them
and pondered them ip my heart; but two
years OF struggle In this temperance reform
has shown me, as they haye ten thousand
other wemen. SO clearly and so impressiv
ly, my duty, that
1 HAVE PASSED THE RUBICoN OF SILENCE
and am ready for any battle that shall b.
Involved in this honest declaration of tn
faith that is within me. Fight behio
masked batteries little longer whispe
good friends and true. So | have bee
fighting hitherto; but 1t is a style of war
fare altogether foreign 10 my Temperament
and mode of life Reared on the prairie,
l seemed predetermined to join the cava
~ forces in this great spiritual war, and
mus; tilt free lance henceforth Oh tn
splendid battlefield of this reform; wher
the earth shall sooD be shaken by the onst
of contending hosts. where legions of va
iapt soldiers are deploying; where to til
grand encounter marches to-day gres
| army gentle OF mein and mild OF utteranc
but with hearts for any tate; where ther
are trumpets and bugles calling stron
souls onward to victory which Heave
might envy. and
"Where, behind the dim Unknown,
| Standeth God within the shadow,
Keeping watch above His own
| thought that women ought to have th
ballot AS paid the hard earned taxes uI
on my mothers cottage heme-butI new
said As much-sOmehOw the motive d
not command my heart. For my own sal
had not courage, but have for thy SAX
dear native land, for thy necessity Is
much greater than mine as thy TRANSCEND
ant hope is greater than the personal inte
est of thy humble child. For love OF W
heart. broken wives. whose Il iemulOus lii
have blessed me for love of you, swe
mothers. who. in the cradles shadow knee
this night, beside your infant sons,and ~
sorrOwtul little children. who listen at tf