Ellsworth American., 1876-12-07

we have, In the same class OF which
speak, another far more high and sacred
Il mean the instinct OF q mothers love
wife's devotion, . sisters faithfulness,
daughters loyalty, Aud now ask you
to consider earnestly the fact that none
Of these blessed rays of light and power
from woman's heart, are as yet brought to
bear upon the rum-shop at the focus OF
power. They are. know. the sweet an
pleasant sunshine Of our homes; they are
the beams which light the largest home OF
social life aud send their gentle radiance
out even into the great and busy world.
But l know, and as the knowledge has
grown clearer,
MY HEART HAS THRILLED
with gratitude and hope too deep for
words, that in \ Republic. all these now
divergent beames of light can. through
that magic lens, that powerful sun-glass,
eohSerge ase Ee dpSn Rsmst the % rumssSp in blaze Of
light that shall reveal its full abomnations
and white flame Of heat which, like a
pitiless moxa, shall burn this cancerous
eXcrescence from Americas fair form.
Yes, for there is nothing in the universe
so sure, SO strong, as love, and love shall
do all this-the love OF maid for sweetheart,
wife for husband, of a sister for her bro
ther, of a mother for her son, And call
upon you who are here te day; 90 od men
and brave-you who have welco med us
10 other fields In the great fight Of the an
gel against the dragon in society," call
upon you thus to match force with force,
TO set over against the liquor-dealers
svarice our instinct OF self-preservation;
and 10 match the drinkers love OF liquor
with our love of him! When you can CEN
tire all this power in that.small BIT OF white
paper which falls.
AS silently A. snow-fakes fall npou sod
But executes freeman's will as lightnings do
the will OF God"
the Rum power will be as much doomed
As was tue Slave power when You gave
| the ballot to the slaves.
10 our argument IL hiss been claimed
that sy the changeless instincts OF her ma
ture and through the most sacred rela-
tionships of which that nature has
been rendered capable God has indicated
| Woman, who is the born conservation of
home, To be the Nemesis of Homes arch
enemy, King Alcohol. And further, that
in Republic. this power Of hers may be
most effectively exercised, bv giveng her
voice In decision by which the rum-.hop
door shall be opend or closed beside her
home.
This position is strongly supported by
evidence. About the year 1850. petition,
were extensively circulated In Cincinnati.
| Qater the nercest battle ground OF the
Woman's crusade asking that the liquor
traffic be put under the ban of law.
Bishop Simpson-one OF the nobest and
most discerning minds OF his century
was deeply interested in this movement
Ii was decided 10 ask for the name OF wo-
| men as well as those OF men, and 1t was
| found that the former signed the petition
| more readily and N much puuh.rs
than the latter. Another fact was ascer-
tanned which rebuts the hackneyed asser-
| ton that women Of the lower class will not
| be on the temperance side In this great
war. For II was fonnd-as might, indeed,
have been most reasonably predicted-that
the Ignorant. the poor. (many of them
wives. mothers, and daughters OF ntem-
perate mem, were among the most eager
10 sign the petition.
MANY HAND ,wAS. TAKEN FROM
to hold the pencil and affiX the signture of
women OF this class, and many another,
which could only make the sign of the
cross. did thar with tears and hearty
God bless YOU. That was wonderful
lesson to me-. said the good Bishop, and
he has ALWAYS believed since then that God
will give our enemy into our hands by CIV
Ing 10 us an ally still more powerful, Wo-
| man with the ballot against rum-shops in
| our land. IL has been said so often that
| the very frequency OF reiteration has in
| some mil ds induced belief that wemen OF
the better class will never consent to de-
clare themselves at the polls. But, tens
| of thousands from the most tenderly shell
tered homes have gone day after day TO
| the saloons, and have spent hour after hour
upon their sanded floors, and In their reek-
L.. l.tlI sk. rnnl-
itician would dare 10 locate the ballot box
of freemen-though they but stay a mo-
ment at the window, slip in their votes
and go their way.
Nothing worse can ever happen 10 wo-
men at the polls than has been endured by
the hour on the part of the conservative
| women Of the churches. in this land, AS
they in scores Of towns have pleaded with
rough hslf-drunken men 10 vote the tenn
perance tickets they have handed them,
and which, with vastly more OF propriety
and fitness they might have dropped into
the box Themselves. They could have
done this in a moment and returned TO
their homes instead of spending the whole
day iu the often futile endeavor to beg
from men, like these. the votes which
should preserve their homes from the whls-
KEY serpant's breath for one uncertain
wear. | spent last year in Ohio. travelling
constantly, and seeking on every side 10
learn the views of the noble women OF the
Crusade. They put their opinions in words
like these: We believe that as God led
US into this work by way of the saloons,
HE WILL LEAD US OUT BY WAY OF THE
| BALLOT.
We have never prayed more earnestly ov-
er the one than we will over the other.
I n Il skA fhnr q ha
Promised Land.
A Presbyterian lady. rigidly conserva-
tive, said For my part, | never wanted TO
vote Until our gentlemen passed prohibition
ordinance so as TO get us to stop visiting
saloons, and a month later repealed 1t and
choose n saloOn-keecer for mayor
Said a great granddaughter of Jonathan
Edwards, Q woman with no toleration TO-
ward the Suffrage Movement, woman
crowned with the glory of grey HAIRS
central figure in her native town
! AND AS SHE SPOKE, THE COURAGE AMI
FAITH OF THE PUMTANS THRILLED II
HER VOICE
r III. with the ballot 10 our hands. We cal
, as firmly believe, put down this awfu
! traffic, am ready to lead the women of my
. town to the polls, as have often led theu
E TO the rum shops
, We must not forget that for every wo
man who joins the Temperance Unions
now springins up all through the land
| there are at least q score who sympathiZt
: with US but do not join. Home influence
n and cares prevent them. ignorance OF oul
o aims and methods, lack of cOnsecration Il
4 Christian wOrk-a thousand reasons. sum
J, cient in their estimation. though not il
q ours, hold them away from US. And ye
A. fhi To- aan a