The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1876-11-16
Wonua and ,yinc.s


: or the worst foes that woman:has ever
had 60 encounter wine stands at The head
The appetite for strong drinkria man -has
spoiled the lives gilmore womenrrruined
moro hopes for them, scattered more for
tunes for them, brought them more sor-
ron, shame and hardships-than ANY
other evilth lives. The country mum.
hers tens of thousands, nay, hundreds of
th0usands Of women who are widows TO-
day and sit in Hopeless weeds because
their husbands have been slain by strong
drink. There are hundreds of thousands
of homes scattered all over ths land, in
which women live lives Of torture, going
through all the changes of suffering that
lie between the extremes Of fear and des.
pair, because those whom they love like
wine better than they do the women they
have sworn to love. There are women
by thousands who dread 10 hear at the
door the step tina. onco thrilled them with
pleasure, for tina step has learned to reel
under the influence Of seductive poison.
There are women groanipg with pain,
while we write these words. from bruises
and brutalities inflicted by husbands
made mad by stroLg drink. There can
be no, cSaggeration Of any statement
made in regard to this matter, because
no human Imagination can crente any
thing worse than the truth, and no pon
is capable of PoTtIayiug the truth. The
SORROWS and the horrors Of wife with a
drunken husband, of IL mother with q
drunken son, are as near the realization
of hell as can be reached in this world at
least. The shame, the indignation, the
sorrow, the sense of disgrace for herself
and her children, the poverty land not
nnfrequcntly the beggary,) the fear and
tho violence, the lingering, life long
struggle and despair Of countless women
with drunken husbands are enough to
make all women curse wine, and engage
unitcdly to oppose il everywhere as the
worst enemy Of their sex. II
Women, there are some things you can
do, and this is one: You may make
drinking unpopular and disgraceful
among the young. You can utterly dis.
countcnance all drinking in your own
house, and you can hold in suspicion
every young man who touches the cup.
You know that no yonng mau who drinks
can safely be trusted with the happiness
of any woman, and he is as unfit rs n
man can bo for a woman's society. Have
it understood that every young man who
drinks is socially prescribed. Bring up
your children to regard drinking rs not
only dangerous but disgraccful Place
temptations in no macs way. If men
will make beasts of themselves, let them
do it i'll other society than yours. If
your merccnary husbands treat their
customers from private stores kept in
their counting-rooms shame them into
deccncy by your regard for the honor of
your home. Recognize the living, terri
bic fact that wine he's always been, and
IS to-day, the curse Of your sex; that it
dries up ourprosperity that it cndan-
gers your safety that it can only bring
you evil. If fsocial customs compel you
to present wine Mt your feasts, rebel
! against it. and make social custom in
the interest of virtue and purity. The
matter is very mIch in your hands. The
women of the country, in what is called
polite society, can do more to make the
nation temperate than NIL the Legislators
and tumultuous reformcrs that are strug
Cling and blundering in their efforts te
this end.