The Middlebury register. [volume] (Middlebury, Vt.) 1850-1882, 1877-07-06

7oh'ou Dy fOHiiiilttec OF women from
the Mass. w. G. 7. U. to Mayor Prince
previous to the late reception given to
President Hayes by the City of Boston,
To His Honor the Mayor of Boston.
Dear Sir-At q meeting of the Execu-
tive Committee of the Woman's Chris
tian Temperance Union of Massachu-
setts, we, the undersigned, were chosen
a committee to wait upon you with the
following petition:
In behalf of the Christian women OF
the city and Of the state, we ask you, re-
spectfully but earnestly, to direct that
no intoxicating liquors shall be furnish
ed at the expense of the city, when the
banquet is given by the city of Boston
in honor of the President Of the United
States.
The painful assumption that there Is
need of this petition is based upon the
fact that on similar occasions in the past
| liquors have been thus furnished, We
believe the time has come for change
in this custom. All over the land there
has been. during the past few years,
great revival and increased growth of
sentiment in favor of total abstinence.
The work of reclaiming the drunkari
has been entered upon by men and wo-
men in whom holy ambition for the
uplifting of humanity has been the in
inspiring motive, and the blessing Of
Him ''who came to seek and save that
which was lost" has crowned their cf.
forts with grand success.
But the satisfaction which has attend
ed these efforts to rescue the pertshing
has been marred by the consciousness
that others were steadily drifting down
into the same degradation. Much as we
may desire it, 1t is impossible TO stop
the incorporate use of liquor by the
masses while moderate drinking is fash
ionable in the best society. There will
be whisky-drinking in the slums of the
city, SO long as there is wine drinking
i'll its palatial residences. The perni-
cious social drinking customs of the day
which are ruinous to so many of the cons
Of the Commonwealth, are not wholly
the outcome of the appetites and habits
OF their victims-the fashions of the best
society are largely responsible for them.
An occasion Of this kind affords an
opportunity for exerting an influence
TOR good or evil, such as is rarely offer
ed. This banquet is to be given by the
city OF Boston in honor of the chief mag
istrate of the nation. Can he be honor
ed by the observance of custom which
is closely linked with debauchery and
disgrace, and which has led so many Of
our best citizens into shame and dishon-
orr How can we urge total abstinence
upon the masses, to whom it is the only
safeguard, if the city of Boston gives re-
spectability to social drinking customs
by sanctioning them on this august oc-
casionp
Allow US, dear sir, respectfully TO re-
mind you, that the authority given YOU
to provide for the entertainments of dis
tinguished visitors to our city carries
with it great responsibility. The drink
ing customs OF society Will be strength
ened or weakened, as you refuse or
grant them your official sanction on this
occasion, and the virtue of our homes.
the greatest interest of any city-will be
helped or hindered by your decision in
this matter.
In presenting this memorial we are
certain that we utter the Christian sem
timent of the city-the wishes of those
who have labored most heartily to rid
society of the curse of intemperance.
We give voice TO the desire of tens of
thousands of the women of Massachu-
setts-wives and mothers-who launch
their sons with trembling anxiety upon
the temptations of the great city, and
who faint with fear as they trust their
daughters to the young husbands they
have chosen, knowing how drinking
habits can blight the most pro missing
future.
And because the usual custom of fur
nishing liquors on great public occasions
shocks the moral sense, not only of
| ms nv nft ba @f Ha
wealth, but of large proportion of It's
men, we pray you to take such action
that this banquet may be undefiled by 3
social custom which is the relic of an
age of sensuality, when the civilization
was ruder and less noble in its moral
4 tone than that of our time.
SO shall the city Of Boston establish
distinguished precedent for all similar
occasions everywhere, and the Chief
Magistrate Of our nation be truly hon
ored by an observance of that right
eousness which exalteth people.
Mrs. MARY A. LIvERMoRE,
| Mrs. l.. r. BARRET,
Mrs. ELLEN NJ. RICHARDS,
| Mrs. E. MCCOY.
! Committee of the Women's Christian
Temperance Union of Massachusetts.
This memorial met with very cold
reception when presented to Mayor
Prince and if there was no discourtesy
on the part of the official, and Mrs. Liv-
ermore complained of none, there was
kind of assumption in his blunt refu-
sal to comply with their request which
made him appear to great disadvantage,
especially in the light of the fact that
the weight of argument was against him
at every point, in the discussion which
followed.
The grounds of the Mayors refusal to
comply with this request as given by
himself were these. He did not agree
with the ladies in respect to total absti-
nence; did not believe in prohibition;
thought the prohibitionists had set back
the temperance movement by their &C
tion, and his desire was to honor the
president. He was reminded that the
memorial said nothing about prohibi-
ton and was not asking him TO enforce
total abstinence. They only asked that
there should be no public approval Of
wine drinking by permitting il to bo
furnished in the name of the city. With
regard 10 honoring the president Mrs.
Livermore suggested that he never
drank wine, thus suggesting what might
be put into words. that il is no expires
sion of honor or regard to set before
guest any kind of food or drink which
is offensive to him, or of which his con-
science does not approve. Would ii be
a proper way 10 manifest regard for
Jewish guest to place before him swine's
flesh to eat? il is true he could refuse
to eat it, as President Hayes could re-