Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1878-11-20
wATCHMAN WEDNESDAY, 1878
Mrs. woodbridge's Lecture.


In accordance with previous announcement,
Mrs. Mary A. Woodbridge, Of Ravenna, Ohio, adj
dressed fair sized audience in Representatives
Hall Monday evening She was presented in an
appropriate Introductory speech by Senator Mead
OF Orange county, in which he referred TO the
labors Of the Ohio women in the Western crusade,
and TO the efforts Of the women of Vermont for
the suppression OF intemperance
Mrs. Woodbridge commenced by an appeal to
the people Of Vermont to listen TO the walls that
come up to our ears from the heart-strioken moth
ers who, throughout the length and breadth Of
our land, were too often called upon to rejoice,
rather than weep, in the relief that came TO their
hearts In he death Of their sons who had
fallen victims to the vice OF intempeance.
She referred to the customs OF the past, both in
the Old and New World, and the change that Is
everywhere visible in regard to the use of ntoxi-
eating drinks; but said the end is not yet, for
the reason that the evil ia not yet entirely done
away with. Too little regard is paid to the enor-
nifty of this evil by those in municipal, state or
national authority; and even the church is too
lukewarm in regard to it. The question Of to-
day is how shall we successfully reach the evil
Of intemperance and wipe II from our land. We
demand of government protection OF life and prop
erty and we have the same right OF protection
from the evils of the day-that those things
which tend to crime and misery shall be prohib-
ited-that while we extend the hand of Christian
fellowship on the one hand, we must on the other
hand give the aid of the law.
We have the right to expect, first Of all, that the
church shall be foremost in the work Of temper
ance reform; and second, that the political power
OF the land shall uphold the efforts Of the Chris
tian church. In the state of Ohio they are de-
sirous of prohbtory law; but she desired first
such a popular demand for the law as that it
would be better sustained and enforced than it
appeared to be in the town of Montpelier-re-
ferrng to instances of intoxication which she had
witnessed. She referred to the instances of in
toxication in the halls Of Congress at Washington
and regretted that we have not now men of de-
cision and independence to condemn such things
in high places The national laws permit the
manufacture, the importation, the expectation
and the transportation throughout the land of in
toxcating drinks and in those states where its
sale is restricted prohibited the law is too often
a dead letter upon the statute books. The women
of the land are crying out for relief from these
terrible evils, and they have right to expect it
from both church and state.
Mrs. w. referred to instances in Cincinnati
where very young children, even butt few months
old, left to the ofthe saloons, and those hard
ened by the evil of drink, had died of delirum
tremens; and demanded, in behalf of humanity,
that there should be such reformation as that
such things shall not be possible. She referred to
the crusade of two years ago in Ohio, and said it
had touched hearts that never before had been
touched; and the demand now was made by the
women of Ohio that the authorities shall arise
and put an end to the unrestricted sale of intoxi-
eating liquors She gave some touching instances
of reformation through the influence of the
Christian women Of Ohio She regretted that the
prohbtory law of this state is not more effect
ually executed but begged of legislators never to
give us a license law. Far better to permit the
free sale of intoxicating liquors than to sanction
such sale by license law She urged to per-
sonal action, and that we give heed to the walls
of mothers and sisters for the salvation of their
sons and brothers.
Mrs Woodbridge closed by encouraging the
women to continue to work on in the good cause
as they have an influence greater than is given to
men, and gave instances of the result of personal
influence Of Christian women 1t is impossible to
give anything like an adequate report of lecture
so full of pathos and Christian sympathy for the
fallen. 1t was listened to with the closest at
tention, and on motion OF L. L. Durant Esq, a
her very interesting lecture, which was unan-
mously adopted. After singing two verses of
" Hold the Fort" the meeting adjourned.