The new Northwest. [volume] (Portland, Or.) 1871-1887, 1879-08-21

help In this reformation, out he dlu not
agree with me. He said bis Observa-
tiOus convinced him that women liked
and indu,ged in alcoholic drinks as
much as the men. On that point | DO
not agree with him. IL may be the case
with certain class, in large towns and
cities; but the more intelligent class of
women the world over are largely in the
majority against alcoholic drinks. And
why should they not be? They are the
greater sufferers from its use, and il is
not in the nature of women to see a
reeling drunkard without a sense Of sor-
row, and a wish that lie were otherwise
than drunken. Men will often laugh at
such a sight.
When it is discovered in a family that
a beloved young son has fallen into the
habit Of drinking, the parents grieve
deeply, but there is often a marked dit
| ference in the manner in which their
grief is displayed. The fathers pride is
touched; he scolds aud perhaps admin
listers ehastisement. The mothers sor-
row il too deep for loud utterances; but
/ perhaps with bended knee and stream
/ ing eyes she implores her boy to remem-
ber and follow the precepts his mother
has taught him. No thought of pride
there; love for her boy is the one per-
vading element of her soul. Oh il our
sons could only realize how deep and
how constant is the sOlieitude we bear
for their welfare, how anxious we are TO
/ see them become good, noble, temperate
citizens, think they would never set
foot inside a saloon. Think you that
mothers, wives, daughters and sisters
would not help to vote this traffic down
il they had the opportunity? / venture
to assert that il a standing vote Of all
the women present tonight was called
for in favor Of abolishing the liquor
traffic, scarcely one would keep her seat.
Circulate "a remonstrance to a petition
for license to sell liquor aud, notwith-
standing the fact that the women's
names have no legal weight, aud are
simply thrown in for good measure,
they always will outnumber the voters
names - providing some euterprising
person will go TO their homes and
gather them up. You well remember
the zeal displayed by tie crusaders a
few years ago, when modest, intelligent,
refined women stopped in front Of sa-
looms on dirty pavements, surrounded
SO Of 10
aui there, kueeling, implored high
heaven TO stay this terrible scourge.
Nothing short Of sheer desperation ever
inRuguTated and carried through cam
paign like that. That it amounted to
50 little was not the wOmen's fault
The great wave rolled OF and the traffic
for human souls went on. II the cru
sadeTs, with the tens Of thousands Of
their Temperance sisters who did not
approve OF that means of reformation,
could have deposited their ballots
against the traffic, then would we have
been far nearer success. Do not think
for a moment that l consider the en-
franchisement Of women as the only
remedy. But do think our temperance
brothers stand greatly in need of our
legal help.
While conversiug a few days ago with
DR.. Atkinson, l made mention that it
was truly discouraging to temperance
workers to feel that the success that
should crown our efforts yet seemed so
far in the distance. Bat he answered,
"Not so; not so. Nations cannot much
longer afford this wholesale slaughter Of
their people. They must prohibit the
manufacture OF alcoholic drinks, or be
bankrupt. But" said he, "the temper
auce people must continue TO work"
Aud now let me ask, what have We been
doing in Colfax2 | don't mean Good
Templars, but temperance people gen.
orally, Of whom know there are many
here. Judging from the number Of
places where whisky can be had in our
town Of 500 inhabitants, am inclined
to think our work has not been very
laborious. 1t is my impression,
friends, that, with the combined
effort Of the temperance element
here, we could have kept this almost
wholesale traffic out. Is it not becOm-
ing wholesale? Our public drinking
dens remind one Of the spiders parlor,
where the spider may be seen at all
times watching for the uuwary fly that
may be Luzzing near; and they are
springing up with toadstool rapidity all
over our pleasant little town. Let Us
hope that in the excess of numbers they
will soon siarve each other out.
But in the meantime we must not be
idle. Those Of US who find it no hard
ship to steer clear of the quicksands of
intemperance must be ever on the alert
TO lend a helping hand TO those who are
drifting on that dangerous shore. Let
our voices always, and under all cir
cumstances where necessary, be heard
on the side Of temperance. Do not
think, because we can resist tempta-
tions, that there is nothing for US to do.
All the more is it required OF Us to be
always ready to help those who are so
unfortunate as to have acquired the
I fatal appetite, and by all just means in
our power prevent others from ever in
dulgiug, even under the most grievous
circumstances, in the tempting cup.
aCirier banished by wine, will come again.
And come with "a deeper shade,
I Leaving, perchance, on the soul a stain
nl.eu sorrow nnfH never .l.t.
Then p nos tla tempting glass lor rlc.
llFadurnful, viii not o. mad
Rnfrsr -ltd because we sinful be,