The Middlebury register. [volume] (Middlebury, Vt.) 1850-1882, 1880-06-11
W oman,s Temperance Column
The Lord of Hosts IS Nth US, the God
of Jacob is our refuge"
How can We influence the higher Classess

The Lord of hosts as Nth US, the God
of Jacob is our refuge"
How can we influence the Higher ClassesS
Extracts from an article in the Inde-
pendent of May 81, by Frances e. Will
lard, PRESENT of the National Wo-
mans Christian Temperance Union, up
on the above question.
First, we must not overestimate the
difficulty, or the Importance of our en-
deavor. Ours Is the "people's strength"
and the numerical strength OF the high
or classes is to that of the masses as the
crested foam is to the deep, swift, over
whelming wave out of which 1t grew,
ON which il depends for existence, and
into w hich it shall return.
Second, we must not underestimate
the gains already realized. There are
about million persons in this country
who believe thousands to be members of
the higher calsses, while there are per-
haps 10000 to whom we would, from
their conspicuous achievements, award
this grade if we were judges of the
court of claims. Il Is entirely safe to
estimate that one-third of these are,
after seventy years of agitation, total
abstinence men and women. Consider
also, as an element in our calculation,
the coincidence which gave us the first
president after the woman's temperance
crusade, the governor of the crusade
state HIMSELF a thorough temperance
man, q have this from the most un-
questionable authority of his own
household, and not from any newspaper
report,) and for mistress of the White
House, q member of the executive CON-
mlttee of the crusade in Fremont, Ohio.
A lady who is the wife of a member of
Congress, stated to me the other day
that the elegant entertainment given by
Mrs. Hayes last winter, without wine,
was in such noble contrast to the one a
little later by the Mexican minister, at
which the floors were wet with wine,
and men and women were drunk in the
parlors, that it was the frequent re-
mark OF mere fashionables, even: "Af-
ter all, Mrs. Hayes is right" A sena-
tors wife told me recently, that not
withstanding her husbands opposition,
she never offered wine, and that she had
circulated the total abstinence pledge
first signed by her own son, among the
young men of her social circle, without
receiving a single refusal in her large
circle of friends. The change in public
sentiment which has banished wine
from the sideboard on New Years day
in Washington and all our large cities,
except New York, has been widely her.
aided by the press, and is perhaps the
most significant indication of our adj
vance.
Fourth, the methods we employ for
others are sure to penetrate the upper
crust, and we may sadly remember
that the argument of personal expert
ence and observation is as close TO them
in their elegant homes, as to the impe-
cunious drunkard and his family in
their wretched tenemcnts and novels.
Our Union, the organ of the National
Woman's Christian Temperance Union,
should be Introduce into the homes of
the higher classes, even if we temper
ance workers have to contribute TO a
fund for that purpose and temperance
column in the religious and local press
will reach thousands who never 90 to
to temperance meetings, and this should
be an incentive to our w. G. T. U. to
secure that column and regularly fill
it with the choicest selections from
temperance books and addresses, with
clippings from temperance papers.
Sixth, the circulation of petitions
into which enters, us 1t invariably
ought, the house to house visitation,
does much for our neighbors who live
in brown stone fronts.
Seventh, drawing-room meetings,
conducted by experienced and accepta-
BILE workers, will reach class which
never 90 to temperance meetings, and
violate the law of charity by the social
use of wine from ignorance rather than
through selfishness.
Eighth, a young lady belonging to
the most aristocratic circle in Toronto,
the daughter of member of parlia-
ment, has set an example which might
be emulated to the great advantage oil
our cause by young ladies of the higher
classes everywhere. An autograph al
many of the most honored names in
Europe and America, besides scores OF
her friends names, both ladies and
gentlemen, for she exhibits the book
and graciously solicits the autograph Of
all her guests. But on the first page in
John B. Coughs we'll known hand, the
temperance pledge is written, and who
ever places his name within the covers
of this book does it with the explicit
understanding that he has signed q
declaration of total abstinence from all
that can intoxicate. Many more sug.
gestions might be made in answer to
the question at the head of this article
but enough practical methods have beer
noticed to work wonders of transforma-
ton in any community where they are
faithfully and gently tried.