Daily Republican. [volume] ([Wilmington, Del.]) 1874-1890, 1881-03-02
A WOMAN'N 1ALA.


the ELOQUENT and legal plea of Mrs. T
Rlle Foster in favor Of q Cons!itu tionaI
slause prohibiting the sale ofinioxicas'
A ipr liouors. Mrs, Foster Ia an iu'elli
gen, and tne looking lady Of the mid
ale age III lie plainly but neatly dress
.d dark hair and eyes and double dim
uled chin. Her voice Is very strong
And musical and her clog uence entrsuc
sa the audience for q full hour and 6
half. Rev. ]. H. Caldwell, pastor OF
IA lie church announced q hymn, Rev, A..
Ia ~ln Of the West Prssby yteriau
d Cs5afll led in prayer, and Rev. r. B.
Il Ss.k read q portion of scripture.
4 Anon st other ministers present were
Rev. j. Howard Nixon, Geo. W. Miller,
F.B. DuVA and A. 5:enSls. Rev. DIR.
Csld ell introduced the lecturer.
Mrs. Foster in very graceful easy
manner commenced her address and
from the stsrt bad the undivided ssten-
ton Of the audience. In the march OF
civilization, she said, We often found
ourse yes confronted with almost insRr-
nouutabie difficulties. Great doors
swung On small hinges, and great re-
sulss few from small beginnings.
One hundred years ago the sshject
that touched the popular he1gt was
taxation without representation, bat
nothing touched ths ssnsibilities Of the
British government until that great
meeting Was held in the Old South
ehuroh in Boston and q company Of
masked men went out from that oon-
grsgauon and down to the British
ship where they threw 46 chests OF
British tea overheard. That meant
something, and was the commencement
OF the struggle that ended in ocr inde
psn1ence. Thank God, that movement
. went out from the altars OF tae church
o men Of the church, TO shat pitch has
the great Temperance movement come
at the present time. Forty years ago
when the Temperance movement com
mencs3, there were ministers OF the
gospel who preached the word with
tainted breath, but to-day thank God
it had been driven from the church.
day the temperance pledge 10 not
for moderation but for total abstinence.
The church has expuuged fermented
wine from she ssvramsntal table and
the wine cup has been banished from
the hes: society. Out from the White
House, God bless, Mrs. President
Hayes, tine vine cup has been banishsd.
Th9rs sre old insn, aud very good ones
by the wsy who uss II yet, bat they
are set In their ways. They have been
trained 10 I! and nothing else could be
expected, but young men OF respeCtA,
bili.y now do net use IL. Young msn
Il il yon want 10 be respectable you mus:
not drink. The enemy has been met
aud mas teen beaten back at many a
point bu. is not yet vauqutshsdf Oh,
NO. Ask the women Of the land il he
is yet vanQniRhed. wo7ld NOT like
n to quote General Grant in many things
n but when he set dowr before RiOhuond
he came to stay until the enemy evac.
uated, and he did stay, and would
have remained there kamnering away
at Richmond until TO day and Longer
ii necessary to capture the stronghold
Of the eremy. The license system IL
the Richmond OF tbs liquor trafSt
against wntch the Temperance armies
are arrayed, aud they have come tC
stay, and 90 far as the women's wing o
the army vas concerned they had comt
to stay until the milleniUa If necessary
to capture the citadel.
Mrs. Foster then procseie6 to discus,
the legal aspect OF the question, anC
being an attorney herself she was ena
Med to msRe strong legal arr ument
She TOOK Ike ground that absolute pro
hibi ion was the only effsotual Legislative
remedy ssainst the traflc in intoxios
ting liquors. She said Law was th,
ehrYBtaLiBed though, Of the people, th'
will of the people. and catching hersel
she said, 10, not the will OF th
people, Tor there are 13,O00, on
OF us penp'e under the dag that have
nothing to say about the Law and If ",
had the liquor traffic would not stalk
abroad.
Good nsu she said had long sprainet
their bachs and torn their hands in
trying TO uproot this rock bshint
which the liquer traffic is eutrenchst
but Without avail. Let them new ap
ply the lever of prohibition With publi'
opinion as the fulcrum, and then ls
tbs women throw their whole weigh
upon the long end of the lever and
then the rick will be sure 10 be up
rooted.
Mr.. Fogter took the ground that pro
\ hibition was constitutional. The righ
of the State she said to regulate or pro
hibit the maanfs iture and sale Of iDtt ri
eating liqnors has been again and aRsII
affirmed Dy Supreme Court Of the Uni
ted States. 1t Is not denied by apy
abls jurist, though muen talk is hat
as TO the propriety Of the exercise 0
thai right.
What shall the State 90 in its rela-
tion 20 this traffic? II cannot enforcf
total abstinence by law-that would b.
sunptusry Legislation, and contrary tc
the spirit OF our civilization. The Law
does not deal with individuals for the
\ individuals good; IL does not regulate
private acts unless such acts directly
interfere With the rights OF others. Il
does no, genforce all the claims Of the
moral Law, though il must never oper.
ate in violation Of any Of its mandates
The Bible says, "Thou shalt not lie, u
A man may knowingly and willingly
deceive; he may in his heart propose
ard plan, and his lips may speak ths
wicked lie, and yet the Law be unable
to touch him; but II he lies on paper, Il
he promises 10 pay or to do, and doei
not pay or does not do. the Law steps il
and says:
"YOu must do what you said yor
woEld," not that the man may b.
made pure in heart aud right befor,
Goo, bit that civil society may be pro
tscted from failure il. Its commercial ol
S,,sa