Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1882-03-22

FORE THE HOUSE COMMITTEE.
Mrs. ]. Ellen Foster, of Iowa, repre-
sented the Woman's National Christian
temperance union before the select COM
mittee on alcoholcliquors of the House OF
Representatives, Hon. J. T. Wait, of Con-
necticut, chairman.
Mrs. c b. Buell., corresponding sccrcta-
ry of the national society, in few we'll
chosen words introduced the speaker, who,
addressed the committee as follows:
at is with great solicitude that ad-
dress this honorable committee; solicitudc
because Of the vast and sacred interests
involved in our plea and because of the
great and dcarly-loved army Of women
whom | serve, whose voice this morning
am; not alone this; | realize also the dig
nifty Of the forum to which | come. The
popular branch of the congress of the Uni
ted States, the direct representative of the
people of the United States, hns in its wis
dom and in answer to the loudly expressed
wish of the people, appointed this COM
mittee for the express purpose Of receiv-
ing and considering all petitions and me-
MORALS and proposed legislation touching
the alcoholic liquor traffic. There are be-
fore you petitions nunerously signed by
women asking for an amendment to the
constitution of the United States forever
prohibiting the importation, manufacture
and sale Of all intoxicating liquors. These
women aro citizens of the Unitei States
and OF the several states from which you
come, and they do thus petition the gov
ernment for n redress Of grievances.
What these grievances are l need not
enumerate They are confessed hy all.
They are recorded in the annual destruc.
tion of grain that ought to te used as 70 III,
in the injury to labor TINT otherwise might
Increase the nations health, in the bulde
Of taxation incurred because of the pau.
perism insanity and crime caused directly
and indirectly by the use of intoxicating
liquors, in the general demoraliz .tion to
society consequent upon the traffic in these
liquors, in the political corruption of which
this traffic is the continued cause and the
ever ready accomplice.
"ln the consideration Of these uriev.
ances women are no more concerned than
men; in the material prosperity of the
country, in the political purity of the gov
ernment, they have an equal interest," but
there are grievances which more heavily
press upon women, and more loudly plead
for redress. OF the home woman is the
acknowledged conservator of its interests.
She is the natural guardian; its prosperity
is her greatest joy and pride; its ruin her
greatest grief and shame. The use of in.
toxcating liquors imperils and DESTROYS
every interest of the home, and the traffic
in intoxicating liquors is the arsenal Of
weapons, The fortress of supplies by which
this use IA fas encd upon the home, upon
society, upon the state and nation. Gen.
tlemen of the committee, may not women
petition for redress of these grievances?
What else can she dop She cannot by
direct political influence make legislators
who shall set the strong arm of the law
against the traffic. She can plead, but she
cannot enforce her plea with the stimulaut
of hope of reward or the tonic of fear of
punishment. Pardon me, gentlemen. if
there be an implied imputation Of suscep.
tiblity to such stimulants or tonics. Thus
do urge you to more careful, if possi-
Bile, consideration of the prayer of these
petitioners than you would give if they
were citizens who might otherwise enforce
their claims.
We are well aware that the several
states arc sovereign in their power to deal
with the manufacture and sale of fintoxica-
tirg liquors; that they may, bv constru
tional statutory law, absolutely prohibit
the traffic; but we also know that ticy
cannot control the importation and inter
commerce in these beverages, and the
presence of these liquors within the terri.
tory of the states, though they receive no
direct protection of the general govern
ment. does embarrass very greatly the
operation Of state laws
The recognition of the traffic by taxa
ton docs give it dignity, and that which
should be branded rs an outlaw, demands
n representation of its interests in the
congress of the Unitel States on the basis
Of revenue paid TO the treasury Of the
United States. and thus traffic which is
in some of the states absolutely prohibited,
and in all is under the restraint of police
regulations. claims the general govern.
ment as IN ally to the extent of the tax
received.
"Such variance of interests in the
spirit of state and national legislation eln
but tend TO dlSlntegratlon--not to union.
The Washington monument yondcr
contains stones from the various states
that from my own, Iowa, bears this in
scrip.ion: Iowa. like the horders of her
rivers, tends to perpetual Union" This
union shall be- perpetuated, not only by
common ancestors. By common CONNER.
cial interests. by great railroad brnds from
ocean 10 ocean. by common acceptance in
all the states of the Christian faith and in
the multitude Of blessed associations thn
come to US therefrom. but this spirit of
union must be maintained by harmony n
legislation.
The general government is the Great
ure of the state governments; it must do
no violence to them by an abuse of even
the spirit of its derived powers.
The abolition of the liquor t.ailio is
the proper subject of constitutional law.
for the reason of its broad and general
relation to all the interests of tho bo
polite. Judged by the test of other
amendments, it more than equals them in
dignity and significance"
At the close of the address Judge Wait
said:
Mrs. Foster, VIC thank you most cord.
tally for your very able and forcible ad-
dress, which shows much thought, study.
and ability, and we will give the cause
you represent our most candid and con.
scientious consideration. The warm SYM
pathy of this committee is extended to you
in your laudablc labor"
Gov. Dingley, of Maine. said that per
sonally he had been deeply Interested and
edited.
After most kindly interchange of
courteses, the committee of tho Woman's
National Christian temperance union re,
A.. fou Faw r