The Evening critic., 1882-03-31


toward this criminal the General Government
walks with open hand. The Congress OF the
United States, exercising only such powers OF
sovereignty as the people themselves have
transferred to II, receives from this outlaw In
trade, this pirate in commerce, this corrupter
q morals, this ASSASSIN of life, a part OF It's
fllgotten gains-its stolen booty-its price OF
blood. Ia IL possible that such an iniqultous
eystem can long endure Under monarohical
goyernments, where political power rests IN
oppressions-may endure for years In the In,
trenchments of law; but I'm popular form Of
government like our own this is impossible.
Educate the people, arouse the people, stir the
people, and legislative enactment must fol-
low; for the people make tho law. Any sys-
tenn under tho condemnation Of popular
disfavor must go down. This system Is under
this condemnation, and 1t shall go down, and
that right speedily.
tions, so numorously signed, which have come
before both Houses Of Congress, asking for a
commission OF inquiry concerning this trafflc
in alcoholic beverages, and do you not remem-
ber the action OF the honorable Senate in for
NOR years, and also lately, taken in voting for
the appointment OF this commission More
than this, there are immense petitions before
this Congress asking that II prepare and
adopt and submit to tho Legislatures OF the
several states an amendment to the National
Constitution forever prohibiting the importa
tion, manufacture and sale of these beverages.
In the year 1876 the Hon. Senator Blair, then
a member of the House OF Representatives,
known and loved in his own Granite State, and
honored throughout the entire nation,
introduced such an amendment.
Now, Senator, he has introduced the same
amendment before that body, as also Senator
Plumb, OF Kansas, one more sweeping In its
provisions These amendments express tho
power behind all legislation, the popular
Will; and this will, held In solution awhile by
the appetite of the consumer and the avarice
of the dealer. shall certainly crystalline Into
the organic law Of this nation. l know such
views are held to be visionary; such advo-
Gates are called fanatics; but not less surely
does the truth march on The sun shines and
InnRQ aQpfn ~ 40.
yout astronomers, or sighing maidens, or
barking dogs.
The Constitution Of the United States is full
Of fanaticisms. The grand underlying doc
trine that all political power inheres In
the people is a fanaticism to tho des
potsms of the Old World The great IA
naticism Of the old abolition movement is
now imbedded in the XIIIth Amendment
Neither slavery nor Involuntary servitude, ex-
cept for crime, whereof the party shall have
been duly convicted, shall exist within the
United States or any place subject to their
Jurisdiction. Gentlemen, each generation
builds monuments to the fanatics of the last
There are names to-day cast out as odious,
names laughed at as synonyms of foolish en-
thusiasm, that shall be emblazoned in letters
OF light when their scofrers are faded in the
mud colors of dead oblivion.
History is q biography of the worlds
fanatics. Theliterature of the world is o COM
pflation OF their vagaries. Yes, the liquor
traffic is doomed; Its intrenchments in social
custom and legal enactments are crumbllng.
shall glorious structure Of popular national
education; shall this lighthouse to all barks
that come and go upon the waters of its social,
its industrial, its political life; shall this be
built upon the barbarism, the usurpaton, the
idolatry, the treason Of the liquor trafllc?
find in a current newspaper this dreadful
incident that comes from across the waters:
Mortar Mixed with Maidens' Blood.
"a story comes from Africa that the king of
Ashantee has killed 200 young girls for the
purpose of using their blood for mixing NOR
tar for the repair of one of the State buildings.
The report was received at Cape-coast-castle
from a refugee, who was to have been one of
the victims. 1t receives some confirmation,
also, in the fact that such wholesale mas.
sacres are known to be a custom with the
king"
This was in Africa. Shall we rival that
reign OF terror? Shall Christian America
cement its educational bulwarks with the
blood OF Its sons and daughters? No, no, no
1t Is not worthy our age, our country. 1t is
not worthy our historic memories, our present
spirit. 1t Is not worthy the royal West with
its wideness and its richness; is not worthy
the prairie State OF Illinois that has given to
the nation Grant, the warrior; Frances willard
the philanthropist and Lincoln, the emanci
pator. 1t is not worthy the honorable Senator
himself. He forgets; he is beside himself; he
walks in a dream. Gentlemen of the commit
tee, save him; save the nation from this tenn
porary insanity. God save the nation, 'sont
and inseparable, now and forever"
At the conclusion of Mrs. Fosters speech,
| the committee adjourned. Mrs. Foster then
| for full half an hour, held a formal levee In
the committee room, and was the recipient o
| many congratulations.