The state rights democrat. [volume] (Albany, Linn County, Oregon) 1865-1900, 1882-08-04
weMKx AxD.wINE.

drink In man has spoiled the lives
Of mare vomen-ruined more hopes
for them, scattered more fortunes Tor
them, brought to them more shame,
sorrew. and hardship-than any
other evil that lives. The country
nnmbers tens Of thousands-nay,
hundreds of thousands-of women
whe are widows today, and sit In
hopeless weeds, because their hus-
6=5ds have been slain by strong
drink. There are hundreds OF thou
sands of hemes scattered ell over the
land, in Which wOmen live lives oi
torture. going through ell the chang
es OF suffering that lie between the
extremes Of fear and despair, bee ause
those whcm they love, love wine bet
ter than they do the women when
they have sworn to love. There are
wemen by thousands wh0 dread to
hsar at the deor the step that once
thrilled them with pleasure, because
that step has learned to Iesl> under
the influence Of the seductive poison.
There are women grOaning with pain,
while We write these werds, nom
bruises and brutalities inflicted oy
husbands made mad by drink. There
can he no exaggeration In any state
mens made in regard to this matter,
because no human Imagination can
create anythiOg worse than the truta'
and no pen Is capable Of p1rtraying
the truth. The sOrrows and the hor'
rors Of 9 wife with Q drunken hus-
band, or q nsther with a drunken
son. are ~ near q realization OF hell
~ can b reached In this world, al
least. The shame, othe indignation,
ths sorrow, the sense Of disgrace fsr
herself and her children, the poverty,
and not unfrequently the heggary,
The fear and fact Of Violeuce, ths
lingering lifelong struggle and dsS
pair Of countless wsInen with drunk
en husbands, are enough to make al
women eurse wine, and engage unit
ealy to oppose It everywhere as th'
werst enemy Of their sex.
And new what de we see on every
New Years Day ? Women all ovel
the city Of New York-weman here
and there all over the country, where
like social customs prevail-sestini
eat upon their tabses the wellflied
dscanters which, before night shal
cless down, win be emptIed into The
brains Of young men and old men,
who will 90 reeling to darker orgies,
or TO homes that will feel ashamed oi
them. Woman's lips will give the
invitation, weman's hand will oil snd
present the glass, woman's sareles:
vsIce will laugh at the effects of the
mischsvious draught upon theirs, and
having done all this, woman will re
tire to balmy rest, previously having
reckoned the number Of those Il
whom she has, during the day, pre-
sented temptation, and rejoieed ov
or It In the degree of its Lnagpi
tude.
o woman woman Is It moi
about time 1t was stopped? Have you
. husband, brother, son Are
they stronger than their neighbors,
who have, one after another, dropped
into the graves Of drunkards Look
around yeu, and see the desolations
that drink has wrought among your
aequaiRtances. and then decide
whether you have a right 10 place
temptation in any mans way, or do
aught to make . social custom re
spectacle which lends hundreds OF
thousands Of men into bondage and
into death. Why must the bottle
come out everywhere Why can
there not be q festal occasion with.
out this vulgar guiding of strong
drink
Woman, there are some things
that yOn can do, and this IL one you
can make drinking unpopular and
disgraeeful among the young. You
can utterly dIscountenance all drink.
lag In your own house, and yen can
bold In suspicion every young man
who touches the cup. You kew that
No young man who drinks can safely
be trusted with the happiness Of any
weman's society. Have this under
stood that every young man who
drinks Is socially prescribed. Bring
up your children to regard drinking
IS not only dangerous bat disgrace
ful. Place temptation In ne mans
way. II men will make coasts OF
themselves, let them do 1t In other So
cIety than II yours. II your merce-
nary husbands treat their customers
from private stores kept In their
counting rooms, shame them into de-
cency by yeur regard for the honor OF
yeur home. Recognize the living,
terrible fact that wine has always
been, and is to-day, the curse ef your