The Monitor. [volume] (Woodstown, N.J.) 1884-1892, 1884-04-11
FROM THE TEMPERANCE GAZETTE.
INNOCENT SUFFERERS.


INNOCENT SUFFERERS.
EDITOR GAZETTE In your issue of the 29th
ult., the article headed 1.-THE destructive
power of strong drink in the untold suffer-
ings of the women of the country" cores
ponds exactly with my own views-as to
whom are the greatest sufferers by strong
drink. An old gentleman, whose name I do
not know, met me recently in the street and
said to me, :" heard you speak on temper
ance at Port Republic once when you said
that women were the greatest sufferers from
strong drink. It was new to me but it is
true"
If there is class that makes irresistible
claims upon our sympathies, it is that class
who are numerous in the world and will con-
tinue to be numerous until the woes of in
temperance shall be done away; that class is
composed of the great army of drunkard's
wives. 1t is a sad sight to see beautiful,
intelligent refined and gifted woman bound
for life to a rough, coarse, brutal husband,
who devotes his life to gambling, dissipation
and vice. We may have some gauge of the
feelings of a man who, under the laws of
Rome found himself chained to a corpse
which every day became more offensive; but
we have no gauge of the sorrow of her who is
bound by marriage VOWS for life to living
mass of Drunkenness vice which includes
everything vile and repulsive, and which, like
corpse, becomes every day more offensive
and hideous. Oh, that our young ladies
would not countenance in any way one who
is frequenter of barrooms- Is always
seen spending his leisure hours gambling,
smoking, or chewing the filthy weed in some
barroom. The young ladies who marry such
an one, with the hope of reforming him, runs
terrible risk, and in order to save herself
untold troubles she should shun all such.
The drunkard himself is a fearful, sorrowful
parsonage, with his bloated face, bloodshot
eye, ETC. He presents US with a fair speci-
men of a demon let loose from the pit, to
make misery among the homes of earth. But
he is not by any means the greatest sufferer.
His children, half clad, half starved, half ed
ucated, and cast out of house and home, suf-
fer more than he. They have sorrow of
which he knows nothing. But even they are
not the greatest sufferers by his intemperancc.
They outgrow hisgviolence, they leave the pa
rental roof in time, and become independent
of control. But the pale, shrinking wife is
bound to that brute man, unable to outllve,
outgrow, or get beyond his pestiferous breath,
his baneful influence For better, for worse
she took him, and it has all been worse day
and night She has lived with one hope-the
hope to die.
Let the license petition signers read the
above, and let them feel, if any feeling they
have, what their legal agent (the rumseller)
is doing through their recommendation and
signature. No degradation on earth is to be
compared with that the refined woman
must feel when she wakes up to her disap-
pointment Of course she did not think on
that bright day that she went to the altar, that
she was going to marry man who, through
the use of rum, would degrade himself below
the brute creation. No; probably no cloud
lowered over her marriage scene. The sun was
bright, the sky was clear, and was probably
for some time after marriage. until twelve
reputable citizens signed some applicants IL
cense. The gin mill started, and alas for the
happiness of the wife. Show me the wife OF
the drunkard that does not at times wish the
earth would swallow her up. And yet the
poor woman is not to blame for the intemper-
ance of her husband, but she feels it keenly.
She may be as sinless in the matter as an angel
from heaven, but she cannot help being
crushed by the degradation of her lot. Talk
about martyrs dying at the stake, which Is
but momentary,, compared with the lifelong
martyrdom of the drunkard's wife. Every
day she lives she endures a crucifxion of all
the tenderest and gentlest feelings of her ma
ture. Sympathy is not all that is necessary
in the case, something more must be done.
We must refrain from doing what the speaker
at the Brooklyn temperance meeting said
christians do There never was truer saying
than was made at that meeting: THAT
christians and not rabid politicians, are to
blame for the present state of things" and
the gentleman may offer $50, 900, instead of
check for $500, for successful contradic-
ton of his statement. Christians in many in
stances furnish houses for rum mills and then
sign their petition for license, and on election
day will go to the polls where drunkards are
made and vote for the dear party. Until men
vote right and cease signing license petitions,
there is no hope for prohibition.
THos. MCGUIRE.