Seattle daily post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, W.T. [Wash.]) 1881-1888, 1885-12-25
4 woMAN's DENUNCIArI0S OF
MODERATE DRINkINc.

At a certain town meeting in Penn
syivsnia the question came up whether
any one should be licensed to sell ruB.
The clergyman, the deacon, the physi-
cian. strange as II may nov appear, all
favored 1t. One Al an only spoke against
IL, because Of the mischief it did. The
question vss about to be put when from
one corner of the room there arose a
miserable woman. She was thiuly clad,
and her appearance indicated the ut
most vretchedness, and also that her
mortal career vas almost ended. After
q moments silence, while all eyes were
fixed upon her. she stretched her atten-
ustsd body TO its utmost hight, and
then her long arms to their greatest
length, and, raising her voice to a
shrill pitch, she called to all TO look
upon her.
Yes she said, "look upon me, and
then hear me. All that the last speaker
has said relative to temperance drink
ing as being the father of drunkenness
is true. All practice. all experience. de-
clares its truth. All drinking of alco-
holic poison, as a beverage in health, is
excess. Look upon me! You all knew
me, or once did. You all know | was
once the mistress of the best farm in the
township; you all know, too, l had one
OF the best, the most devoted, of hus-
bands. You all know had fine, noble
hearted. industrious boys. Where are
they nov? Doctor, where are they now?
You all know. You all know they lie in
row, side by side, in wonder church
yard; sll-every one Of them filing the
drunkard's grave. They we're all taught
to believe that temperate drinking was
ssfe-that excess alone ought to be
avoided, and they never Acknowledged
excess. They quoted you-and yon-
and Won, (po'ntinR with her shred of a
finger to the minister, deacon aud doc
tori as authority. They thought them
selves safe under such teachers. But l
saw the gradual CD apRe coming over my
family, and noted its prospects with
disaay and horror. felt we we're to
be overwhelmed in common ruin. /
tried to ward off the blow; | tried to
break the spcii-the dslusive spsll-in
which the idea Of the benefits of tenn
pera.e drinking had involved nv hus
band and sons. ] begged prayed;
bat the odds we're against me. The
minister said the poison that was de-
stroying my husband and boys was
good creature Of God; the deacon. who
sits under the pulpit there, and took our
farm to Say his rum bills, sold them the
poison; the doctor said a little was good,
and the excess only ought 10 be avoided.
Nv poor husband ans my dear boys fell
isto the snare; they could not escape;
asd one after another they were CON-
vsyed to the sorrowful grave OF the
drupkard.
Nov leok at me again. You probs
bly, see me for the las. time. My sands
have almost run ont. l have dragged
my exhausted frame from my present
poorhoRse-to warn you all;
to warn you, deacon; to warn you. false
teacher of Gods wordr' And with her
arms flung high. her tall form stretched
to its utmost, and her voice raised to an
unearthly pitch, she exclaimed: shall
soon stand before the judgment-seat of
God. shall meet you there, you false
guides, and be witness against you
air
The miserable woman vanished. A
dead silence pervaded the assembly; the
the deacon and physician hung
their heads; and when the President of
the meeting put the question: "Shall .
license be granted for the sale of spirit
uous liquorsf" the unanimous response
vas mol"