The DeSmet leader. (DeSmet, Kingsbury Co., Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1891, 1885-08-29

blows so benumb-in ways they may he
sensed, be felt. AS. for instance, sup
pose that on the day when Dakota's
voters shall determine by their ballots
whether prohibition shall be part Of
Dakota's s constitution, that the Unions
of Dakota have the church bells toll
for alc0hol's slain; have them toll all
day hng; all night long before that
day--toll every eight minutes for those
slaughtered every eight minutes by
alcoholic drinks.
If the British armies were thus now
ing down cur men, there would be days
Of prayer accompanied by the toliing
of bells and by such moving and
growing storm of indignation that the
nation would rise as one man, to end it.
The fires which ran in the veins of the
men of 1916 would blaze up anew i'm
those of 1885.
Some of us were thrilled by master
piece from the brush Of A. Nj. Willard,
which was exhibited at the Worlds
Exposition at New Orleans. 1t was
called The Minute Men of the Revo-
luton" Its figures were Of life-siZes.
The lantern signal from the windows
of the old North church had flashed
out over the water Paul Revere i'm his
wild ride through the towns had just
dashed by, giving the alarm. True to
their banded promise to spring at one
minutes notice to the defense of their
country, were pictured father and a
grandfather already starting from the
little home, while the fire struck from
the stones by the shoes OF the messen-
gers foam-tlecked horse still flashes III
their sight. Determination strong as
death, with the most eager haste, is de-
picted in their faces. The fire which
blazes in the young mans eyes burns
rs fiercely in those of the older one.
The former is Fastening down the path.
drawing on his coat, while the older
already equipped is emerging from the
low doorway. One feels the quickened
heart-throbs, the eager haste OF every
one of the group. The ten-year-old,
with his sturdily set legs, and bare feet
planted squarely and apart, lifts as high
rs he can for father To take the gun.
Even his dog has caught an excitement
strations of leaping and congratulatory
tail waggings. All are helping TO speed
the men. The little girl, whose Arms
reach up to hold grandfather back.
shows such fullness of love in her
protest that il is really God speed
also. The wife is helping strap OH the
powder horn she has brought her hus-
band. She is ready-this minute wo-
man of '75-to take up the suddenly
dropped work of her husband and her
father, together with her own; To put
her hand 20 the plow just dropped.
Behind the bars the patient oxen, ybked
to the plow before freshly turned fur
row, edging the piece of newly plewed
land. and the acres to lie plowed. stand
waiting. Beyond is the orchard just
bursting into bloom. One can almost
hear the dreamy buZzing Of bees.
Everything is touched with the fresh
ness and tender color of April
/ have thought that in nourtemperance
work we should be bound together by
similar minute pledge and determined
purpose. And ii seemed as il you were,
when, in the face of a prejudice grown
strong and grizzly, which had its grip
more or less strongly on you all, on that
memorable ith OF March. at 4 week s
notice, delayed in all possible ways,
shortened by snow-blCchaded mail
trains, and by the fierce storms sweep
| ing over the prairi, s, separating your
various homes, diifident, home-women
all. two hundred and twenty-five or
you for the first time III your lives ap-
peared at the polls to deposit your
woman's vote against the license of the
| liquor traffic in our young county.
| 1t seemed so when ut the first alarm
and call afteryour little band was organ
! lied Of those who responding flocked To
| the little church. third came from
prairie homes, from fifteen miles radii,
with babes in their arms.
| 1t has seemed so when on those rare,
several times our devotions have been
| led. i'm the churches I'm which our meet
ings have been held, by one standing
with one white-robed babe i'm her arms
and another clinging To her dress and
again when they were led by the trem-
ulous voice OF one almost confined tn
her chair by the inlirmities of her great
age.
1t seemed SO when one whose young
! feet were already submerged in the chill
waters stopped even there To send from
her own hands by her loved sister a
| token with message TO our little coun-
| ty band as the last she could send us
| this side the frightening shore which
rose full in her sight lust before the
message. " L want TO help. a little"
Just here comes the thought (which
NAV become your wish, and may crys-
tallZe into your act) that it may be well
TO use her gift as the nucleus of a ban-
ner fund. and thus by visible sign hold
in tender remembrance as seen by one
just passing over, the great relative I'M
portance of the work for which we are
banded together, and which appearing
at all our meetings shall be to us of the
Woman's Christian Temperance Union
of Kingsbury county a sign and token
of help from above.
But although We of Kingsbury coun-
ty have experienced our Lexington and
Concord and our Bunker Hill. our war
is not yet ended. 1t has but begun,
] Strong organization and constant vigil
lence are imperative il we would win.
a determination TO steadily keep our
aim in view--that of making an edc-
Gated public sentiment against the use
of alcohol as a beverage, a medicinal
agent, or q factor in the culinary de-
partment - Of making SO thoroughly
educated n public sentiment that this
traffic in poison cannot exist in Kings
bury county, now or for fifty years ta
come. This means much work, both
educational, evangelistic and social.
| While wearisome delay may block swift
progress, cherished plans be thwarted,
and we mothers, wives and sisters NAV
look sadly down on our tied hands. at
least SOCIAL FoRCIss may be put into i'm.
mediate operation; bring your social
influence whether it be little or large.
both as indiyi luals and as Union, to,
bear as strongly as possible i.i
making the ,tempemnce movement