Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1885-06-01
TEMPERANCE TALK.
The Presidents Sister and Mrs. Ex-Prcsi-
dent Hayes.

! The Presidents Sister and Mrs. EK-Presi-
dent Hayes.
| The following appeal to girls was written
| by Elizabeth Cleveland, the present mis-
tress of the White House, and was pub
lished in the Youths Temperance Banner,
February IS, 1882:
]. G. Holland wrote in Mrs. Hayes album
these words Women can only make
wine-drinking questionable and heal the
nation of this curse" What did DR. Hol-
| land mean by women only? Is it true that
only women can make wine-drinking un-
/ fashionable and heal the nation of this
! Curse2 You and | need to know this first,
because if only we women can do this thing,
why it is an awful responsibility upon us,
each one of us. And If somebody else can
do it, we, like all the others, would like to
give that somebody else the Job Five
years ago, at Washington, Mrs. Hayes be-
came mistress of the White House, and it
was for her, and no one else, TO say what
the social atmosphere should be which sur
rounded her guests, and how they should
be entertained Mt her house. Well, she
did an unheard Of thing. She banshed
| wine from all her entertainments, with Just
| one exception. Secretary EyaIts made a
fuss He was mortified. He could not
~,
Count and Countess French, Baron and
Baroness German come to the White House
dinners and have nothing fit for them to
drink-not drop Of poison. 1t was utterly
queer
So Mrs Hayes made one exception in
favor of these great foreign highnesses and
allowed wine upon her table in their pres
ence. But only for once. Her conscience
-high-souled woman that she is-sinote
her for that one little cowardly compromise
with wrong. She could better endure to
have Secretary Evarts and the Smiths
ashamed of her than to be ashamed OF her
self So she quietly and forever after pro-
hbited wine from her table and cheerlully
endured the lifted eyebrows ana shrugged
shoulders Of the diplomatics British
French, Russian, all, and the little short
lived hiss of fashionable society until that
hiss turned to 4 cheer, and fashionable
society turned round like the spaniel II is.
and trotted on behind its mistress 1t be-
came questionable to serve wine and TO
offer wine in fashionable society while Mrs.
Hayes was in the White House
What Mrs. Hayes did III the White
House every woman can do in her own
home if she will. If the girls who read
these words will each of them, all together,
use their influence on the side of temper
ance they can make temperance fashion,
able where they are. Will you do it?
General Grant does manly thing in re-
ftlsing to drink wine everywhere in all So
ciety. Il is only strong man who can
keep his wine glass upside down-in this
case right side mp, toO-while all the grand
people around him are slipping champagne
and tOashng each other in sparkling drinks.
No one can tell how 81 far this little candle
sheds its light" But no man can do for
fashion i'll society what woman can 1t
is women only, as DIR. Holland said / wish
some strong, bright angel stood before you
just now while you read, girls, to flash be-
fore you, as no words of mine can, the
power you possess to help or to hinder the
cause OF temperance, to make you feel your
responsibility, because you are girls, in
the matter to shudder at its weight, and
to never cease trying to fulfill it. Doubtless
you have heard great deal about the value
OF your smiles; but do you know the value
OF your frowns? ] wish | could make you
feel the value of your frowns and the im-
portance OF knowing just what to trown
upon. What = man must do by bioT, a
woman can do by frown. When the time
comes that the young man who now shares
his time in your society and the saloon,
who jokes about temperance in your pres
ence, and takes q glass socially now and
then, is made to feel that these things call
not be if you are to be his companion at
party, ride or church; that good society
cannot tolerate these things in its members,
in short, that this kind of man is untash--
ionable and unpopular-theu alcohol viii
trenbie on its throne and The liquor traffic
will hide its cancerous tacs.