The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1885-05-04
MISS CLEVELAND ON TEMPERANCE.
An Eloquent Appeal to Girls by the Mistress
of the White House.


of the White House.
Youths Temperance Banner, Feb. Is. 1882.
j. G. Holland wrote in Mrs. Hayes's album
these words: Women only can make wine
drinking questionable and heal the Nation of
this curse"
What did DR.. Holland mean by women only?
Is it true that only women can make wine drink-
ing questionable and heal the Nation of this
curses You and / need to know this first. be-
cause if Only we women can do this thing, why.
it is an awful responsibility upon US, each one of
US. And if somebody else c.n do it, we, like all
the others, would like to give that somebody else
the job. Five years ago, at Washington, Mrs.
Hayes became mistress of the White House, and
it was for her. and no one else, to say what the
social atmosphere should be which surrounded
her guests and how they should be entertained
at her house. Well, she did an unheard-of
thing. She banished wine from all her enter
tainments with just one exception. Secretary
Evarts made a fuss He was mortified. He
could not endure to have lord and lady English,
count and countess French, baron and baroness
German come to the White House dinners and
have nothing fit for them to drink-not a drop
of poison! 1t was utterly queer! So Mrs. Hayes
made one exception In favor OF those great
foreign highnessess and allowed wine upon her
table in their presence. But only for once. Her
onscience-high- souled woman that she is
-smote her for that one little cowardly COM
promise with wrong She could better endure
to have Secretary Evarts and the Smiths
ashamed OF her than to be ashamed of herself.
so she quietly and forever after prohibited wine
from her table, and cheerfIlly endured the lifted
eyebrows and shrugged shoulders of the diplo-
MATES, British, French, Russian-all, and the
little short1ived hiss of fashionable" society
until that hiss turned to cheer, and fashiona-
BILE society turned around, like the spaniel it is,
and trotted on behind its mistress. 1t became
questionable to serve wine and to offer wine in
fashionable society while Mrs. Hayes was in
the White House.
What Mrs. Hayes did in 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 temperance, they can make temperance
fashionable whore they are. Will you do it,
General Grant does manly thing in refusing
to drink wine everywhere and in all society. 1t
is only strong man who can keep his wine glass
upside down-in this case right side up too
while all the grand people around him are sip
ping champagne and toasting each other in
sparkling drinks. No one can tell how far this
little candle sheds its light" But no man can
do for fashion in society what woman can.
It is women only as DR.. Holland said.
1 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, tire power
you possess to help or to hinder the cause of
temperance, to make you feel your RESPONSE
bility, because you are girls, in the matter; to
shudder at its weight, and to never cease trying
to fulfill it! Doubtless you have heard a great
deal about the value OF your smiles; but do you
know the value of your frownss l wish l could
make you feel the value of your frowns, and the
Importance of knowing just what to frown upon.
What man must do by blow 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 temper
ance In your presence, and takes glass socially
now and then, is made to feel that these things
cannot 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 questionable and I'M
popular-then alcohol will tremble on it's throne,
and the liquor traffic will hide it's cancerous
face.