Lexington weekly intelligencer. (Lexington, Mo.) 1871-1887, 1886-08-14
TEMPERANCE COLUMN.

EDITOR INTELLIGENCER: we art
very glad to know you are grstihed al
our success in temperance efforts Bu'
you seem to be laboring under some mis-
take in regard to u work. You say
you are glad we took your advice ano
educated the people up to a temper
snce sentiment, and that you bow to
the compliment.
Our steady temperance movement waf
begun the latter part of last winter, land
when your criticism appeared in your
paper IN regard to u efforts we were
In full working order, determined by
the help of God that nothing should
cause us to ialter or in any way weaken
our courage. Your criticism would by
all unprejudiced persons be consider
ed discouraging rather than encourag'
ing. We surely would have felt dis
couraged had not our motives reached
deeper and higher than any mans
praise or censure. Deeper, because
many hearts were aching and bleeding
because of the demon drink, and higher,
because we were looking and praying
to God for help, and We knew our
cause was a just and holy one. We
did not even think that you stood on
the same platform with us in opposing
saloons, for you have repeatedly stated
in your paper that you were in favor Of
high license. We are opposed to all
license and believe that a government
has no more right to license that which
makes criminals than it has to license
criminals themselves! And statistics
show that intoxicating drink makes
nearly all the criminals that curse our
land. We believe that the language OF
the low license says: "You may ruin
my father, my husband and my child
rem, if You pay me q small sum for so
doing;;" and the language of the high
license says: "Make your saloons
handsome, comfortable and attractive,
and you may ruin my loved ones; any
and all you can lure or in any manner
entice; but you must pay me q fine
price for it that l may enjoy the revenue
which is only the price Of the blood and
souls OF men |" If in your criticism you
did tell us to educate the people, in
your meGt issue you intimated that we
were Incorporate in our zeal, and that
would not surely mach quicken our
actions in that direction. When q COM
pany of us went to Lexington to plead
for what we knew the law aHoWed, we
were .fully aware that we would incur
the jests and taunts of our enemies I;
the evere criticism of the Indifferent,
and to say the least, the displeasure OF
some good people. 1t was, therefore,
NO easy task, but it was a crisis and
was the best we knew to do at the
time. When at the courthouse we were.
called "Puritanical fanatics" and &C
cused of taxing o s'prayer meeting"
into the court room, and we're remind
ed we had no right there, that we
should be at home doing our women's
household duties. Those words did
not fall on the ears Of bold, stout-heart-
ed women, but upon delicate, sensitive
feelings that felt the wound deeply, but
that was no time to qnail, we were
committed to the n work, to save u
town from disgrace and ruin and our
loved ones from q drunkards life, a
drunkard's death and q drunkard's
tormentI Most, if not all of our ladies
had never been in a court room, and
we watched, infinitely, everything that
we said and did; and that two days OF
experience was worth a great deal
to US.
We were profoundly impressed how
widely apart are laW and justice as our
lawyers and judges sometimes decide
it. If there was one thing more than
another that quickened our energies it
was our experience in that court room,
for. there we fully realized that our
stronghold was on God and efforts
nightly put forth on the hearts of our
common humanity. who are happily
Ignorant of the bubbles of Law yers and
judges. We were not successful in our
efforts, but were not discouraged, for
we believed that the same God who
commanded the city of Jericho to be
compasssd about so many times, and
at last caused its massive walls to fall
at the blast of the rams horn would
yet give us the victory if we only did
all we could and trusted in his strong
and mighty arm! We believe it still,
and we have seen our community revo-
lutionized! We believe our beloved
county so far behind her sister counties
In this grand reform, will yet come
proudly up, flag unfurled and banners
waving, and that our county seat, so
hard to move, so callous and dead, will
yet arouse and rid herself of this dread
ful sin Of intemperance that is cursing
our land.
WELLINGTON w. G. T. U.