The Iowa plain dealer. [volume] (New Oregon, Howard County, Iowa) 1867-1895, 1889-11-28

"When nrst tho Universe sprang from Gods
brain,
And forth into the formless void was cast.
He said that It was good: and SO today.
In 6rmest faith we answer give once more:
The right must triumph. death and hell must
Though proud they stretch to clutch the sky
sway
Wherein the bow OF promise. rs o. yorc,
Procia.ins the surety given by God Most High"
Hattie Tying Criswold In Woman's Journal.
--o
ONE WOMAN'S WORK.
How . Lone School Teacher Defeated the
Rum Power In > Town Election.
well, 1t shall not be, II We women
can help It." thought Janet Grayden, as
she wended her way through tho slcet
and siush to the school where her duties
lay. I'VE teachers are teaching and
training future citizens, and we must be
consistent. and place In Offices OF trust
and responsibility only such citizens as
our boys and girls may respect, and
those whose example it would be safe
TO follow. Very little sense in teaching
our youth to be honest, sober, righteous.
truthful, and then going and giving the
offices OF trust and honor TO men known
to be the reverse Of all these
In this line ran her thoughts; for
Janet was endowed with the right OF
voting IN the coming election for school
trustees and municipal officers, and the
sense Of her responsibility in the dis
charge Of her duty led to these ref.ec-
tiOns.
The municipality was preparing for
these elections. and the usual array Of
candidates were coming out The
town paper, issued weekly, contained
their cards" soliciting the suffrages Of
the electors, and their promises to work
for all the interests intrusted to them.
OF the candidates presenting them
selves for school trustees and council
ors, two were openly opposed to prohibi-
ton and total abstinence; one was an
habitual drinker, and two openly inn
moral. Here was fine ticket truly.
How did all this come about? Very
easily. Tho truly intelligent and
Christian element had not sufficiently
awakened to the important duties of
citizenship. The best men were i'm
mersed in their own business, and
thought they had no time to give the
town, forgetting the bearing which the
rule Of unprincipled men must have up
on their children. Alas! that in our
country, the spirit of true patriotism is
50 lightly esteemed, and the high claims
Of citizenship 50 frequently ignored by
good people.
But the heart and conscience of one
woman were aroused, and as Janet
Grayden conducted her school that day,
the elder boys and girls noticed that she
was possessed Of an unusual spirit,
which seemed even to express itself in
her steps around the room. They saw
and wondered. Ontario boys and girls
are quick to perceive. They felt sure
soD1c new movement was bursting upon
them.
When the duties of tho day were over
this heart-fuil teacher opened her
case, and startled her pupils with the
question:
what Is patriotism?'
Up went several hands, and the defini.
tion was satisfactory.
Various questions followed in regular
course. concerning government, national,
municipal, educational, their several
functions, eiiciting peculiar and varied,
but on the whole intelligent, replies
from these citizens in embryo. The alb
solnte need Of good men to enforce good
laws was dwelt upon, in short, con.
densed and interesting study, which the
pupils were then pledged to report and
discuss at home.
In the course of the next few DAYS the
following results ensucd. The Methodist
minister, whose children had commnni-
Gated the substance Of the teachers
study at the tea-table that evening, was
visited with the landable desire to en-.
large upon the responsibilities of Chris
ttan citizenship at the prayer-meeting
that night. One Of the prominent mem.
bers. hearing him, suggested that the
discourse be repeated on the succeeding
Sunday. This idea suggested to the
minister to ask tho other ministers oi
the town to cooperate; and, all feeling
the importance of the matter, the citi.
zens were informed in the Friday issue
Of the paper Of their decision.
Thus on Sunday all the churches were
brought to the point of considering the
| practical Christianity which is neces
sarv TO the upbuilding Of God fearing
nation, and to the great fact that God
calls too often in vain to good, indus
trious, honest men to 60 into His vine
yard OF government and work for him
So prone arc we to think that the church
is the vineyard, and the church alone!
In his discourse that day, the good ole
Presbyterian minister, who had laboret
there before the present generation cam,
upon the scene, received new inspira
tion, and amazed his congregation b,
stating that the hope Of his heart for tn.
publication Of all government, and tn.
infusion OF righteousness into publ,
affairs, was about TO be realized by tn,
Introduction of the voice Of woman
through the ballot. ''The limited bal
lot now in tho hands OF woman is
power we are just beginning to feel tn,
| good Of, he declared, "and I am con
tent to repudiate all past opposition an.
prejudice on my part, by the strong con
viction which I have to-day that tn
conscience Of womanhood, crystalline,
in the ballot-box, will be the protection
of our youth from untold evil, and tn,
st mutation Of our manhood to hithert
unanticipated good"
A citizens meeting was called for tn,
next evening to consider the comm,
contest; and the final result Of this wa
an addition to the number of candidates
SO that, when nomination day arrived,
new and more cheering phase Of affair
was presented to the electors.
Janet had infused her spirit into
good number Of her friends and associ
ates, and all the women who had vote
were visited and urged to como out brave
~ for the good Of the town and cast thei
ballots.
A singular and noticeable feature q
the canvass was the fact that the candi
dates whose principles were out of join
with total abstinence and pure morals
did not approach the women for vote;
but in every way possible manifesto