The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1890-08-20
TEMPERANCE,


With the sunshine, the rain and the dew
Man plants and God gives the increase e
OF fruit and of shimmering grain;
But, alas! we reap harvest
Of poverty, sorrow and pain.
"REMINISCENCES OF THE woMAN's CRUSADE.
I was filing lyceum engagements in Penn
sylvania and Ohio in the early winter Of
1878, at the time that the remarkable move
ment known as 1.-THE Womans Crusader
startled the community. The daily papers
teemed with the most extravagant and sem
sational accounts Of the methods and aims
of the women who had inaugurated this new
departure in temperance work. Every
morning the dailies Of the great cities con-
fronted their readers with staring headlines
that misled and prejudiced in advance-as
was intended. And the reports, written on
the spot by the attaches Of the press, sent to
study and describe the new movement, ridi-,
culed and belied it. "a mob of pious wo-5
menE "Prayer-meetings in saloonsp,
''Saloon-keepers bulldozed by frepzied wo-i
mene' "'Rock Of Ages the song they singp
These, and similar misleading announce
ments on the bulletin boards, left one in,
doubt whether THE Crusade was the work
OF sane women or lunatics. @
AS proceeded from place to place, ap-i
preaching Ohio, the new movement more
completely engrossed public attention, and
was the one theme Of conversation-on
trains, in hotels and everywhere. It was
now spreading like prairie fire, and was
achieving most astonishing results. The
prayers, and songs, and touching appeals Of
women who visited the saloons daily, and
whose husbands and sons had been ruined
1N~y% %hnyr Nd hasys 1ata
with arrowy directness to the hearts Of the,
proprietors. In town after town the saloons
were closed by this unheard Of procedure,
the liquors poured into the streets, and their
converted owners joined the ranks Of the
Crusaders" and helped them in their.
work.
I was to lecture at Washington c. a., one
evening, not far from Hillsboro, Ohio, where
this blessed impulse Of prayer and entreaty
had its birth. As we slowly came to the
station, ! observed that thu platform was
packed with women, and supposed there had
been some meeting or convention in session
during the day, and that the ladies were now.
to take the train for their homes. As /
stepped from the coach, Miss Maggie Ustick.
of Washington. whom I had met before,
welcomed me, and then presented me to the
President of the Woman's Crusade in that
oSWAs e41hh olS AeS3J was LII .. Soi PCnUS1s
wife Of the pastor Of the Presbyterin;
Church.
Taking me by the hand, with most cordial
greeting, she said: Mrs. Livermore, we ara.
O committee Of sixty women who have come
to invite you to accompany US to the
Methodist Church, where the daily temper
ance prayer-meeting is in session" rs
If must be honest, I wished for the mo-
ment that the women were oil in Joppa. Fn
I wanted to study the Crusade deliberately
from the outside to be looker-on, and not
to be plunged into the very seething heart Of
it, at the start. But if any of my readers
ever find themselves in like predicamenti
with q committee Of sixty women waiting for
did-go with them. The church was packed
with a serious and intense audience. In the
rear of the house hundreds were standing,
and among these there was continual coming
and going as work or business compelled the
departure Of some, when new corners took
their places
A reformed man was speaking when we
entered, one who lad recently signed the
pledge. The attitude Of the man, the tones
of his voice, the very features Of his face all
told of weakness. He deplored his past life,
and with tremulous tones that had unshed
tears in them, told how bad husband he
had been to lone Of the best wives God ever
gave man." He was interrupted by the
clear, sweet voice of a woman. y
''Never mind that now, John; we'll forget
the things that are behind"
"Only, wife, don't let me fall againl Keep
the saloons shut, or else Pm lostT'
Then woman prayed. How her petition
beat up against the throne Of God as in low
tones Of suppressed anguish she pleaded for
help, strength. light and comfort had
never heard prayer like that before, and
knew that the supplicant had history. My
companion whispered, "That woman has suf.
fered everything from strong drink-in her
early home, and now in her own family" =
Ayoung girl rose to offer thought that
had occurred to her. A man behind me, In
evident alarm, said almost aloud, ''Gra-
cious that's my Fanny; I hope she won't
slop over" Clear, direct, concise, she fer
vently, but briefly, gave her testimony to the
efficacy OF prayer, and sat down.
Then more prayers from women whose
faces bore the record of long years of heart
sickness and despair, and who appealed to
the Friend of the friendless," in tones that
went to my soul. Then, pathetic and grapic
bits of speeches from men struggling up out
of the depths, all of whom uttterd the same
agonized entreaty, Don't let the saloons
be opened againp was called on for g
Testimony" but was beyond the power Of
speech-I was weeping. The audience palpi-
tated with intense feeling, and all hearts
throbbed in unison; and yet there was no
outward excitement, all were calm and self
controlled, even when they all joined In
song, till the house rocked with very tenn
pest of melody.
Ali the saloons IN town but one had been
closed voluntarily by their owners, their
stocks of liquors had been destroyed, the
proprietors had signed the pledge, and were
working with the reformers. I was obliged
to leave the town too early the next
morning to accompany the detail of women
appointed to visit the one still defiant saloon,
which yielded before the week was ended
and then Washington G. H. had a jubilee Of
thanksgiving.
For the next three weeks my route carried
me almost daily into towns where Crusade
work was being done. The features of the
movement were the same everywhere.
Bafled in their attempts to obtain help from
the Legislature in restricting the Saloons
which overran the southern half of Ohio like
the plague of frogs in Egypt, and the Civil
Damage Bill, ," for which they had petitioned,
proving a very mockery, the women in their
helplessness and unutterable woe gathered
into prayer-meetings and out of breaking
and broken hearts called on God for help.
The plan of visiting the saloons with entreaty
and persuasion prayer and song, had come
10 them, as they believed, in answer to prayer.
Who shall deny it?
Hack space for "reminiscences of those three
weeks in Crusade towns. Like the rush Of
the unseen Spirit at Pentecost, like the voice
Of Christ on the troubled waters Of Galilee,
this wonderful movement harmonized the
iiscordant elements, and brought in order
and peace Not only were the saloons closed
and wretchcd men lifted out of the depths Of
moral debasement but old family feuds we're
settled, long ssseparated husbands and wives
standing and unforgiven wrongs, and whole
communities were lifted to higher plane.
The reign of the Crusade was brief, but
blessed while it lasted, for the very spirit Of
Christ vitalizei it.