The Redwood gazette. [volume] (Redwood Falls, Minn.) 1873-1940, 1890-01-30
w. G. T. u. DEPARTMENT.
For God and Home and Natiue Land.
AN APPEAL TO WOMEN.

We, the members of the Woman's
Christian Temperance Union, appeal
to you, wives and mothers of Redwood
Falls, to help us in the work of over
coming the common enemy of our
homes and families, the legalized Ii
quor traffic. It is hardly necessary
that we should point out to you the
terrible ravages of this traffic in our
community, the lives it has cursed and
blighted, the homes it has darkened
and ruined, and the manifold evils of
every name and nature that it has
brought upon us as well as upon all
the land. These things are known to
you as we'll as to us-in some cases
fromobservation, and in others from
bitter personal experience. You have
seen, as we have, some of our bright
est and most promising young men
degraded, b1utalized and ruined by
the love of strong drink; you have
heard and seen, as we have, the brawl-
ing, fight ng, and all the disgraceful
public exhibitions for which the sa-
looms of this town are responsible.
You know, as well as we do, that evil
and evil only, can result, or does re-
cult, from the existence of these places
in our midst; that they are the open
and malignant enemies of everything
which we as Christian women, as
wives, mothers, and sisters, hold most
sacred and dear. You know as we'll
as We do, that every grog-shop is a
school of vice and crime, a threat at
the peace and happiness of our homes,
and a deadly snare and pitfall in the
pathway of the weak and unwary.
You must realize, as well as we do,
that good, and good only, could result,
if every me of these rum-shops, these
drunkard M? nufactories, these strong
holds of Satan, was banished from our
midst; if such a happy deliverance
could be accomplished, we are conf
dent that YOU would rejoice with us in
the blessed consummation.
Many of you, no doubt, are already
with Us in heart and sympathy, and
need no special urging in temperance
work. We can not vote, but there are
many right and womanly ways open
to us, whereby we may influence the
votes of others, and bring about a re-
suit at the ballot-box that shall give
JOY to the hearts Of all who love peace
and righteousness. There is wide
and promising field for us in the edu-
cation of public sentiment on the Ii
quor question. We can discuss it in
our homes in the social circle, and We
can persuade those of our household.
our fathers, brothers and husband.
Ito act in accordance with our wishes
in this matter. And, first and last O.
all, we can unite in prayer to Almight,
God that He will put forth His owl
strong arm, end sweep this accursec
drink traffic from the earth. It SHOULD
be source of joy and satisfaction t.
us all to feel and know that in thi
work we have the approval and sym
pathy of our Heavenly Father and tn
blessing of Christ. We would add, il
conclusion, that it is our confident be
lief that if every woman to whom thes
words are addressed will do what sht
can to further the cause of temperate
in this community, the enemy will no
be able to withstand us, and we sha]
be freed, we trust forever, from tn
plague of the dram-shop. Surely, witt
such glorious possibility as this il
our future, we have an inspiration 70
greater work than we have ever don
before. In the name of those you low
best, in the name of those in our mids
who are suffering to-day from tn
curse of drink, in the name of our be
loved homes and households. in tn
name of the Church of Christ, in tn
name of God, we ask you to join witt
us in an effort to destroy this mon
strous and unholy traffic. Yours,
The w. G. T. U. OF REDWOOD FALL.