The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1892-11-02
TippIing Women.

tripping "oHeH.
It is shocking to Southerners to even
read of women taking to strong drink
till they become disgrace to them
selves and their families. The very
thought is revolving. My mother
drunk! My sister Intoxicated My
wife stepped in liquor! Not long
since, the papers published minute ac-
counts of certain ladies in high life in
New York city, who had to be taken
in charge by the police because Of
their excessive drinking at fashiona'
BILE hotel. From an exchange we learn
that the same things have been dupll-
Gated in Boston. And these also hail
from the higher circles, so called,
where the upper ten" are supposed to
run monopoly on the good things of
this life. This exchange says: "Bos-
ton-that hub of the universe-will
need to look after its women better.
They are learning to drink almost as
freely as men. They are not taking it
moderately, but are 'indulging in cock
tailsand toddic3 and punches In the
city the women are still circumsrcct :;
they don'tas a rule like TO take liquor
at public table, unless their husband
or another man may be with them
Education, even when carried to the
extent in which it is carried by these
women, is no effect remedy for in
temperance"
But this is not all. Drunkenness is
becoming a national disgrace among
the lower classes of women-the
wives, mothers and sisters Of the wage
carners of the land. If such things
grow on us till the average home be-
comes unsafe because of woman's inf
deity, we shall reap the whirlwind.
Read the following from the Glasgow
Rcforner 81 National Shame
D,unkcn IVomen.-This is the title of
Il big type article in the Daily Tele-
graph, which is evidently meant to
start correspondence to take The place
of 'E"gli-h Wives The contributor
says that Mr.. Wynne Baxter, the well
known Coroner, whose experience OF
the London poor from day to day in
the East End constitutes him an au-
lhority upon the darkest phase of the
subject, in the course Of conversation,
said: Generally speaking, the ques-
ton of drunkenness, directly or indi-
rectly, enters into half the inquests
which / hold. 1t is treated as joke,
as a rule, for my jurie', coming as they
do from the working classes, do not
appear to think anything Of it. My
usual question is, WAS the deceased
the worse of drink" and the reply
given in on unct ncerned tone) is, 'Oh,
he has had Drop as if it was the
proper thing to do. believe there are
numbeis of hard working men who
would have good homes if they had
good wives but the women are never
at home to meet them, or have any
thing ready for them after their days
work. In many cases we have the fact
stated that the husband quietly goes TO
bed when his wife is still out of doors
drinking with her friends. Monday is
essentially day of drinking. Many
men are totally unaware that their
wives take their Sunday clothes on
Monday morning to the pawnshop,
pledge them. and spend the money
thus obtained in drink. On the Satur-
day, when the man gets his wages, the
clothes are taken out of pledge, but
they are returned to the pawnbroker
on the Monday"
Of course, we recognize the fact that
in our Southland here, as class, we
are in no immediate danger. We only
cite the foregoing facts TO show to what
low estate even women may fall, if
the liquor traffic is allowed to continue
its present wholesale system of ruin,
and its desolating, fateful influence is
permitted to go unchallenged.
Horrible would be the scene in a
South Carolina household if the wife
and mother was found drunk, while
her children called in vain for Il moth
er's protecting hand.
But if men can sell whiskey, why
not women
If men can buy whiskey, why not
women
If men drink to excess, why not wo-
men!
If men neglect and ruin their homes
because of strong drink, why not wo-
men
Why not?
Each voter is responsible for the