Mississippi leader. (Jackson, Miss.) 1892-1895, 1893-06-13
LOUISIANA COLUMN.
CONDUCTED UNDER THE AUSPICES or THE
LOUISIANA W. c. TT.

From an article headed "Union in
! Temperance Work" contained in the
Christian Advocate of June LIST. clip
the following
Tn. other lesson learned from the
history of temperance work is this:
Temperance people have not learned
yet that lin union there is strength"
There is Just as much human nature
in temperance people as in anybody
else, and every little bit of human
wants to have its own way and assert
its own right to dictate what shall be
done and how it shall be done. And
while they have been divided the sa-
loon powers have compacted them
selves into a solid phalanX. While the
Temperance people have been striving
with each other, the saloon people have
been strengthening each others hands.
and today they menace Christian civil
ization at every point. Temperance
people handicap themselves with irrel-
cvant issues. while the saloon stands
for one thing.
In the name of suffering humanity,
we ask if this policy is To he contiru
cd? Can't we agree on some line of
I
unanimi,y t.-.,s.s - ..~-AAA-LI2+ --ssssss-
ever gained a decisive victory with "A
separate i'i;ii % battle carried out 10y
each separate captain? Such course
invites defeat and assures it. If the
temperance people will drop every
thing, and come together and fOrmu
late plan by which everyone can
work If it takes the remainder of this
year to do it it will be a grand pre-
sage of triumph.
SO say |. Let Us unite forces, but
how: Well. the greater part of the
temperance people" are of the femi-
nine sex. What gives the liquor traffic
it, right of existence: The law! Who
makes the law: The men who vote!
Let Us aim at one thing to give to the
opposers of the traffic the same weap-
ons as given to its advocates and how
long think you our country would
grOan under this curse? The ''irrele
want issues are necessarily taken up
by workers who do no wish to rtSt out
and that for Il very simple reason.
Their work on direct line leading to
Prohibition is 50 very. very limited; so
they must take up side issues to occu
Ply themselves. These side issues are
very much like the Ladies Aid and
other church societies. The women
are filled with zeal. but what are they
to do with it? They have no real GOV
ernin@ power, 50 they take up unnec-
cssary departments. Aid betOkens
help. and no church ought to bc an OBJ
iect Of pity or charity. Its burden
should be borne by all of its members
alike. rs it is the women pay their
dues, then they have 10 scratch around
and save up eggs, butter. etc. for La
dies Aid money all Of which seems
very picayunish to the masculine
mind. Those best able to bear the ii
nancial burdens are thus relieved and
actually grow to think those things do
not concern them at all. To my mind
the church would really fare better if
there were no Ladies Aids. and the
responsibility of each member brought
clearly home to his or her mind. Many
a child has been ruined because the
mother attempted the duties and re
spOnsibilities of both father and moth
er: thus letting the father imagine
his duties were nil. [ believe strictly
in ''woman's rights, but | believe as
strictly in maR'S rights too. 1t is a
mans right to be a father. assuming
all the duties and responsibilities
thereof to his child. 1t is a church
members right to bear his full share
of church burdens. pushing personal
responsibility off on no society, femj-
nine or masculine. 1t is a citizens
right to vote for himself and allow
every one else the same privilege.
Talking of "irreleyant issues" to
temperance women is something like
master Stacking his slave and setting
him to run a race, then coolly telling
him how much better he could run if
he were not shackled. Let us be unit
ed and work for one thing, and that
thing just laws for men. women and
children, and the shortest and surest
road thereto is that of Nv Omen's suf- !
frage.'
ACap