Bennington semi-weekly banner. (Bennington, Vt.) 1894-1902, 1895-01-22
An Appeal by Another Woman.


tensely interested in this question of law
and order.
These women are not ambitious of no.
toriety, nor are they advocates of woman's
suffrage. They would much prefer that
the ballot should remain in the hands of
their lawful protectors. They have oc-
equations enough in church work and
social and domestic life, without enter
ing the political arena; but they do feel
chat there are some rights which they
ought to have, which are not being Sc
cured to them by the voters of Benning-
ton
First of ALL there is the right to
sheltered home where they may teach
their children obedience to law; but how
eau they do this in community where
law is insulted by open violation OF its
demands? How can they advocate sue
cessfully, good morals to their children
when the very air they breath is tainted
with unclean and poisonous OdOrs, and
men and women calling themselves Sons
and Daughters of the Revolution, with
a capital S and a capital D,-instead of
fighting for their liberties, as their faith
ers would have done, will helplessly
long for an outside Boanerges to comein
and utter war cry?
With prohibitory law beyond criti-
cism on our statute books, the report has
been shamelessly banded about for
years that we have anywhere from sixty
to one hundred liquor saloons in our
town, and this one of the most beautiful
towns on which the sun ever shOne.
Have we lost all the old spirit of 30"
and faith in mans redemption besides?
The clergy have spoken with no uncer-
tain sound, but where are the members
of the Law and Order League who
pledged themselves to see that the laws
were executed? We have heard of few
seizures, a few fines; we have also heard
that on a morning when seizures were
contemplated, tender hearted officials
have sent arOuLd word to the saloon
keepers that their premises must be
1t is a custom in some places to put men
of ability and integrity in offices of trust.
How would that do for Bennington?
AS women, we appeal to the male citi-
zens of the town to give us peaceful
homes in law abiding community.
There seems to be Pharaoh in our
midst who will not be satisfied until the
first-b born of every household is slain.
Must this state of things continue? If
our houses were on fire you would rally
like band of heroes to put out the
flames; you would nurse our sick and
bury our dead with true Christian broth
erhood; why will you not have pity on
our sleepless nights and days, made mis-
cradle by the rum fiend?
What must be said of the moral sense
of community where 1000 persons
gather regularly on the Sabbath day for
worship, and yet allow these seething cal
drons of iniquity to swallow their vic
tins uahindered, what but that it is
stultified and indifferent?
We do not forget that some quiet and
energetic work is being done. We know
OF one employer, and we trust there are
Others, who is buildinh against his own
house. He furnishes employment to men
on condition that they remain temperate,
and discharges them promptly when this
rule is violated If every employer in
town would follow this example, and
every land-holder would evict tenant as
soon as he was detected in putting prop
erty to unlawful uses, the question of sa-
| looms and gambling dens would not dis
turb the citizens of Bennington; but if
employers and landlords are thirsty for
the spoiis of a nefarious traffic, and off
cials are in league with iniquity and reg
ularly receive their stipend, as is cur
rently reported by those within the
ranks, then, may God help us, for He
only can.
But our hope is in the moral sense of
the community. Surely there will come
an end to this long outrage. TIE time
will come, oh, that it were already here,
when the Christian church will awake
from its guilty torpor and rise as one
man to meet the emergency. 1t must be
that this beautiful Walloomsac valley
shall yet be purged from end to end, and
this historic ground on which the silent
monument looks down, will yet be a safe
and favorable place for boys and girls to
develop upright, moral character.
There is good deal of ugly work to be
done yet, but in the end may we have
clean hands. To you, our fathers, hus-
bands and brothers, belong the honor of
effecting this change, and we appeal to
you. A few years ago the liquor traffic
reached such proportions that federation
become disgrace, and Christian women
went into the saloons in different parts
of the county and lifted up their prayers
in protestation,- action was charac-
terized by some as indicate and I'M
womanly. The women of Bennington
would much prefer to pray in their clos
cts, rather than anywhere else, but they
could pray with more faith and efficacy
if they felt that their homes were being