The daily morning journal and courier. [volume] (New Haven, Conn.) 1894-1907, 1900-01-15
Mr.. WATERWAYS PAPER.
READ At A RECENT TEMPERANCE
SOCIAL IN FAIR HAVEN.
Being Extracts from Sermon Preached
in Upper Alton, Ili.-Why Womun-
hood Wars Against Rum.

hood Wars Against Rum.
AT parlor temperance social held al
the residence of Mrs. Lambert Bristol
of 1911 Exchange street, the following
interesting paper was read by Mrs
Bristol; subject "Why Womanhood
Wars Against Rum" by Rev. Louis M.
Waterman:
EXTRACTS from sermon preached in
the Upper Alton Qll) Baptist church
on Temperance Sunday)
''And the dragon waxed wroth with
the woman."-Rev. 1911
WhateverNelse is meant by the dragon
in this text, we know it means evil,
And we also know who have looked
about us to-day with eyes open to all
facts, that in no one thing is evil more
embodied and pent up with accursed
power than in the liquid demon we call
strong drink 1t can be no fanciful in
depreciation, then, that looks on liquor
as one of the guises this mighty. devil
dragon wears in dealing out his devas-
tations and disasters on the earth
Nor do we swing away from the golden
ranks of Michael and his angels waging
war with this dread dragon, when we
lift our voice and swing our sword
against the awful evils of alcoholic
stimulants. No lover of his race, and
certainly no follower of the Christ, may
dare to-day be unalert, and least of all
Indifferent on the subject of intemper
ance. Indeed so vast and complex has
become the common campaign against
this evil by all upward aspiring souls
that one must needs select some single
phase of it as the theme of an exhorta-
tion in it's behalf
I therefore to-day call your attention
to the part being played by womankind
in this great drama. To all it must ap-
pear .incontestably true that womans
part to-day in this campaign against
eartEs most colossal curse is to her
brothers part as the mighty mountains
are to the foothills at their base. For
the Woman's Temperance union is to-
day incomparably the largest single or
ganization earth ever saw arrayed
against the stupendous infames of rum.
A host of women, more than five hum
bred thousand strong, in well-nigh fifty
nations, peoples, tribes and tongues, are
banded together in vast and varied
effort against intemperance. And this
mighty sisterhood of love has length
ened it's stakes until it has become
literal fact that there 'is band of
ribbon white around the world"
Look a moment upon her sufferings
through the use of strong drink by !.
those upon whom her home and happi-
ness depends. I am not now referring
chiefly to the common drunkard, but to
the so-caled moderate drinker. Not
long ago, in an elaborate article in the
Scribner's Magazine, Joseph Kirkland |
gave the result of his research among
the poor of Chicago, coming to the
calm conclusion that Chicago's drink |
bill of much more than million week,
accounts practically for all the poverty |
the city has. Certainly then in ten
thousand homes there are wives and
daughters suffering for many of he
simplest necessities Of life, easily theirs |
but for the investment of the family in |
come In this iniquity. If there We're no |
other curse accompanying the consump- |
ton of beer and whiskey, it's vulturous
absorption of the family livelihood is
enough to arouse to the battle every
mother, wife and daughter on the globe
But this is not ALL 1t is not enough
that she starves in mind and starves in
body. 1t is not enough that she be
plunged in shame and distress of soul
by what her husband and sons become.
To all this is yet added blows and
curses and brutal abuse. Yes, so famil-
lar have most men become to all these
facts that our hearts grow callous and
indifferent But woman's sympathies
are not SO easily hardened. She feels
the curse. 1t has so torn and lacerated
her soul, that the wrath of the dragon
has at last over-reached itself. Wo-
man has been so stung she has turned
at bay, and is shifting back at the beast
with tremendous effect.
But more than even by her own abuse
is the wrath of the dragon felt by her.
Far dearer to woman's heart is herr
children's peace than her own. Smite
her if you will, abuse her if you must,
but hands off those children. But alas,
the dragon does not pity even babe.
Then do you wonder that womanhood
wars against rum?
/ stood one day in great institution
in this state for feebe-minded chill
dren. And I wished that all the indif- !.
ferent world stood there beside me,
Before me, see; seven hundred children
with blasted brains and gnarled, twist
ed bodies, and more than ninety per !
cent of all that idiocy and deformity :
caused by drink! Oh, the faces of :.
those idiot innocents! how they haunt !,
me still! And when / think that every =
one of them represented home and :
mother, and then remember that they q
were but few of the thousands in this
state alone for whom there is no room :
10 that great institution, ] am not j.
can not be astonished, to see q
4 mighty host of womanhood mar p
;halled against that dragon that is so G
Nroth with her! 1t curses father, 9
,urses husband, curses son and daugh \
er and babe therefore how infinitely
t curses the wife and mother! 6
To-day I merely name this fact of G
he worldwide uprising of women a
against this sin, not to dwell upon de- a
ais OF THEN work and items OF their n
rhievemnnt beautiful and inspiring =,