The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1901-12-18
an Appeal Against the Liquor Traffic.
To the Women Of South Caroli-

To the Women of South caroli-
ma.
Dear Sisters Last month the
Christian Temperance Workers
at their meeting in Greenville,
saw fit to elect me president Of
their organization for the ensuing
year, and may God now help me
to SO touch the hearts of the
women of our State as shall
awaken them to a sense Of their,
responsibility under the fearful
condition of things existing in
our midst.
AS Christian Temperance
Workers, we do not ask to be
allowed to vote; we do not ask to
hold any office, nor to take part
in any law-making body; but we
do ask, we plead-nay, by the
help of God we will take part in
the protection of our offspring
our boys and girls-from the ac-
cursed liquor-selling, drunkard-
making business.
Think of it, ye mothers in the
State Through the liquor shops
will be sold this year, about three
million dollars in intoxicating
drinks and of this vast sum the
pittance of one-6fteenth of that
amount turned into the channels
of education as a cloak for the
great sin.
Three millions in liquors pour
ed into our husbands and sons,
and to justify it, comparatively
small sum given to education
One boy out of every four ruined
by the drink habit, and our State
spending millions to foster and
encourage the the drink habit.
Thousands of our girls being
welded to young men who are
worthless, because the State has
made them drunkards-made
them unfit for association with a
decent woman.
The dispensary system Of sell
ing liquor with the revenue arls-
ing from it seems to have so in
fatuated our men tnat they have
LOST sioht entirely of the value of
our boys and girls. They pay
literally of their hard-earned
money to educate our children,
and then for mere trihe in
money value, set up liquor shop
at home to ruin the boys as soon
as they graduate at college. The
poor drunken boy may twine
himself in the cords of love
around his mothers heart, but
there is no room for him in the
business world, no room in the
church, no room in society for
him no happiness on earth, no
hope of heaven ; and for the girl
who marries him, there can be
only a life of sorrow and shame.
What are we going to do !?
God forbid that we who have
borne these children should be
longer untrue to then-that we
should sit down, and let things
take their course.
For the sake of the boys and
girls of our State let me plead
with you, to at once organize and
begin the dissemination Of truth
regarding liquor-selling. and
liquor-drinking.
Let US combine our strength,
our influence and our work in such
a way as to become the power in
the hands of God for the removal
of the curse from our State.
Let me plead with you, my
sister: are you rich Then re-
member, riches are worthless in
the hands of drunken boy
and the friend Of drink is just as
apt to take your boy as anothers
and come to our help. Are
you poor? Let your poverty be
no barrier; you may render more
real help than some with more
means.
We want every respectable
woman in our State to join US in
the work at once. Assemble in
any place where a goodly number
may meet, enroll your names.
elect president, secretary and
treasurer, and send your roll and
list of officers to our recording
secretary, Miss Julia V. Smith,
Spartanburg, who will at once
give you working Instructions.
Don't wait for some one else to
take the lead, but go yourself.
f. f,,11,,