The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1901-02-17
CRIJSALIES N)NEN NN[f
MOTHER sTEWART STARTED A
WAR IN ONO THAT REUSED
A CONTINENT
HER METHOD OF PROCEDURE
The Feeling Spread to England, but
in No Way to Be Compared
with That In This
Country.

It is not so many years ago that the
women's saloon riots, having been in
etituted IN a small Eastern town, swept
straight across the country, leaving a
coating of temperance pledges in their
wake. Men, city governments and states
qapitulated before the onslaught of the
army of purposeful women and for time
total abstinence stared the nation in the
face, says the Chicago Chronicle
1t was in Ohio that this movement,
which was known as 1.-The crusade be-
gan and II was through the persistence
and energy of one woman, known later
as Mother" Stewart that it was car
ried through. Mrs. Stewart lived at
Springfield, O., at the close Of the war.
and 1t was there and then that the cru
SADIE was brewing. In Ohio in 1870 the
law of 1851. known as the Adafr law. was
so amended as to give the wife or mother
OF a drunkard the right to bring suit in
her own name against saloonkeeper for
selling to her husband or SON In the
winter of 1871 the town Of Springfield was
somewhat agitated by a temperance
movement which was then In fermenta-
ton. Mother" Stewart said in after
years Of this time: 1--WE had our seasons
OF spasInodic agitation in very mild
form not calculated to hurt anybodys
business or feelings" This agitation was
Of little more value than were those that
mad some before. In the winter of 1872
Mrs. Stewart decided she might as we'll
start the ball forward, since she knew
no one would be forthcoming. On Jan.
Y she delivered a temperance lecture
winch she knew would attract attention,
because 1t was the first of the kind TO
De given by woman in Springfield.
She had undertaken to fight the saloon
on the subject Of Sunday closing and she
went about her work in the bold and
sensational way now used by Mrs Ma
ton She fought the Adair law cases
pleaded before Justice court juries. wFf4Eh
was shocking for a woman of her day:
she oVerstepped etiquette by visiting the
city fathers at session and asking them
TO enforce the Sunday closing law. She
went into neighboring towns and couu-
Ties, and at Osborne a small Ohio town.
there was orSa niZed through her effo-t
the first temperance union. The ~estab-
hshment of temperance unions through
OUT the country was the result Of the
crusade ct Springfield. She sat IN a
mouse next the largest church in town
ana watched the men going in and out OF
saloon across the street during sun
day services. Of this she wrote to a.
friend:
"A walk well laid of tanbark led into
the saloon, and if it had not been for
the stained windows Of the church the
preacher could have seen the throng
passing as he stood in his pulpit. we
church people stain our windows so that
we cannot look out. and the saloon mon
stain theirs so that we cannot look in
and 50 the work goes on by a sort Of
tacit agreement"
After watching the business Of the al
ley for more than an hour Mrs. Stewart
determined she would go to the saloon
and procure evidence for a prosecution.
For a woman who had fought the saloon
Tor many years and who had never seen
more than the outside of one the Sun
day morning experience was novel Mrs
Stewarts description of the incident IS
charming in its naivete. She wrote.
AT the end Of an hour I said. IF I ba5
disguise I would go in there ana ash
ed the lady Of the house if she ConId
furnish me one. She thought a moment
ana then said, Yes, I cam and brought
a waterproof circular and black ana
white checked sun bonnet, coming woll
ever the face. and with a deep care.
took oil my glasses, put back nv hai,
ana donned my outfit. I have ALWAYS
battered myself I made a very resnect
able old Irish woman. Crossing the al
ley, 1 entered the saloon. but had to 90
through three doors before reaching the
room where the drinking was going On
There I found some young men drfnIzino
at the bar and some older men sitfinp
about the place
had intended IL saw any one with
9 glass that I could be sure held 1inuor
TO quietly take the glass and walk out
But L did not feel sure that what the
young men We're drinking was LIQUOR, So
saw l would have to call for sometime
for myself but was greatly puzzled q c, r.
what to call for. l desired to make tv,r
cases at the same time-Cne for sn1lino
on Sunday. under the Sunday ordinances
and one for selling by the drink. uode1
the state Jaw. ! was afraid to ask for
WHISKY lest they should suspect me. T
therefore. asked the bartender to give
me something to drink and he asked
what I wanted.
Here again was at nv wits, ends
LOT L did not know one wine from an
other, but | ventured on sherry and h.
set bottle and two glasses before me
one having little water in It 7if
not understand what the water meant
Out presumed he thought I was a. wonar
ana would not care to take min
'staight.' as gentlemen do. 7 nicl,ad ~
the bottle and started to pour ont tht
VINE but / did not know lust how roucl
would be called a drink, and as vantet
TO lmpHcate him as far as possihIa onf
FOUND M nerve force giving wav o1Iit,
opportunely l requested him to pour i
OUT 1or me, renarldng that I felt rathe,
pad. asked the price and he said :
anne which 1 laid down and, picking uT
me glass walked OUT
relieving this proceeding came +be
prosecution Of the saIoonkeeper ana A.
closing OF his shop. Others foIlovla5 f.,
the women rallied by the enthusiasm ~
Their leader kept tie crusade going arl
the newspapers interested in The nova
action spread the interest abroad N+rs
stewart was invited to talk in small
towns all about Springfield and did so
with excellent results. 81
The first organized saloon visit ,.,o,
made in Fredonia, N Y. on Der *
1913. Mrs. E Mcneil was the Leader ~
the movement and continued to aid viii
the organization Of similar crusadcc
throughout the country A lecture had
peen given in the town by DR.. DIo Lewis
curing the course of which he had nrn-
posed saloon visitation, a means OF cIo4.
ms saloons which his mother, total ab.
eunance woman, had years Lefore found
20 be Successful. The morning after the
lecture the women Of the town met ana
1Vo strong, took up their march from,
saloon to saloon. A few days later thc
women Of Fredonia organized thaiT
Woman's Temperance union. At Jamas.
town; N. Y, where DIR. Lewis lecture.7
eone days-iater, a similar organiza. to7
was effected. At Hillsboro o. wo1,oar,
inspired by the success OF their neirbbo :
started an uprising which was soon In
tereSanS the people of the world The