The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1911-03-16
WOMAMS APPEAL TO WOMEN
iier Influence Is Great in MoIding
ChiId's Character for Good or III
DO Something.

so lew OF Our Well-tO-dO women seem
to realize how greatly intemperance
is increasing in their own ranks. Most
OF them can say that they know one
case of lady who takes more alcohol
than is good for her. but they believe
this is almost a solitary case, and that
the habit cannot be at all usual. The
writer can say that in the course of
five days, from different sources. she
heard of four cases in the town in
which she lives, all of whom were far
removed from the working classes, and
two of them were moving in good So
ciety, says a writer in Temperance.
One had appeared at party in state
Of intOxiCation, with her husband in
the same condition; they were people
who were in good circumstances. An
other Of the four, while in an intoXi-
Gated condition, fell over her little
girl of three years and broke the
child's leg and otherwise injured her.
In the same place, two ladies' (mar-
ried women, near neighbors put an
end to their lives through the effect
OF alcohol on their brains; further,
three ladies, living in houses OF high
rent in the same town, close togeth-
er. We're known TO have died from the
effects Of strong drink. There are
many, very many, who are not what
they might and ought to be. because
the alcoholic drink which they lake.
though it does not apparently intoXi-
cate them, is undermining their ply
steal, their mental, and their nervous
power. The writer has often been
told: Il am obliged TO take alcohol for
my healths sake; ! cannot get on
without it; I tried more than once
! three months and had to take it
again A lady doctor said, when ad-
dressing meeting recently, that three
months was no test; at the end of six
or nine months people would feel the
benefit Of abstaining, and would find
that they could do well without slim
ulants. We women could do SO much
to save those of our own class, if we
took a little trouble 10 get more knowl-
| edge on the subject of the evil eff
fects of alcohol On the body, and then
tried to pass the knowledge on.
That people often show unwilling
ness to listen to anything on this sub
jeCt seems TO prove that even a most
moderate Indulgence in alcohol has
aiken a hold upon them which they
shrink from casting off They have
learned to like it, and to depend on its
narcOtising powers, and the thought
of doing without it is not a pleasant
one. They are the more concerned with
the momentary enjoyment than with
its ultimate consequences. \ very
large number OF doctors, who have
taken the trouble to study the sub
ject, have come to the conclusion that
alcohol does mischief and not good,
except in extreme cases, when uspd
as a drug. They say that mothers who
take it not only injure themselves, but
also their unborn babes, and go on to
do still more harm to them if taking al
COhol when nursing them. Many will
say that they doubt this. for they
| have brought up children and nursed
them on stout and they are healthy
and not inebriates. This may be true,
but the doctors tell us that though
stout increases the flow of milk, the
quality is impoverished.
A study of the subject could not but
convince anyone wishing to do the
best for their babies that they would
| be wise to leave alcohol alone. But,
| apart from yourselves and your chill
dren, have you any care for, or duty to.
those who are falling into intemper-
ate ways around you? Cannot you,
| by example and by helping to form
public opinion on the matter, do some
thing to stem the tide of female in
| temperance? How will it be by-and-by,
when the Judge of all asks you, What
did you do to stop the eyil?' VIII the
reply have to be, Il liked it, and was
not unselfish enough to give it up in
order to help a sister," May tell you
that it is an unselfishness which brings
| its own reward in better health, better
nerves, better brain power, and a
consciousness that you are doing
right?
l could point out to you that your
| influence on the side of temperance is
great, the greatest influence there is,
for it is you who are closely related
to those men who fill high positions,
as statesmen, clergy, doctors; it is
you who give the first impressions of
right or wrong to the child and mold
its character for good or i'll, and it
is these impressions lasting through
life which affect the nation.
Christian women, l call upon you to
search into the matter and on your
knees ask to be shown your duty 1t
| is a great work, and educated women
can do more than anyone else to help
| it on. Do not let anyone say, 1T
does not matter what do" If each
one said that nothing would ever be
done. There is something that each
one is meant to do, that can be done
by no one else. See to it that you take
your part in the great whole, and
you will not be without your reward.
Government Encourages Temperance.
The Army Temperance association