Year: 1868




lengthy debate: Resolved, that it is
vain to hope to secure proper legisla-
tion or the execution Of proper laws,
unless the friends of temperance shall
determine to cast their ballots only for


friends Of such legislation; that duty,
interest and consistency plainly calls
upon temperance men to use their bal


lots for temperance, with their politi-
cal party if they can, against if they


must, | agree, Mr.. President, with
the old gentleman that once remarked,
speaking upon the suppression of the
rum traffic, that there are but three
ways of regulating the matter-one
was by the cartridge box, but that
would never do in these days. One
was by the band box, alias smooth


words and fair speeches, moral suasion,
which the rum seller cared as little
about as did the boy in the apple tree,
the old mans grass. We must 90 to
the ballot-box, have the question of
license or no license brought to the
polls, and submitted to the people. If
we are beat, try again, and keep try
ing until we bring the community to
say by a strong vote that they will be
afflicted with the curse no longer.
And, sir, when the people say "no Ii
ccnse," they will be very apt to say
in their subsequent action, "no unli-
ccnscd." As the licensing power is
not with them, their sympathies are
quite as much with the unlicensed
dealer as with her, who perhaps from
taooritiSm has the monopoly, as in our
town at present. Hence no prosecu-
tions for violations of law. But let
the people put their veto upon all
rum-sclling in their towns, and every
voter in the affirmative will feel
lively interest in guarding it against
all violation. | hope the matter may
not be permitted to rest here; but that
the proPriety of prohibitory laws may
soon be publicly discussed. In speak
iRg upon this license question, | am
torclbly reminded of circumstance
which occurred in a sister State where
licenses are granted by the citizens in
public meeting. "At one of these town
meetings the question came up wheth-
cr any persons should be licensed to
sell rum. The clergyman, deacon and
physician, strange as it may appear, all
favored it. One man only, spoke
against it because of the mischief it |
did. The question was about to be
put, when all at once there arose
miserable female from one corner of
the room. She was thinly clad, and
her appearance indicated the utmost
wretchedncss, and that her mortal ca
rccr was about ended. After mo-
mcnt Of silence, all eyes being fixed
upon her. she stretched her attenuated
body to its utmost height, and her
long arms to their greatest length,
and raising her voice to shrill pitch,
she called upon all to look upon her.
Yes she said, "looll upon me, and
then hear me. All that the last speak
er has said relating to temperate drink
ing, as being the father of drunken
ness, is true. All practice, all expe-
|ricncc, declare its truth. All drink
ing Of alcoholic poison as a beverage
| in health, is erceSS. Look upon me.
You all know me, or once did. You
bill know | was once the mistress of
the best farm in the town. You all
know too, | had one Of the best, most
devoted of husbands. You all know
| had fine, noble hearted, industrious
boys. Where are they now? Doctor,
where are they now? You all know.
You all know they lie in row in yon-
der graveyard; all, every one of them
Filling the drunkard's grave. They
were all taught to believe that temper
ate drinking was safe; ercess alone
|aught to be avoided, and they never
acknowledged crcess. They quoted
[you and you and gou,' pointing with
her shred of finger to the Priest,
Deacon and Doctor, as authority;
they thought themselves safe under
such teachers. But / saw the gradu-
al change coming over my family and
prospects with dismay and horror. |
felt we were all to be overwhelmed in
one common ruin. | tried to ward
off the blow. | tried to break the
spell, the delusive spell in which the
idea of temperate drinking had involv-
ed my husband and sons. / begged, |
prayed; but the odds were all against
me. The Minister said the poison
that was destroying my husband and
boys, was good creature of God.
The Deacon, (who was sitting under
the pulpit, and hal taken their farm
to pay their rum bills,) sold them the
poison. The Doctor said that little
was good and ercess aught to be avoid
ed. My poor husband, and my dear
boys fell into the snare, and they
could not escape, and one after anoth-
er was carried to the sorrowful grave
of the drunkard. Now look at me
again. You probably see me for the
last time. l have dragged my ex-
hausted frame from my present home
your Poor House-to warn you all;
to warn you Deacon to warn you
false teacher of Gods word. And
with her arms high flung, and her tall,
form stretched to its utmost, and
her voice raised to an unearthly pitch,
she exclaimed, 81 shall soon stand be-
fore the Judgment seat of God. |