USA > Illinois > Mercer County > Past and present of Mercer County, Illinois, Volume I > Part 29
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Viola had a fight almost as severe as that in Aledo. In 1875 that village decided in favor of the license system and elected as trustees A. Elliott, Charles J. Andrew, W. K. Garwood, W. H. Hall, John Gilbert and C. Kallenberger. By the following year the village elected a no-license ticket.
In the fall of 1874 Mr. Severin at Aledo was indicted for keep- ing a nuisance. He was found guilty and fined $200, but appealed the case, which was tried by Judge Pleasants, who sustained the fine, with costs. Pepper and Wilson appeared for the trustees. Other suits against Severin and Berrisford were instituted at this time and carried up to the higher courts, but were invariably decided against the liquor sellers.
In March, 1875, Francis Murphy, the famous temperance lec- turer, came here and held a series of meetings. He appeared under the auspices of the Ladies Temperance League of Aledo. His lec- tures were of great power and often moved his audience to tears. His descriptions of drunkards' homes were dramatic in the extreme. He held meetings during the days and evenings for three successive days, ending on Sabbath with the largest audience that ever assem- bled under one roof in the county, it was alleged. Over three hun- dred signed the pledge on this occasion.
In 1875 there was a feeling in this community that the temper- ance movement was becoming one of persecution and there was a relaxation in the temperance efforts, with the result that the liquor element again made progress and opened various saloons in different parts of the county. The question of license or no license was sub- mitted in every village of the county and in some instances favored and in others opposed the reform movement. In Aledo the vote was against license, 95; for license, 92. After this the temperance movement was quiet until 1878, when new organizations were formed and a new movement commenced. The Home Temperance Society of New Boston did most effective work at this time. The blue rib- bon movement was the name given to this latest temperance crusade. The movement may be said to have been inaugurated by the visit of Clifford W. Phillips, who lectured in Aledo in April, 1878. At the
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first meeting over two hundred and fifty-two people signed the pledge. At New Boston Susan B. Anthony lectured and there was formed in that village an organization which did effective work against the liquor traffic. At Aledo the Blue Ribbon Temperance Club was organized, with J. R. Wylie as president. Noble and Driver, two great temperance workers, the former an orator and the latter a singer, held a series of meetings in the leading villages of this county in June and July, 1878. During the previous ten months they had secured, it was stated, in the newspapers, 100,000 signers to the temperance pledge. J. B. Hill, of Streator, a member of the Supreme Lodge of Good Templars, lectured with great effect at New Boston, Keithsburg, Aledo, Viola, Reynolds and elsewhere in this county. In July and August, 1879, Rice and Mack, of Chi- cago, prominent temperance revivalists and workers, held open-air meetings throughout the county and secured hundreds of names to the pledge. In October, 1879, Francis J. Adams and wife, gospel temperance workers, held meetings in New Windsor and organized there a branch of the W. C. T. U., with over two hundred members. T. B. Mayo was president of the union. It was at that time that Frances E. Willard added her wonderful influence to the practical operations of temperance work in this field.
The result of these various meetings was the formation of the Mercer County Temperance Alliance in December, 1879, of which J. C. Pepper was made president, and thereafter was kept constantly at work for several years in the cause. A temperance convention was held in Aledo on January 13, 1880, to organize a Mercer Township temperance club. John W. Edwards was chosen chairman. W. L. Campbell addressed the meeting for nearly an hour. A constitution and by-laws were prepared and adopted and the organization was duly set in motion. J. T. Thomson was elected first president of the club. The Woman's Christian Temperance Union at New Boston was reorganized in January, 1880, with a membership of fifty. So great was the influence of the temperance movement at that time that the Aledo Record established a temperance department under the editorship of L. B. Doughty. This department from week to week was filled with communications from temperance workers in all parts of the county. Never before had the temperance movement been so thoroughly organized and made so efficient. Branches of the alliance were established in every considerable community in the county. At New Boston the movement continued with unabated vigor and success. In January, 1878, two saloons there were in full operation, but by September both were closed and the licenses were
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annulled. The trustees there passed what was called the iron-clad ordinance, which completely prevented the sale except under very restricted measures.
At Viola the Woman's Christian Temperance Union was in full working order by March, 1880, with Miss Mary J. Aitken as presi- dent. The village board of Keithsburg in the spring of 1880 passed an ordinance to carry out the provisions of the local home protective petition, which provided for an annual election of the license or no license questions. The Woman's Christian Temperance Union in that city became a power, at this time numbering over forty active and determined women workers. They prepared to make a des- perate fight to close up every saloon in that place, and in the end succeeded.
In Richland Grove an alliance was formed at Swedona by F. J. Adams, the agent of the County Temperance Alliance; 250 persons became members. Dr. J. Ainsley was president. Mr. Adams organ- ized another alliance in Preemption, which had 161 members, with R. H. Whitsitt as president. He organized another in Abington Township with 141 members, also one at Millersburg, with 75 members. This organization became one of the strongest in the county and did effective work in educating people along temperance lines. They held an immense quarterly meeting of the alliance in this village, on which occasion declamations, music, tabeleaux and other performances and amusements were enjoyed. In time the New Boston alliance numbered nearly three hundred persons.
In Ohio Grove the alliance was presided over by Rev. D. Ayres and was strong and effective in its work. The branch at Aledo was presided over by Mrs. C. S. Richey. Mrs. Morgan was vice presi- dent; Miss Debbie Cummins, recording secretary; Miss A. E. Fra- zier, corresponding secretary ; and Mrs. I. N. Dunlap, treasurer.
The North Henderson Red Ribbon Club was at one time the largest in the county. At one time it numbered 343 members. It was three years old in the spring of 1880, thus being perhaps one of the oldest, if not the oldest, in the county. Its president was Adam Bruner; vice president, Newton Holmes ; secretary, George A. Blue ; treasurer, Mrs. G. A. Blue. This organization was not a member of the W. C. T. U., but was a branch of the Red Ribbon Club and a member of the County Temperance Alliance. Mr. Adams in time established over fifty branch organizations under the control of the County Temperance Alliance.
In 1880 the home protective ordinance was passed by the village board of Keithsburg. The question was license or no license. The
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women were permitted to vote, but were required to cast their ballots at a separate window and in a separate box. Their votes were not legal, but were taken as an expression of the opinion of the women. The influences of the river were in favor of the sale of liquor. Accordingly they had a greater fight than had other towns, except New Boston. In fact, Keithsburg had a harder task before it to prevent drunkenness, owing to the river influence, than any other village of the county. Finally an immense temperance massmeet- ing was held there, on which occasion Mrs. Hibben, of Peoria, president of the W. C. T. U. of Illinois; Mrs. W. L. Wells, state lecturer; Miss Lois Smith and Miss Cassie Smith, two temperance evangelists from Rock Island; Mrs. Kirkpatrick, president of the W. C. T. U. of the Tenth Congressional District; John C. Pepper, president of the County Temperance Alliance; I. M. Kirkpatrick, of Warren County, a prominent temperance promoter, came to Keithsburg for the purpose of assisting in crushing the liquor move- ment. A series of powerful meetings were held in the churches, halls and schoolhouses day and night for weeks, all culminating finally in the grand effort at the polls in April. The success was the election of the no-license ticket. At the polls twenty ladies appeared and used every reasonable influence to secure votes in favor of the temperance movement. The efforts were successful. Mrs. Sheriff and Miss Josie Calhoun were clerks of election and A. F. Glover and Mrs. J. A. Wilson, judges. When the hour for opening the polls arrived, the women, fifty strong, met at the Methodist Episcopal Church and marched enmasse to the voting place in the Holland Building, where a short time before a saloon had been kept by Dunn & Nagle. The women were bright, lively, "chatty," but terribly in earnest. They pleaded for their ticket and accomplished a result which was felt in that community for many years afterward. Their candidates were called the anti-license ticket. They had out the Silver Cornet Band, which marched with them to the polls and there for hours in the morning and again in the afternoon played for the entertainment of the crowd which surrounded the polls. They formed a circle and played while the women worked. In the afternoon the band returned and was headed by boys carrying banners with temperance mottos, such as "Bad Luck to Whisky," "Down With License," "Up With the Gospel Temperance," etc. The ladies employed nearly all the buggies in town to bring out the women and the negligent men. The following was the result of this remarkable election of the anti- license ticket : R. C. Humbert, 110; T. B. Cabeen, 102; F. P. Burgett, 106; Joseph Venerable, 100; James D. Clark, 99. License ticket :
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Denis Murto, 97; John Helwig, 89; Hugh Campbell, 91; E. Pritz, 91; J. J. Kauffman, 83. This board promptly passed a no-license ordinance. The previous board had passed the ordinance permitting women to vote in response to a petition of 300 persons of legal age within the corporate limits of the city. This splendid result was regarded as due to the efforts of the able speakers and temperance promoters who had recently visited the city and by the efforts of the local ladies themselves. Almost every woman in the city was a member of this movement. The local branch of the Woman's Christian Temperance Union there passed the following resolutions after the election :
"Whereas, Our late municipal election resulted in complete vic- tory for temperance both on the question of license and in the election of an anti-license village board, and believing the blessing of God accompanying the self-sacrificing of Mrs. E. G. Hibben, state presi- dent of the W. C. T. U. of Illinois; Mrs. M. E. Wells, Illinois state lecturer ; Miss Lois and Cassie Smith, evangelistic workers ; and Hon. J. C. Pepper, of Aledo, and I. M. Kirkpatrick, of Monmouth, who so generously came to our rescue, were efficient in securing this election ; therefore,
"Resolved, That the members of this union desire to express and put on record our appreciation and heartfelt gratitude for the invalu- able services rendered us by these ladies and gentlemen, and we pray the blessing of God upon their future life and labors. (Signed by) Visa Griffin, Maggie Boyd, Evaline Halstead, Ladies' Committee."
The Hamlet Temperance Alliance was organized in March, 1880, by F. J. Adams and had sixty-one members. The president was Elisha Lee, and among the members were Mrs. Lloyd Girton, Mrs. Lee Hollister, Mrs. Ann Dumbell, Carrie Candor, Mrs. D. M. Candor, Mrs. Albion Nichols and others.
The branch of the alliance in Duncan Township had eighty members and was located at the coal banks north of Millersburg. The president was M. J. Burk; Amos Linn, secretary; and Thomas Sloan, treasurer. The organization at Pomeroy had forty members and O. P. Lloyd was president. In the summer of 1880 the Millers- burg Temperance Society, a new organization, voted in favor of forming an auxiliary of the County Temperance Alliance. At this time there were in the county sixteen branch alliances, nine Woman's Christian Temperance Union organizations and one Good Templars lodge-twenty-six active temperance organizations in all. The Perryton Alliance, organized at Jingle's Corners, was presided over by Samuel McHard. Oliver Miller was secretary.
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In 1880 the Young Women's Christian Association established an organization in Aledo with a membership of about twenty-five. Norma Pepper was the first president and Lizzie Hause, first sec- retary.
The celebration of the Fourth of July throughout the county in 1880 was almost invariably merged with the temperance movement. Such meetings were held at Keithsburg, Aledo, Cable, Viola, New Windsor, New Boston, Alexis, Millersburg and elsewhere. Patriot- ism and temperance combined on this occasion.
At the democratic county convention in July a resolution was passed, at the request of the temperance alliance, asking the repre- sentatives to vote only for persons who would favor the temperance movement. The convention passed such a resolution. At the green- back and republican conventions similar resolutions were passed at the request of the County Temperance Alliance.
An event of great historic importance was the convention of the Tenth Congressional District Woman's Christian Temperance Union, which convened at Aledo, June 2, 1880. There were present the. following delegations: Keithsburg-Mrs. W. Griffin, Mrs. Sheriff, Mrs. Taliaferro, Mrs. Slocum, Mrs. Boyd; New Boston-Mrs. Irene Willits, Mrs. Gore, Mrs. Craft, Mrs. Knapp, Mrs. Doughty; Suez- Mrs. Page, Mrs. Ransom, Mrs. Maucks, Mrs. Sedwick, Mclaughlin Bowers; Roseville-Mrs. Ostrander, Miss Artu; New Windsor- Mrs. D. Alexander; Swan Creek-Mrs. G. W. Stice; Alexis-Mrs. Bruington, Miss Dalhouse; Millersburg-Mrs. Merryman, Miss Dunn, Miss Shafer, Bay Lee; Viola-Miss Maggie Mitchell, Mrs. M. McGrew ; Aledo-Mrs. I. N. Dunlap, A. R. Morgan, R. H. Atch- ison, J. C. Thomson, E. A. Ploof ; Pomeroy-Mrs. Vernon. Among the visitors present were Mrs. Julia Vernon, Miss Eva Morey, Mrs. Dr. Bras, Mrs. J. C. Bell, Mrs. Emma Gore, Miss Jo Willett. Mrs. Emma Kirkpatrick presided. Mrs. Taliaferro, Mrs. Watt, Mrs. Merryman, Mrs. Page and Mrs. Ostrander served as committee on resolutions. The address of welcome was delivered by Mrs. C. S. Richey and was responded to by Mrs. Eva McIntyre, of Carthage. New Boston reported that it had 35 workers; Viola, 42; Roseville, 30; New Windsor, 27; Aledo, 19. The session lasted two days and the exercises were important and progressive. There were many spirited discussions over policies and practices. At the close a long series of resolutions was adopted voicing the enmity of the organiza- tion against the liquor traffic. One of the resolutions ran thus: "That we, as a band of Christian workers, disapprove of the use of fermented wines for eucharistic purposes and pledge ourselves, as far as we know,
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to use only the unfermented wine." Others were, "That it shall be the duty of each local union to have a children's meeting auxiliary to our union to educate our children in the principles of temper- ance; that this association exhort and urge all temperance men to so far ignore party politics as to vote for temperance men only." The presence of this convention in Aledo did a great deal to encourage and strengthen the temperance movement.
After 1880 the temperance fight waned and became ineffective, but the former influence was not forgetten by the liquor element for many years, although here and there saloons were started, though in a covert and secretive fashion. After a few years village boards were more liberal and from time to time granted restricted and short-time licenses to liquor sellers.
In January, 1881, J. C. Pepper, of Aledo, was elected president of the Illinois State Temperance Alliance, at the Springfield tem- perance convention. In 1882 a temperance wave swept across the country taking Mercer County in its grasp in August. During two weeks prohibition meetings were held in a dozen places throughout the county. Miss Marie B. Holyoke, a strong speaker and worker in the cause, addressed large audiences at New Windsor, Viola, New Boston, Keithsburg and elsewhere.
In January, 1883, the Woman's Christian Temperance Union at New Boston petitioned the Legislature to pass a prohibitory law and one granting suffrage to women. Their prohibition petition contained the names of 88 men and 128 women, and the suffrage petition the names of 60 men and 86 women.
The Mercer County convention of the W. C. T. U. assembled in the Methodist Church, New Boston, early in March, 1884. The con- vention was called to order by the president, Mrs. W. J. Wycoff, of Keithsburg. A paper on "The Duties of Christian Women" was read by Mrs. Anne G. Randolph and the subject was afterward dis- cussed. A paper on "Temperance Instruction in the Rural Districts" from Mrs. Sisson, of Cable, was read and the subject also discussed. The convention was addressed by Mrs. Randolph and Mrs. Kirk- patrick. The constitution of the union was revised and amended at this session. Reverends Metcalf and Bassett and S. V. Prentiss ad- dressed the convention upon request. Numerous questions of impor- tance were duly considered, among which were children's meetings ; the liquor traffic vs. the Sabbath ; finance ; primaries, etc.
In April, 1884, the temperance people of Aledo united and by hard work managed to elect a temperance ticket by a majority of about twenty. The trustees chosen were: J. B. Moore, E. B. David
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and J. R. McCrea, for two years ; and J. F. Henderson, for one year ; clerk, S. D. C. Hays ; police magistrate, W. McK. Young. The other called citizen's ticket was defeated.
In September, 1888, at the annual meeting of the County Woman's Christian Temperance Union, Mrs. W. A. Lorimer, of Aledo, and Mrs. Campbell, of Larchland, were appointed delegates to the national convention of the union in New York City in October. At this time the union was doing a wonderful work among children. As never before children began to be understood and given the atten- tion which their youth and innocence demanded. Particular attention was paid to the observance of the Sabbath, to the disuse of tobacco, prevention of liquor selling and to the upbuilding of women. At the meeting of the convention at New Boston in December of this year, Mrs. Irene Anderson, president of the union there, called the meeting to order and invited the county president, Mrs. J. M. Wright, of Aledo, to take charge of the session. Many important questions were analyzed at this important meeting. They passed resolutions favoring greater effort to secure social purity, to effect evangelistic work, to obtain better observance of the Sabbath, to secure scientific temperance instruction for the benefit of children. Mrs. M. E. Metzgar was chosen president of the Tenth Congressional District W. C. T. U. at this time. There were reported at this meeting twenty-six new organizations in the district.
In recent years the work of the Woman's Christian Temperance Union has not been so aggressive in temperance fields but has been directed more to the proper instruction of children and the manage- ment of domestic and evangelistic programs. At times the organiza- tions here died out, but would be revived, and again for a season would be active and prominent in local morals.
In 1893 a new branch of the union was organized at Aledo with thirty members. This union was instrumental in reopening the city library, in establishing a reading room and in other good work in the county seat. In 1899 the district convention was held in this city. Mayor M. G. Reynolds welcomed the ladies, as did Rev. W. M. Story, the Ladies' Relief Corps, the Woman's Missionary Society, and other local organizations. At this time the unions of the district numbered forty-seven, with over one thousand active members. Homes during the past year had been found for 25 children; 63 young girls had been helped to lucrative positions; 23 infants had been cared for; and 135 meetings had been held by the various branches. Mrs. T. A. Dunlap was elected the new president of the district union.
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The twentieth annual convention of the Mercer County W. C. T. U. was held in the Methodist Church at Joy in June, 1901. There was a large attendance and much good was accomplished. At the W. C. T. U. Institute held in April, 1902, Doctor McMillan, of Sunbeam, read an interesting paper on non-alcoholic medication ; Miss Epha Marshall, district president, led in the discussion, "What Shall We Do for the Children?" Miss Marie C. Brehm read a paper on "Children and Their Needs"; Mrs. Spivey, of New Windsor, read one on "Why Some Unions Discontinue"; Rev. Alford ad- dressed the institute on the subject of "Abolition of the Liquor Traffic."
A gold medal contest of the union was held at the Methodist Episcopal Church at North Henderson in 1904. Catherine Mink, of Galva, spoke on "Rum's Tragedies"; Cleo Daniels, of Alpha, "College Oil Cans"; Ida Dickerson, "Christian Citizenship"; Ora Mead, on "Old Soaky"; Miss Rawlston, of New Windsor, "An Angel in a Saloon"; and Miss Garrett, of New Windsor, "The Court of Last Appeal." The medal was won by Cleo Daniels.
In 1905 numerous temperance meetings were held throughout the county and considerable work against the liquor traffic was done by the union, but the work was not in the aggressive fashion of former years, and the results were equally unsatisfactory. This year the anti-saloon column of the Times-Record was filled with temper- ance communications from the leading citizens of the county. The question of license or no license, when submitted to the people of Aledo this year, resulted as follows: For license, 166; against license, 276.
In 1908 a change was effected. Local option was voted upon and carried throughout the county. Every township went dry and the twelve saloons then existing in the county were compelled to close. This ended the sale of liquor in this county so far as public business was concerned. The following majorities were against saloons by the townships indicated : North Henderson, 103 majority; Rivoli, 122; Richland Grove, 91 ; Suez, 67; Greene, 166; Preemption, 31; Ohio Grove, 71; Mercer, 169; Perryton, 84; Abington, 93; Millersburg, 106; Duncan, 40; Keithsburg, 2; New Boston, 89; Eliza, 40; total, 1,274, against saloons.
The executive committee of the Mercer County W. C. T. U. met at the house of Mrs. O. J. Lorimer, Aledo, December 9, 1908, and held an all-day session. The county superintendents belonging to the Aledo union made report and five of the seven unions were represented. The "State Plan of Work" was discussed in detail. The
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county was divided into two sections in order to secure more effective work and Mrs. F. A. Griffin and Mrs. Martha F. Mathews were appointed division superintendents. Mrs. Tirza A. Dunlap was county president. Elaborate plans for evangelistic work were laid.
At the annual convention of the Mercer County W. C. T. U., held at New Boston in October, 1913, the address of welcome was delivered by Mrs. W. L. Barnes, president of the New Boston union. There were present Mrs. Neva F. McFarlan, president of the Keithsburg union; Mrs. J. M. Wright, president of the Aledo union, and many other prominent union people. Rev. Baxter R. Nesbit addressed the convention on the subject of "Our Nation's Evils"; Miss Louise Hollister, of Evanston, delivered an address on "Woman's Franchise." The new officers elected were: Mrs. T. A. Dunlap, of Viola, president; Mrs. Anna Baker, of Aledo, vice presi- dent; Mrs. Inez Spicer, of Viola, corresponding secretary ; Mrs. O. J. Lorimer, of Aledo, recording secretary ; Mrs. S. A. Nesbit, of Aledo, treasurer; Mrs. Anna Baker, of Aledo, auditor. The union at this time had twenty different departments with active committees and with a large association.
CHAPTER XIV
THE BENCH AND BAR
The first record of the Circuit Court found is Book A, Chancery Docket, which shows an account of court proceedings of the October term, 1839, it being the first and earliest record now found in the clerk's office. Peter Lott was the judge presiding, and the first case in the record was Joseph Crawford vs. Elizabeth Crawford, decree for divorce. The second case is a divorce case, Long vs. Long, which was granted. The third case is Rachel Vance vs. William Vance, for divorce, which was granted.
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