History of Muskingum County, Ohio ; with illustrations and biographical sketches of prominent men and pioneers, 1794, Part 51

Author: Everhart, J. F; Graham, A. A., Columbus, Ohio, pub
Publication date: 1882
Publisher: [Columbus, O.] : F.J. Everhart & Co.
Number of Pages: 600

USA > Ohio > Muskingum County > History of Muskingum County, Ohio ; with illustrations and biographical sketches of prominent men and pioneers, 1794 > Part 51

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INGERSOLL ON ALCOHOL .- Colonel R. G. Ingersoll, in speaking to a jury in a case which involved the manufacture of alcohol, used the following eloquent language :

" I am aware that there is a prejudice against any man engaged in the manufacture of alcohol. I believe that from time to time it issues from the coiled and poisonous worm in the distillery, until it empties into the hell of death, dishonor and crime, that demoralizes everybody that touches it, from its source to where it ends. I do not believe anybody can contemplate the object without becoming prejudiced against that liquor crime. All we have to do, gentlemen, is to think of the wrecks on either bank of the stream of death, of the suicides, of the insanity, of the poverty, of the ignorance, of the destitution, of the children tugging at the faded and withered breasts of weeping and despairing mothers, of wives asking for bread, of the men of genius that it has wrecked, the men struggling with im- aginary serpents, produced by this devilish thing ; and when you think of the jails, of the alms-

houses, of the asylums, of the prisons, of the scaffolds upon either bank, I do not wonder that every thoughtful man is prejudiced against this damned stuff that is called alcohol. Intemper- ance cuts down youth in its vigor, manhood in its strength, and age in its weakness. It breaks the father's heart, bereaves the doting mother, extinguishes natural affections, erases conjugal love, blots out filial attachments, blights paren- tal hope, and brings down mourning age in sor- row to the grave. It produces weakness, not strength ; sickness, not health ; death, not life. It makes wives, widows; children, orphans ; fathers, fiends ; and all of them paupers and beggars. It feeds rheumatism, nurses gout, welcomes epidemics, invites cholera, imports pestilence, and embraces consumption. It covers the land with idleness, misery and crime. It fills your jails, supplies your almshouses, and demands your asylums. It engenders controver- sies, fosters quarrels, and cherishes riots. It crowds penitentiaries, and furnishes victims to your scaffolds. It is the life blood of the gam- bler, the element of the burglar, the prop of the highwayman, and the support of the midnight incendiary. It countenances the liar, respects the thief, esteems the blasphemer. It violates obligations, reverences fraud and honors infamy. It defames benevolence, hates love, scorns vir- tue, and slanders innocence. It incites the father to butcher his helpless offspring, helps the husband to massacre his wife, and the child to grind the parricidal ax. It burns up men, con- sumes women, detests life, curses God and de- spises heaven. It suborns witnesses, nurses per- jury, defiles the jury box and strains the judicial ermine. It degrades the citizen, debases the legislature, dishonors the statesman and disarms the patriot. It brings shame. not honor : de- spair, not hope ; and with the malevolence of a fiend, it calmly surveys its frightful desolation, and, unsatiated with havoc, it poisons felicity, kills peace, ruins morals, blights confidence, slays reputation, and wipes out a national honor, then curses the world and laughs at its ruin. It does all that and more-it murders the soul. It is the sum of all villainies. the father of all crimes, the mother of abombinations, the devil's best friend, and God's worst enemy."

Horrors like these thrilled the settlers of this valley, half a century ago, and, accordingly, "on the 15th of November, 1830, a meeting was held in (a Methodist meeting House) Putnam, for the purpose of forming a temperance society. Edwin Putnam was Chairman, and W. H. Moore Secretary. The meeting was opened with prayer, by Rev. James Culbertson, after which an able address was delivered by Mr. A. A. Guthrie.

A preamble and constitution being read, was adopted. The fifteenth and sixteenth Articles of the Constitution were as follows :

" Every person who subscribes to this Consti- tution is a member of this Association, and cov- enants to perpetually abstain strictly from ardent spirits and wine, except as a medicine, or as a part of "the Sacrament of Our Lord's Supper."

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Also, not to present it, either to visitors, customers or laborers, except as a medicine ; not to be di- rectly nor indirectly concerned in the manufac- ture or sale of ardent spirits, except so far as he shall be convinced that they are intended for medicinal purposes or the arts.

" It shall be the duty of every member of the society to use his or her influence, on all suitable occasions, to discourage the use of ardent spirits and wines."

The names of ninety persons were signed to this Constitution, and the following officers were elected :

President -- John Goshen.

Vice President-Edwin Putnam.

Secretary-A. A. Guthrie.

Treasurer-Samuel Chapman.

Directors-W. H. Moore, Horace Nye. Thomas Wilbur, Abraham Josslyn and Colonel William Hadley.

December 6th, 1850, the number of signers to this Constitution was eight hundred and thirteen. April 18, 1853, this society was merged into " the Temperance Alliance," with the following officers :

President-H. Safford.

Vice President-S. Seamans.

Secretary-L. Wiles.

Treasurer-S. Mervin.

Managers-V. Best, L. B. Ball, J. B. Erwin, R. N. Dunlap and J. R. Thomas.

The result of the work in the cause of tem- perance, was a waning in the use and sale of in- toxicating drinks, until it is said, that, long after the suspension of the society, no place could be found where intoxicants were publicly sold. It was a great victory, and the feeling of security took possession-they rested. Horace tells us, "Aliguando bonus dormitat Homerus"-"Some- times even the good Homer nods." The workers nodded-until fast asleep, and dreamed of safe- ty ; and when they awakened, it was to behold the enemy, King Alcohol, in possession of the fort. He had marshaled his forces, and an- nounced his programme (the old one), and, strange to relate, some who had helped to rout him aforetime, were now seen bowing low and crying, "All hail !"

"As when, with crowned cup, unto the Elian god, Those priests high orgies held !"

And no defined effort was renewed until the cru- sade began in Zanesville, March 2d, 1874, when it was declared that the time had come for ac- tion, and to those who had endured for years the misery which drunkenness brings to the household, there seemed the faint glimmering of a coming day of deliverance. The first to move in this matter, was Mrs. D. C. Smith, who sent a notice to the daily papers that there would be a meeting of the friends of temperance, at the Second street M. E. Church, at two o'clock, P. M., the next day. There was a good attendance. Mrs. Sarah Hazlett was chosen Presidem, and Mrs. D. C. Smith Secretary. The meeting was

purely devotional. The next day, the Women's League was temporarily organized ; Mrs. S. Hazlett was elected President, and the wives of the clergy of the city as Vice-Presidents ; Mrs. D. C. Smith, Mrs. R. H. Buel, and Mrs. S. S. Black, as Secretaries. The President and Sec- retary also submitted the names of nine members of the League to act as an Executive Commit- tee, and of several gentlemen to act as an Ad- visory Committee. The object of the organiza- tion was stated in the following words :

"We, the women of Zanesville, feeling the need of a thorough, earnest and prayerful ef- fort to combat the great evil of intemperance in our community, do hereby form ourselves into an organization, to be known as the "Woman's Temperance League ; and do hereby severally pledge ourselves, to use judicious and lawful means to rid the city of the curse of the liquor traffic."

Eight hundred names were subscribed to this pledge in a very short time. An effort was im- mediately made to secure the passage of as strin- gent a law against saloons as could be considered constitutional, and a petition to that effect was widely circulated. On the evening this petition was presented to the City Council, about twenty of the most prominent ladies of the city found their way to the Council chamber, and were po- litely received by the members of that body. They were announced by Mr. Henry Blandy as "the ladies of the Executive Committee of the Temperance League," with a numerously signed petition to the City Council ; and he moved that one of the ladies be allowed ten minutes, in which to present it; and, as he understood that parties were present bearing a remonstrance, that a similar courtesy be extended to one of their number. The motion was adopted, where- upon, Mrs. L. G. Shrom advanced to the plat- form, and said :

"Honorable Gentlemen of the City Council- I hold in my hand a petition, by G. L. Walker and four thousand four hundred and seventy others, asking your honorable body to pass an ordinance to restrain and prohibit ale, beer and porter houses, and shops, and places of habitual resort for tippling and intemperance. In pre- senting this petition to this body. assembled in council, I represent no ring, nor plead in behalf of any political party. Coming in the cause of common humanity, and believing the basis of common liberty to be founded on domestic peace and prosperity, we ask the passage of this or- dinance, that it may remove the numberless temptations that beset the paths of business men, both young and old. As women, we don't plead law, nor money, but for that which is within your power as a law-making body, viz. : The protection of our domestic peace. We have en- dured the sorrows of our homes, until the places of our habitations are desolate and darkened by the evil effects of strong drink. We are a home people, and our quiet lives please us best ; but. coming upon us like a besom of death, is the destruction that wasteth at noonday, and we

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cannot stay at home any longer. Willing to en- dure and toil, and the most of us children of care, we shrink not from doing whatever the In- finite Wisdom lays upon us. But that is enough. The burden has become intolerable by the addi- tions which men have put upon us, and yet have lifted not so much as a finger to help us bear the load.

"In opposition to our plea, men array money and law : but with little logic, and less policy. Womanly common sense tells us that the priceless stores of our common country have not been ex- hausted, nor do we shut the door of the treasure house which God's beneficent hand has filled, when we ask the closing of tippling shops."

Mr. Blandy moved that the petition be referred to the Committee on Laws and Ordinances. Car- ried.

Mr. H. L. Korte, of the firm of Korte & Ach- auer, attorneys for the Liquor Dealers' Associa- tion, then arose, upon invitation, took the Presi- dent's stand, and, in substance, spoke as fol- lows :

"Mr. President, and Gentlemen of this Honor- able Body-We return our thanks to you for al- lowing us ten minutes, in which to be heard, for, in these exciting times, we can be thankful to be heard at all. Yes, Mr. President, we are thank- ful for this favor, small as it may be, and I will endeavor, in the few minutes allotted, to bring to the notice of this honorable body the most impor- tant questions for consideration. What more laws do you want for temperance than you now have? You have the Statutes, that prescribe and make it an offence to drink intoxicating liquors on the premises where sold, and the penalty where the law is violated. All that is needed is an execution of the same. But what is asked of you here to-night? To pass an ordinance pro- hibiting the sale of beer and wine, and the clos- ing up of all ale, beer and porter houses. Now, if passed, what will be the result? Will, or will it not interfere with the growth and welfare of this city? That is the important question for you to consider. and a vital one. Beer was in- introduced by the Germans, and, as a habit and custom, established in this city years ago, and during all this time our city has grown and pros- pered. Let us review, for a few minutes, the vast amount of property at stake, and see wheth- er it will be for the interest of the city to pass the ordinance.'

[Here he read an abstract of property on the tax duplicate, for the several wards, amounting to $424.881.00, on which the taxes amounted to $9,877.93 ; of which the Germans, not engaged in the sale of ale, beer, or anything else, hold $820,628, on which the taxes amounted to. $10,- 265.81.]

" How will the passage of this ordinance affect this class? It certainly cannot be otherwise than ruinous. I entreat you to carefully consider your steps, lest the same despotism that has driven them from their mother country, compel them to turn their backs upon this town. Already has work ceased upon two or three buildings in erec-

tion, to await the action of your honorable body upon this measure. Yes, Mr. President, I join in with the prayer of my fair opponent, that the Lord may look down upon this body, to enlight- en their hearts, that they may be enabled to do justice. A petition has been presented, said to contain 4,470 names. We all know, Mr. Presi- dent, it to be a fact, that all of the persons whose names appear on that petition, have not signed it, nor did they ever intend that their names should so appear. We have here a remonstrance, Mr. President, which we respectfully submit. I do not know how many names appear there, nor can I vouch that every name thereon has been signed by the person whose name is written down. Nor does it matter, Mr. President, as the number of petitioners, in a case of this kind, sig- nifies nothing ; any petition can be filled, if re- quired. I will read the heading of the remon- strance :

' To the Honorable Body, the City Council of Zanesville, Ohio:

'We, the undersigned, citizens and tax-payers of Zanesville, respectfully remonstrate and pro- test against the passage of any ordinance, by your honorable body, interfering with the pres- ent laws regulating the manufacture and sale of malt and other liquors. We regard it as impoli- tic, in your honorable body, to take action, at the present time, as a hasty step on your part would work great injury and injustice to a large class of this community, who have been identified for a number of years with the growth and welfare of this city.'

"Gentlemen of the Council, I leave this mat- ter with you, but I beseech you not to be too has- ty, as it may work great injury and injustice to the community at large. Whatever you do, con- sider well. I thank you for the kind attention paid to me. I hope you will do justice, regard- less of whatever your own feelings may be."

Mr. Myers moved that the petition be referred to the Committee on Laws and Ordinances. Car- ried.

Mr. Korte said that he had omitted to present a series of resolutions, adopted at a citizens' meeting, Saturday night, and asked that permis- sion be granted.

Mr. Blandy-I wish to inform the gentleman, that he has had as much time to speak as I, or any other member of this body, is allowed, and has had as much as the lady had.

Mr. Applegate moved that Mr. Korte be al- lowed the privilege of reading the resolutions. Carried.

Mr. Korte then presented the resolutions, and, on motion, they were referred to the Committee on Laws and Ordinances.

Mr. Shrom st'd :

" In reply,to the gentleman who has just spo- ken, I would say, that, of the $50,000,000 rev- enue liquor yields to the Nation's treasury, he knows it has taken out dollar for dollar-even more -- for the payment of expenses it incurs, to say nothing of the desolated homes and broken

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hearts, the sleepless nights and blasted lives, which no census of man can take, but which the Most High alone has noted.

"Of the German citizens, whose customs we trample in the beer ordinance, I would say : The stolid, muscular nature of the German is unmov- ed by beer ; but to the nervous American, 'tis the match that lights an uncontrollable desire, that shakes every fibre of his manhood, and whisky is the one thing he demands. It is a wondrous mis- take, the gentleman makes, when he says we would drive from our midst our German friends, and he rates far less than we do, the financiering ability of those he is seeking to defend. When, from the teeming multitudes of Germany, we saw coming to us her hardy sons of toil, we were glad, and made them welcome, for, amid the ex- citable masses of American citizens, we need this element, and men whose fathers, for thirty long, weary years, withstood, with unwavering man- hood, the dark intrigues of Phillip, of Spain, and the snares of the Dukes of Guise, are those whose love of beer is less than liberty, and who would scorn making America a second Germany."

Mr. Fletcher moved that the rules be suspen- ded, and the ordinance be put upon its passage.

The vote was then taken, with the following result : Yeas, 17 ; nays, 1 : Mr. Williams voting nay.

Among other remarks, we note those of Mr. Taylor, who said :

"For the last fourteen years I have been a member of the City Council, and have passed through many exciting scenes, but have never witnessed such a demonstration as this. Why is this, my friends? Why these ladies here ! Why this immense crowd present? Is there something out of the usual order of things about to take place? Yes, my friends, there is some- thing wrong, and the wronged are here to-night, to seek redress at the hands of this body. Who are to be blamed for this state of affairs-the la- dies? No. The City Council? No ; we have not invited this demonstration. Who, then, is responsible? I answer: These very men who remonstrate against the passage of this ordin- ance have violated the law, outraged justice, and are now arraigned at the bar of this Council to answer for their crime. Had they been content to have kept nothing stronger than beer, this state of things would not exist to-night. We are referred to the revenue the Government derives from the manufacture and sale of alcoholic li- quors. Who pays the taxes, the seller or drink- er? It don't take a very far-seeing man to tell where the money comes from-the poor man, who buys his whisky and beer by the drink, pays the taxes. Why, then, boast of the revenue de- rived from liquors?"

Other remarks followed.

The President then stated that the question would be upon the adoption of the ordinance, and directed the Clerk to call the roll.

The vote resulted as follows :

Ayes-Messrs. Applegate, Blandy, Cook, Dieterich, Farquhar, Fletcher, Foran, Guthrie,

McBride, Morgan, Price, Spangler, and Taylor -13.

Nays-Messrs. McDonnell, Myers, Printz, Schultz, and Williams-5.

The President-"The ordinance is adopted."

The President of the Temperance League, Mrs. Hazlett, arose and suggested that the long meter doxology be sung. Mrs. Louisa Ohl then immediately commenced --

" Praise God, from whom all blessings flow."

The entire audience arose and joined in the singing. At the conclusion of the singing, the Council took a recess, to allow the crowd to dis- perse, and then proceeded to other business.

About this time, the Academy of Medicine, without solicitation, passed a resolution that they would not prescribe spirituous liquors, except in cases of absolute necessity ; and twelve, out of thirteen, druggists signed the pledge. The Property Owners' Pledge, also, received some signatures, though it was not circulated as freely as it should have been.

During the first month of its existence, the League held more than twenty mass meetings, every one of which was presided over by a woman, and most of the speaking and praying was done by the women. Prominent among those who took part in the exercises, were : Mesdames, L. G. Shrom, Sarah Hazlett, Mary James (wife of the Rev. Dr. James), J. Hatcher, Thomas Durban, Sr., Maria L. Baldwin, Ellen Hazlett, Caroline Fittz, Louisa Ohl, Thomas Dare, Noah Shrigley, G. N. Guthrie, H. G. O. Cary, H. Mason, V. Bruce, A. T. Wiles, L. Wiles, Esther Silvey, S. Fulton, W. M. Herriott, A. Sullivan, M. Churchill, R. Price, W. Price, L. B. Taylor, A. Palmer, E. S. Springer, H. B. Taylor, D. Applegate, H. Buel, S. S. Black, C. D. Caldwell, R. McCann, Isabella Barron, G. W. Thompson, and Mary Durban ; and Misses, Eliza Warner, Jennie Stevens, and Fannie Rus- sell.

Mrs. Louisa Ohl was the Secretary of the Ex- ecutive Committee, from the beginning of the Crusade, and it was through her executive thor- oughness that so much was accomplished, in so short a time. She was untiring in her zeal, while engaged in the work. Mrs. L. G. Shrom did most effective work on the platform. Her eloquence and logic made everything attractive that she engaged in, and her promptness and self-sacrificing devotion enthused others in the work.

Among those whose remarks and prayers al- ways went to the heart, melting it to tenderness. and prompting it to better living, was Mrs. Mary Donglass. She, like a few others, received this baptism of power-while resisting the tempter- talking, face to face, with saloonists. Whether this was the best method of work, was discussed in many of the meetings, but it was deemed best to carry it out. These street meetings excited antagonism in some, but struck terror to the hearts of others : some abandoned their nefari -.

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ous business. To the crusaders, it was a serious undertaking ; some of them were wives and mothers, whose husbands and sons were intem- perate, and not unacquainted with the haunts of vice.

On one occasion, a band called at a grocery, where intoxicants were also sold. The leader presented the pledge to the proprietor, who gruff- ly said :

"No! I only sell to persons I know are not in the habit of getting drunk. I do a strictly legal business, and will sign no pledge."

At this point, a poorly-clad woman stepped up, to him, and said :

"Sir, are you sure you do a strictly legal busi- ness? You are acquainted with my husband, and know him to be a habitual drunkard; and yet, you sold him liquor, and permitted him to sit by this store three-fourths of his time. As long as he had money, he was allowed to drink and loaf here all he pleased."

He said : "Who are you?"

She replied : "You know me well enough, and I'll not introduce myself."

Her face and clothing told but too plainly that she was familiar with sorrow and poverty, yet her words and manner were those of a lady.

At another time, a band led by Mrs. Caroline Fittz, visited a saloon on Farrier street, kept by Mrs. Catharine Riley. They were met at the door by the proprietress, who talked boldly and loud. They, however, sang a hymn and had prayer, the services attracting quite a crowd, which quietly dispersed at the close of the meet- ing. The next day, Mrs. Riley filed the follow- ing affidavit :

STATE OF OHIO,

MUSKINGUM COUNTY. CITY OF ZANESVILLE.

s.s.

Mrs. Catharine Riley, on her oath, says that Mrs. Lucy P. Shrigley, with others, did, on the 7th day of April, A.D. 1874. at said city, to wit, on the public sidewalk, or pavement, of Farrier street, in said city, did obstruct said side walk or pavement, to the hindrance,inconvenience and damage of affiant and the public, by stop- ping, standing, kneeling, singing, praying and collecting a crowd on said side walk or pave- ment. and street, contrary to the ordinances of said city. in such cases made and provided.

her

CATHARINE RILEY. mark.

Subscribed in my presence, and sworn to be- fore me, this 8th day of April, A.D. 1874. R. F. BROWN, Mayor.

Mayor Brown issued a State warrant for the arrest of Mrs. L. P. Shrigley, and she appeared before his Honor, on Thursday morning, and a trial, by a jury of twelve citizens, was to take place on Friday morning. Mrs. Shrigley was discharged.

The liquor dealers sent a request to the Mayor. as follows :

To Hon. Robt. F. Brown, Mayor of the City of Zanesville :

We, citizens of Zanesville, strictly obeying the law, and complying with the provisions of the late beer ordinance, would most respectfully ask of your Honor, protection against demonstrations of any kind, by any person or persons, whomso- ever, in, upon, or about our premises. Street demonstrations, if constantly kept up, cannot lead otherwise but to detrimental results to the community at large.

We consider that no part of this community has a right to molest another, and we do not claim to have the right ourselves. But we do think we are entitled to some protection, and re- spectfully, but earnestly, request your Honor, by proclamation, to prohibit street demonstrations of any kind. As precedents, we point to the Mayor's of the cities of Cincinnati and Cleve- land. Respectfully,

Simon Dolan, C. Winter, Dennis McNernny, Adolph Horn and fifty-six others.

To which Mayor Brown made the following reply :

MAYOR'S OFFICE,

ZANESVILLE, O., April 2d, '74. 5 Mr. Simon Dolan and others:

GENTLEMEN :- After a careful examination of the matter submitted to me by your petition, signed by numerous citizens, I beg leave to re- spectfully decline complying with your request, for the following reasons :

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History of Muskingum County, Ohio ; with illustrations and biographical sketches of prominent men and pioneers, 1794, Part 51

Author: Everhart, J. F; Graham, A. A., Columbus, Ohio, pub Publication date: 1882 Publisher: [Columbus, O.] : F.J. Everhart & Co. Number of Pages: 600

Author: Everhart, J. F; Graham, A. A., Columbus, Ohio, pub
Publication date: 1882
Publisher: [Columbus, O.] : F.J. Everhart & Co.
Number of Pages: 600