USA > Ohio > Memories of the crusade a thrilling account of the great uprising of the women of Ohio in 1873, against the liquor crime > Part 14
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If anyone has the impression that the women en- gaged in this work are not of the best and most influential in Xenia, there could not be a greater mistake. If their names were given they would be recognized as the equals of the first women in any city in the United States, but they would shrink from any unnecessary publicity. Judged by the standard of intelligence, social position, financial standing and Christian character, they rank among the foremost. Their meeting, this dreary, wet morning, at 9 o'clock, was full of ardor. Many encouraging facts were given, showing how fully the movement has the support of the citizens. Mr. Davis Piper had offered to furnish carriages from his livery stable, to be placed around the "Shades of Death," for the accommodation of the women, if they wished to hold the situation later in the night. Mr. Richardson offered his large omnibus to move the ladies from one point to another during the work. Mine host Bradley, of the St. George, also tendered a carriage for the same purpose.
The women's meeting sent their greetings to their sisters in Springfield by a telegraph dis- patch, citing First Corinthians, 15th chapter, 58th verse.
Says the Commercial reporter :
I left Xenia with the impression that it was too rigidly conservative for the temperance war ; a week after I returned and found the city ablaze with excitement, -at least five hundred ladies were in the movement, either directly at work or assisting those who were.
Every respectable family in the place was repre- sented. The Scotch Seceders, who are numerous, were peculiarly active. Ladies who had obeyed St.
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Paul's ( supposed ) injunction most religiously, now prayed in the streets with the fervor of Methodist exhorters. Ministers who had written elaborately to prove that Christians should sing only the metrical version of the Psalms, in accordance with the creed of that church, now sang the song to the inspiring tune of "John Brown's Body."
The wall of separation between the various churches seemed completely broken down. Here- tofore the attentive observer hearing a prayer could distinguish by the tone and style whether it was Seceder, Methodist, or other Sectarian; but now the nicest ear could not distinguish-all prayed just alike. All seemed as sisters in Christ, and the sanguine were led to hope that this movement would even lead to a complete union between the sects. I was witness to one most remarkable scene, probably the most thrilling in the course of this movement. On Whitman street, in a space of six hundred yards, were nine saloons, several of such bad repute that they were known as "Shades of Death," "Mules Ear," "Certain Death," "Hell's Half Acre" and "Devil's Den." Visiting this locality I found five bands of ladies at work.
Miss Laura Hicks, teacher, had brought her entire school of young girls to the work for the afternoon, and they were singing in front of Gleason's saloon. On each side extended a long line of spectators, leaving only a narrow space in the middle of the street. Led by their teacher, the children were singing-
"Say, Mr. Barkeeper, has father been here ?"
Those familiar with that song will remember that the child is represented as seeking his father through all his usual haunts, and finding him in jail for some offense committed when drunk ; that he then inter- cedes with the jailor and finally convinces him that it was not his father who did the deed, but liquor that drove him wild.
There was more than one among the spectators to whom that song represented literal fact. Again the children sang, then extracts from Scripture were read, and a lady with a clear, sweet voice offered the following prayer :
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" Oh, Lord, our hope in time of need, we prostrate ourselves in the dust before Thee to beg for the lives of our fathers, our brothers, and our sons. Oh, God, help us to save dying men; help us to rescue the idols of our love ;- dying men are all around us, they crowd us in the streets; we look upon them in our homes, we shed tears of bitter anguish because we cannot save them from this traffic of death. Oh, Lord, our God, consider our tears, our breaking hearts, and send us help to fight this monster of intemperance. How long ! oh, Lord, how long ! must we suffer on and on, while we have left the power to suffer ? Oh, God, consider the tears of the oppressed, for on the side of the oppressor is power, which Thou alone can crush. Give us, oh, give us back our brothers, who are swept away by this torrent of intemperance; come, dear Lord, and touch the hearts of the dealers in ardent spirits; send down Thy spirit on this poor man who still turns a deaf ear to our pleading,-he will not listen to us. Oh, do Thou soften his heart that he may know our agony and cease to put evil in the path of those we love. Give us access to the heart of this man ; bless him, Lord, bless him with the riches of Thy grace. Send Thy ministering Spirit upon him and his family. We know not how to plead as we ought; we know not the way to his heart. Oh, grant that no weak or foolish act of ours may injure the cause of Christ or throw discredit on our good work. Do Thou guide and control us, make our weakness strength and teach us how to pray and labor as we ought. Oh, Lord, our God, wilt Thou not listen to the prayer of those made desolate by rum? Here, bowed before Thee, are widows and orphans, made such by this traffic we must call accursed, for Thou hast cursed it in Thy holy word. Oh, God, withhold the hand of him that would put the bottle to his neighbor's lips. We feel encouraged to labor on against this traffic, which Thou hast condemned. Oh, teach us how to work and give us the victory; grant that the rule of law and temperance may be set up, and that righteousness may flow as a river, and the knowledge of the Lord cover the whole earth . then will our sons no longer fall before those who lie in
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wait for their souls ; and bring us all, both the dealer and those who fall by the traffic, to see more clearly the light of Thy truth, and finally unite us at Thy right hand, we ask for Jesus' sake. Amen."
I had just returned to the hotel after this scene when I heard a great shout in the street, and soon after all the bells in the city commenced ringing. At the same time there arose a prolonged cheer from the Granger's Convention just across the street from the hotel, and it was evident that something unusual had happened.
Going out I saw crowds of people thronging towards Whitman street, and heard on every hand in joyful accents, "The Shades of Death has sur- rendered !" The good news proved true, and I found Whitman street thronged with people. A little before 3 o'clock, as it appeared from the general account, Mr. Steve Phillips, of the "Shades of Death," invited the ladies to enter, and announced that he gave up everything to them, and would never sell anything intoxicating in Xenia again. Then the ladies, joined by the spectators, sang "Praise God from whom all blessings flow," while the liquors were rolled into the street. A half-barrel of black- berry brandy, the same of high-wines, a few kegs of beer, and some bottles of ale and whisky were soon emptied into the street, amid the shouts of the enthusi- astic multitude. The leading lady then announced that if Mr. Philips went into any other business in Xenia, they should feel it a duty to support him. A dispatch was sent to the Grangers ( the State Grange was in session in Xenia at the time,) eliciting three cheers, and all the bells were set ringing in honor of the first victory. When I arrived the liquor had mostly col- lected in one depression in the street, and such a stench went up-"a rank offense that smelt to heaven,"-as made me think it a very fortunate thing for somebody's stomach that the liquor had been poured out. Of the women around, some were crying, some were laughing, a few alternatly singing and returning thanks. One elderly lady in the edge of the crowd was almost in hysterics, but still shout- ing in a hoarse whisper, such as one often hears at camp-meeting: "Bless the Lord! O, bless the
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Lord!" She had the appearance of a lady in good circumstances, and a citizen informed me that she is ordinarily one of the quietest, most placid of women. One of her sons died of intemperance, and another is much addicted to liquor.
On every side nothing was witnessed but smiles, laughter, prayers, hand-shaking, and congratulations. The "Shades of Death" was considered by the temperance people as the " back-bone of the rebel- lion," and within twenty-four hours four more saloons surrendered. The movement continues with una- bated vigor, and only twelve more saloons remain. Twenty-nine have been closed.
Many of these elect ladies I know personally and count among my warmest friends. The leader-and inspiration, I may say-of the move- ment from the beginning, Mrs. Monroe, is the wife of one of the leading business men in the place, a devoted member of the United Presby-
terian Church, and a lady of most charming and winning manners. The attitude she took is the more remarkable when we consider the extreme conservative views always maintained by the church in which she was reared, in regard to woman's position and work in the church. But she gives us the key, when referring to those re- markable days, -which she never does without manifesting the deepest feeling. She says that to the kindly e couragement and advice Dr. Marley, one of the Methodist ministers of the city, she chiefly owes her attitude then, and as a consequence, her work of the subsequent years. She has continued faithful and true to the present time, and is at this writing filling the office of State President with peculiar competence and
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acceptability. I also recall Mrs. Judge Winans, Mrs. Dodds, Mrs. Moore and Mrs. Wilson among that goodly company of Xenia Crusaders. Of the ministers who gave their prayers and counsel, were Rev. Dr. Marley, Revs. Bedell, Ralston, Carson, Morehead, Schaffer and Starr, and of citizens a regiment.
South Charleston, a pretty and prosperous town in our county, Clark, opened the war on the saloons the same day we did. Of the work in this town, I find myself possessed of a description written, at my request, about the time I sailed for England, by Mrs. Virginia Holmes, one of the most active leaders. Read- ing it this morning, more than a dozen years after the events so vividly portrayed, my heart thrilled and the tears sprang to my eyes as it brought back the scenes of those wonderful days. She says :
The women of to-day have, through a baptism of suffering, developed a new phase in the history of their sex. Men for ages have been worshiping, not God, but a hideous serpent, whose mammoth propor- tions have enabled it to swallow relentlessly myriads of votaries, who have offered themselves living sacrifices to its insatiable demands.
The mother or wife readily recognizes in this crea- ture Strong Drink, and in its victims, father, hus- band, sons. In the fear of the Lord, and praying for his guidance and protection, taking the sword of the Spirit, and the shield of faith, with the helmet of salvation, and the banner of our Savior's love over us, we marched straight into the presence of our enemy. He raised his head, shot out his forked tongue and thought to frighten us.
But we said in the name of the Lord Jesus and suffering humanity we come. And as the mouths of
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the lions of old were stopped, so was the power of this beast to harm restrained, and the semblance of death fell upon him for about the space of four months. But, alas, even in this seeming death he deceived the too confident, who were thereby thrown off their watch-tower. Nevertheless the nation has been aroused as never before, and though we did not succeed in entirely conquering our enemy, we did awaken the public sentiment, and the work goes on, and will till we do gain the victory.
Fancy the strangeness of the work; we, who had never in all our lives entered one of the dens, where the beast made his lair, were brought face to face with him day and night, till his hated visage became familiar. We did also make the discovery that some rum-sellers at least were susceptible of better im- pulses than their business engendered or fostered. Though we watched their bars incessantly to prevent the traffic, they treated us with uniform courtesy with but few exceptions. One instance I think of, on a bitter cold morning, when our patrols were almost perishing with cold, two ladies entered one of the most dreaded saloons. The keeper professed great solicitude for their comfort, and proceeded to close all ventilation, and with bar-room stove at white- heat, and about a dozen stalwart tobacco chewers spitting all over it, the situation was fearful. They came near fainting, but they did not yield their post till, fortunately, a couple of their sisters hearing of their situation, came and called them away to another point. The wife of this man assisted him in the sale of liquor, and vindicated the female character even in wickedness, for while the men were usually polite she was abusive.
But the charity that endureth all things, hopeth all things, sustained this consecrated band of women through all trials, whether of patience, faith or phys- ical endurance.
Our Crusade lasted eight weeks, in the months of February and March, in the midst of the most in- clement weather. Day after day we marched the streets, watching inside and out of saloons, never al- lowing a moment in which an unobserved sale could be made. We met alternately at the two churches
1
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for prayer and business meetings in the morning, and again in the afternoon, in order to form our line of march to the saloons, at each of which we formed our positions into two lines, one on each side of the pavement. Then we sang those precious hymns that will always be remembered as the rallying cry of the army that expect yet to take the citadel of this arch- enemy of mankind. And then such petitions would ascend as have seldom touched the great heart of the Father, because they were carried straight to the throne on the strong pinions of faith in His beloved Son, and direct answers came as a benediction to all hearts.
We were armed with the various pledges for saloon- keepers, property-holders, druggists and drinkers, and constantly presented them through committees appointed for the purpose. We sought in all our in- tercourse with those engaged in the business to have our hearts controlled by the charity that suffereth long and is kind, that is not easily provoked. And we relied firmly upon our Savior's promise, "My grace is sufficient for you," and we were not con- founded. Our male citizens did all they could under the circumstances for our comfort and the advance- ment of our cause. In one instance they achieved almost a miracle. We held two mass-meetings each week in the Town Hall, which were the largest and most enthusiastic meetings ever held in our place. It was at one of these, after the work had been pro- gressing some time, and the weather bitterly in- clement, that a large-hearted gentleman proposed to raise funds for the building of a church right in the enemy's stronghold, there being a vacant lot just suited for the purpose. This occurred on Friday night. The money was raised, and all the carpenters and men gave an herculean lift to the wheel,and the next day-Saturday-at 2 o'clock, our church was regularly dedicated to the service of God, and stood there before us a monument of faith and works, with floor, roof, windows, seats and glowing stove, all com- plete.
How thankful we felt for this special providence in our favor. Our Church overlooked the whole rum traffic in our place. From it the saloon-keepers could
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hear the voices of prayer and supplication ascending in their behalf, and in its erection they saw a deter- mination of purpose that thoroughly awed them. It was not long till they began signing our pledge, one at a time, till every saloon was emptied, swept and garnished-scrubbed out, I should say, and groceries put in.
Never shall I forget the night on which we received the intelligence of our first very important surrender. Our meeting was unusually crowded that night, and near the close a messenger brought us the glad tidings, when instantly all were on their feet; and accom- panied by our brass band, we poured forth like the sound of many waters,
" Praise God from whom all blessings flow."
We then formed a triumphal procession, and men and women and children marched to the saloon. The band serenaded them while those most interested shook hands with and congratulated them as they stood in their door. Who will blame us for feeling unspeakably happy ? for we saw the light gleaming over the hill tops.
At each surrender we had all the church and school-bells ring out their loudest peals. All our ladies who could, went into the work, for this was no partisan movement ; all distinction of church, pol- itics and cast was ignored, and the sound of thanks- giving went up as that of one voice. Religiously speaking, we had a short millennium. Oh, how glorious it was !
But this sin-cursed world of ours is not well adapted to a millennial condition. The arch enemy has not yet been chained, or entirely shorn of his power to hurt, or work evil. What a consolation it is to the weary toiler that the Savior has said, "Fear not, little flock, it is your Father's good pleasure to give you the kingdom," with the blessed assurance, "Ye shall reap if ye faint not " After our village was en- tirely purged, we found our work very much dam- aged by a small country saloon about three miles out. So we called a council of war and decided to march against it. And here again our brethren came to our aid. They hauled great quantities of wood and piled it near this house, and furnished us with con-
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veyances. Thus aided, we boldly moved out into the woods and weather, and commenced our camp- ing gypsy-fashion. We made a log fire well heaped up, drew our conveyance near the fire, and having provided ourselves with heavy wraps, we commenced our picket guard, never omitting our religious ser- vices.
The melting snow made the ground uncomfort- able, so we procured some boards, and what with our buffaloes and comforts we managed nicely. The many had by this time dwindled to the few, the true and the tried, those who had put on the whole armor. A strange sight we must have presented in our gypsy camp, minus the tents. Singing, praying and eating, for we did not forget each day to partake of our picnic dinner, jointly contributed. Our hearts were warm and glad. For were we not instruments in the Father's hands for the pulling down of the strongholds of crime and sin ?
I must tell of one bitter morning when the snow had fallen so deep, and it was altogether so unpro- pitious that only two of us went out. We found no blazing fire, but dead, black logs, all covered over with snow. I went through the snow and asked for a broom, which was kindly lent me. We then swept off the snow as well as we could, and with some, kindlings we had brought with us, we proceeded to kindle a fire. Slow work, but accomplished at last. We drew our carriage near the fire, then unfastened our horse and found him as sheltered a place as possible. But the poor creature was a pet and a hot-house plant, and protested vigorously against crusading in such dreadful weather. We encouraged him with kind words, and did our own duty and came home at night with health unimpaired, which seemed to us a most special providence. Several similar demonstrations of determination convinced the besieged that we were inexorable as fate, and in two week's time we had the pleasure of bringing his liquors to our church, where with singing, prayer and much thanksgiving we poured it into the street, fondly but foolishly hoping that the last stream of poison that had so long desolated our fair heritage was forever dried up. For a short time our village seemed
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an Eden. But soon the same old serpent lifted his head again, and our forces were no longer in the field to dispute his right. Well may we cry, "How long, oh Lord, how long ?"
LONDON.
Among the earliest to fall into line was Lon- don, the county seat of Madison county, a town of some three thousand inhabitants, and sur- rounded by a wealthy farming community. At the breaking out of the war there were six churches and twenty five saloons. A peculiar feature of the county is the monthly stock sales, which brings, on such occasions, a large con- course of people not only from the county, but from the surrounding counties, and from other States. This fact will largely account for the large number of saloons as compared with churches and population.
The leading citizens were more than usually intelligent and energetic. And so, as might be expected, the work was entered upon by men and women with a determination that meant victory.
In the list of ladies I note Mrs. B. T. Custer, Mrs. B. Custer, Mrs. Toland, Mrs. Dr. Sharp, Mrs. Lincoln, Mrs. Col. Ross, Mrs. Dr. Jones. Of the ministers, Rev. C. W. Finley, a saintly man of the Presbyterian church, who has since received his discharge and gone home to the kingdom of the blessed ; Rev. T. H. Munroe, of the Metho- dist, who has also passed over, and Rev. Glover, of the Universalist church. The Catholic ch" "ch, with Rev. Father Conway as their leader, also did
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a grand work. It was a noteworthy fact that the first surrender was made by Howard, a member of that church. The women were also backed by all the prominent business men of the place. But the struggle was a hard one, for the liquor fraternity manifested quite as decided a deter- mination to maintain their ground. But through the signing of the pledge, for nearly the entire community signed, their business was badly crippled. The men rolled up a big guarantee fund for emergency, and during the hour of morning meeting, business was suspended. Every- thing was done to aid the Crusaders and contrib- ute, as far as possible, to their comfort. In a report before me, dated February 3rd, the writer says, "The surface of the ground, this morning, was covered with a slippery sheet of ice, making it difficult and even perilous to navigate, but some one had thoughtfully sprinkled salt before the various saloons, so that the ladies might be at no inconvenience during the devotional exer- cises."
The weather much of the time was extremely cold and inclement that winter, and, as it was generally the order for the saloon-keepers to lock their doors upon the women, the brethren put their sympathy into tangible shape by con- structing a tabernacle and mounting it on wheels, putting in a stove and making it quite comfort- able.
When the ladies wished to visit or devote any time to a special place, horses were hitched to
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this unique meeting-house and it was drawn in front of Mr. Saloon-keeper's place of operations, and here the ladies would watch and pray and sing as long as they would judge expedient. Then the horses would be again hitched on and they would move forward to the next point of attack. On one occasion, while the ladies were praying in front of the door of one of the gallant fraternity, he attempted to set a ferocious dog on them. But the dog, more human than the human, or less animal than his master, refused to obey. If he could have had the power of speech, he would probably have said, "Is thy servant a dog, that he should do this thing?" At all events, he manifested a wonderful inter- est in the ladies' performance and stood by good- naturedly wagging his tail while they sang and prayed. As I am a warm friend to dogs, I take great pleasure in recording that as between the ladies and the saloons their sympathies were al- ways unmistakably manifested on the side of the ladies. I am more than half inclined to believe they are more capable of judging between right and wrong, what is respectable and what is not, than we give them credit for. The ladies in their visitations soon discovered that the baker they were patronizing, under the guise of a grocer, also sold liquors. So they declined to patronize him any longer, and arranged that those who did not go out onto the street should bake the bread for those who did. But the work soon became so absorbing as to call out all their forces,
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so that they had to give up their baking and sent their daily orders over to Springfield to our Brother Berry, for temperance bread. Of course victory perched on their banners, as they richly deserved.
ATHENS.
My old home began the Crusade visiting the same day that we did, February 10th. Many of the scenes and incidents were most thrilling. The work was prosecuted with great energy and vigilance, but with a spirit of Christian charity that led those refined, delicate women into the lowest and vilest places, and by their appeals, songs, prayers and tears, changing them into sanctuaries, where the proprietors and inmates joined in the songs of praise for their deliverance from a life of sin. Among this noble band I recall Mrs. M. C. DeSteiguer, Mrs. Angela Brown, Mrs. Alice Brown, Mrs. A. C. Brown, and many others of my co-workers and friends in that other war. One of these, of my little "Needle and Thread Band " of those days, I heard of not long since way down in Alabama, charming the ears and captivating the hearts of those Southern- ers for her cause, Mrs. Angela C. Davis.
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