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 24
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MEMORIES OF THE CRUSADE.
In recounting these events of our Crusade, one is led to exclaim: What a curious, compli- cated institution is the law ! Here are men, low, vile, and criminal, made so by the liquor traffic, which is sustained and protected by the law which should be for the protection of society. And here is a company of Christian ladies im- prisoned in the same den for lifting their voices against a traffic that thus imbrutes humanity. Mrs. Hill says she climbed upon a whisky barrel that was obstructing the sidewalk, to try to quiet that throng of angry men, when the policeman arrested and led her off to prison and left the whis- ky barrel standing. I give it up, and concede, as our good husbands so often remind us, we "women don't know anything about law."
As I have, in rehearsing the foregoing expe- riences of myself and sisters, become somewhat exercised in mind, and, as a good Methodist preacher used to call it, "religiously vexed," I think I had better go on and "tell it all " and make a chapter of it.
THE CHICAGO MOB.
Chicago being under the control of the liquor element, the dealers, backed by a large popula- tion of the lowest, most ignorant class of foreigners, had it, of course, all their own way. To further their own interests and defy the better class of citizens, they decided to appeal to the council to repeal the Sunday saloon closing ordinance.
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The Christian ladies hearing of this, five hundred of them came together in counsel, and on March 15th, a committee of one hundred and fifty was commissioned to present to the council a remonstrance signed by sixteen thou- sand women. Other ladies remained to pray while the delegation went on their mission. The Superintendent and Captain of police refused to give the ladies protection or place in the Council Chamber, and as they quietly marched through the streets they were set upon by a howling mass more nearly allied to fiends of the bottomless pit than human beings inhabiting a land professing to protect all its citizens, even the weakest, in their rights.
The women meekly presented their remon- strance, but immediately, and in their very faces the ordinance was repealed, and Satan and his minions triumphed in Chicago. The Chicago Times of the 17th says :
The onset of a howling mob of ruffians upon a committee of respectable ladies that visited the Council Chamber last Monday night, to remonstrate against the repeal of the Sunday tippling law, cannot be characterized in the terms of condemnation that it deserves. It was the most vile and disgraceful demonstration of the spirit of ruffianism ever wit- nessed in this city. Probably not another city in any civilized country on the globe has ever witnessed, in time of peace, a performance so unspeakably brutal. * * It was the outspew of the slums and groggeries and brothels ; it was the grand army of pimps, loafers, blacklegs, thieves and drunken roughs. marshalled to defend scoundrelism and indecency against the protest of virtue ; ladies were so terrified that some fainted, others covered their
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faces with their hands and hurried away as best they could, trying to escape from that howling, blasphem- ing throng of thousands. They were jostled and spit upon, and the hats of gentlemen trying to protect them knocked off.
It is no use following this sickening detail further. None of those raging hyenas, as far as I know, were ever brought to account for their conduct.
I do know that a few months later I was in the city at the time of their election, and many of their polling places were in the saloons, and Christian men went in and voted with those out- ragers of all human and divine law; and the status is not changed to this day, neither have those Christian men learned wisdom, though, as they on that day sowed to the wind, they have recently reaped the whirlwind in their Anarchist riots and Haymarket massacres, as also did Pittsburgh reap in her railroad riots, and Cincinnati in her court-house burning and slaughter.
Does it pay to "Fear God and keep his com- mandments ?"
PORTLAND, OREGON.
From Mrs. Izar, a Methodist minister's wife, and one of the participants, I have substantially the following : On that far North-western Pacific coast the Christian ladies caught the Crusade inspiration from the marvelous reports that came speeding over mountain and vale from their Eastern homes. It so fired their hearts that
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they, too, took up the work and had good success. Some saloons were closed, many signed the pledge, and where men had always hitherto passed in and out of the saloons at all hours of the day as a matter of course, to get their liquor, it became disreputable to be seen thus patronizing a rum-hole, and the patronage largely fell off.
All the saloon-keepers but one or two treated the ladies civilly. But finally one brave fellow thought he would emulate his eastern brethren and acquire a little notoriety at the same time, and so he made his complaint and had the Crusaders arrested and marched off to prison for singing and praying on the street. The ladies calmly went on with their singing and praying. The chief of police offered to release them on their own recognizance, but they refused to leave. When the Judge made his appearance, a gentleman filed a general demurrer, and took the ground that " singing and praying " was a a devotional exercise, and that every person in the United States was at liberty, under the Con- stitution, to worship God according to the dictates of his own conscience, and that the complaint on its face alleged a statement of facts that could not amount to disorderly conduct. The court promptly sustained the demurrer and discharged the ladies.
I am most happy to record the fact that one man in the United States took a correct position in regard to the Crusade, and that one judge
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was found to sustain him, if we did have to go to the boundaries of civilization to find him.
CLEVELAND COVERS HERSELF WITH GLORY (?)
It was not to be expected that Cleveland would sit quietly and see so humdrum a place as Chicago acquire such a national reputation for fighting women without some sort of effort to surpass her; of course not. It was only a few days after, that the opportunity offered.
On March 19th, a band of ladies, led by Miss Bearby, M. D., marched out upon the street and at once were followed and surrounded by a great throng of ruffians that came pouring from the saloons and low dives, and began to insult and abuse the ladies while kneeling on the street in prayer. As the women bore this all patiently without resentment, it seemed rather to excite the fury of the mob than to shame them, and they thereupon proceeded to administer kicks and blows. Mrs. McCarty was struck by a wretch with his clenched fist, Dr. Bearby was kicked, and Miss Stoney fainted away.
A gentleman who tried to protect and rescue the ladies, was struck in the face by a German who had noticed his efforts. Attempting to defend himself, a crowd of more than a hundred surrounded, kicking and striking him, cutting a great gash upon his head. As he was struggling to defend himself and make his escape, bleeding and ready to faint, a couple of gentlemen, providentially it would seem, drove along in a
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buggy and succeeded in placing themselves between the mob and their victim, who by this timely aid was enabled to reach his own home, where he sank on the floor, a pitiable object of wounds and bruises. He lay for some time in the doctor's hands, on the brink of the grave. The ladies were at length rescued from their perilous condition by the police, and escorted to the church, -all this because a band of praying women had gone out in a Christian (?) city, on deeds of charity intent.
I shall be told that these women were interfer- ing with at least a legalized business, trespassing on legal rights which invited that sort of retalia- tion. But I answer, the women never thought of meddling with any other business ; never heard of their crusading the baker or the butcher, not even the milliner, unless they happened to have a good supply of greenbacks. It must be a dan- gerous sort of business that arrays the Christian mothers and wives of a whole country against it, and leads them to adopt such extraordinary meth- ods for its ovetrhrow, even in the face of its legal protectors. The women had no voice in legalizing it. If their voices could have been heard it would not to day be resting so securely under the protection of the strong arm of the law. They are not even permitted to enter their pro- test at the ballot-box-though every man with a thimbleful of brains knows they would, with only one chance, vote it out of existence. There was nothing else left them, -the more shame to
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our fathers and husbands. And yet-and yet, these fathers and husbands, to-day, vote with this very class of wretches and for their candi- dates-" to save the party !" There is a fearful responsibility resting on a government that toler- ates and fosters such an unmitigated abomina- tion, and the reckoning has to be met. My God, where will it all end ?
CALIFORNIA FALLS INTO LINE, though a few months later. In Alameda, Cal., an election, under the provision of the Local Op- tion Law, was held on July 2nd of this year, 1874.
The temperance ladies, Miss Sallie Hart being their leader, had a tent erected in the vicinity of the polling place, with the hope of influencing voters in the interest of temperance. The word went into San Francisco, and as soon as they could get their forces together, the German saloon-keepers sent out one hundred and fifty of their willing tools, who marched through the streets, being headed by the U. S. Fourth Artil- lery band, and being joined by a large concourse of similar spirits, blockaded the streets and poll- ing place, insulting most shamefully both men and women; especially wreaking their venom on Miss Hart, shrieking, cursing and crying " down with her!" "Drive her from the streets!" "Take her home, or we will kill her!" Later in the day they prepared an effigy-(I wonder if certain leaders of one of the parties in the cam- paign of 1884 did not get their ingenious idea
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from these high-toned fellow citizens?)-formed in procession and proceeded, not to burn, but to bury Sallie Hart in a sand bank.
Men who were familiar with the lawless scenes of the mining days said they never witnessed any- thing approaching the shameless proceedings of this day. The poor, infuriated wretches thought they had achieved a great victory, but they only succeeded in making themselves a by-word and a stench in the nostrils of all decent people.
I will admit that this class of "our fellow cit- izens" had already inspired in the breasts of the political leaders, a high degree, if not of respect, at least of wholesome fear.
Our work had been in progress but a few weeks till the ever-alert politican began to in- quire, "How will this affect my party?"
Under date of February 25th, I find this in a Pittsburgh paper from a Cincinnati correspond- ent :
POLITICAL ASPECT OF THE WAR.
The women earnestly strive to unite religious de- nominations and steer clear of politics in this move- ment, but it cannot be without political effect, what- ever may be said to the contrary. It is not uncom- mon to hear the remark that * this thing will break up the Republican party if it goes on much longer." On the other hand it is a notable fact that the leading Democratic newspapers in the State have looked with something very like disfavor upon the whole move- ment. The truth is, I suppose that both of the exist- ing political parties will lose strength by accessions to the ranks of the prohibitionists, who, at the last gen- eral election polled about ten thousand votes, and therefore have already a pretty respectable nucleus. In fine, the effect will be another step in the direction of
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freeing men from old party ties. It still remains to be seen whether the approaching election this fall will be seriously affected. * * If the success of the women and the talk of the street are trustworthy indications of the drift of public sentiment, the temperance party will be largely in the majority."
But the fall election proved the writer of the above to be mistaken in his forecasting. The Republicans succeeded in getting what they, with quite a flourish, called a temperance plank, in their platform that season; but while it was a most insignificant expression in regard to the subject of temperance, it did hold, by the spe- cious promise intimated, very many honest but credulous temperance men in the ranks, while it, at the same time, alienated enough of the liquor men, or maddened them so that they turned to the Democrats, and the Republicans lost the election.
Then they jerked their frail plank out, and charged their poor, Crusading wives with break- ing up the party. From year to year since, the contest between the two parties has been to se- cure the liquor vote, each trying to outdo the other in fulsome flattery of citizens of foreign nationality, thus creating and strengthening the very distinctions our form of government was de- signed to eradicate.
In the name of our fathers, who bequeathed it to us, I ask what right any German, or Irish, or French, or Italian, or any other white or black cit- izen has, as such, to governmental or party con- sideration. If a man is not an American citizen,
(25)
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he has no business to meddle with political affairs ; and if he is not satisfied with our institu- tions, as he finds them, let him by all means return whence he came. If he has decided to be- come a citizen, let him be content with such laws and usages as the native born citizen is glad to accept. What right has he to claim special con- sideration above the native? If not arrested, this continual thrusting of the foreign element forward and above the natives in every political contest will bear its fruit not very far hence.
It is a very amusing game for demagogues to play at now for the sake of the offices and spoils, but let the thoughtful lover of his country look to this matter, before he finds this great fabric for which our fathers gave their lives, lying in ruins at his feet.
CHAPTER XIX.
First State Convention at Springfield.
T WAS becoming apparent that a free interchange of views among the workers, and a thorough organization of the State, were needed. Accordingly, upon a call by the Executive Committee, Mrs. M. C. McCabe, Chairman, a State Convention met in Springfield on June 17th, at ten o'clock, in the English Lu- theran Church, and was duly opened by prayer and singing.
I must stop here to say that in October of 1887 our State Convention again met in Springfield, and in the same church, thirteen years after the first one. We made it a reunion and anniversary of this W. C. T. U. State Convention. It was presided over, not by a gentleman-that would seem funny now-but by our graceful and com- petent President, Mrs. H. L. Monroe. We had with us our first President, Mrs. M. C. McCabe, our first Secretary, Mrs. F. W. Leiter, and our first Treasurer, Mrs. E. J. Thompson, (our sec- ond President, Mrs. M. A. Woodbridge, not being present), with a goodly number of the old war-worn veterans from all over the State. How
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glad we were for this reunion, and how our hearts swelled and thrilled as we recounted all the way the Lord had led us. This Convention was only one of forty State and Territorial Conventions of this year of grace 1887, and we, though a full representation of our State, were only a fraction of the 250,000 women in our own land.that are banded together, with the vows of God upon us, never to lay down the weapons of our warfare till the blessed bells, the CRUSADE bells, shall once more ring out, but with a sweeter, gladder sound than ever before, proclaiming liberty throughout all the land, to all the people, from the liquor scourge. Besides, we remembered the thousands more in all lands who have joined our ranks and are waging the same war- fare with us. Behold what hath God wrought ! Blessed be His name forever more. Amen.
The Convention organized by electing Mrs. E. J. Thompson, President, but she very modestly requested that Dr .- , now Bishop Walden, be made Chairman in her stead. Vice-Presidents : Mrs. S. K. Leavitt, Cincinnati ; Mother Stewart, Springfield; Mrs. Bishop Thompson, Delaware ; Mrs. Rev. Keep, Oberlin ; Mrs. Johnson, Lima ; Mrs. Reed, Mansfield ; Mrs. Peebles, Portsmouth ; Mrs. E. J. Thompson, Hillsboro; Mrs. Dr. Bowls, Bridgeport; Mrs. Jacobs, Clyde; Miss Kate Thompson, Alliance; Secretary, Mrs. F. W. Leiter, Mansfield; Ist Assistant Secretary, Prof. Shirtleff, Oberlin ; 2nd Assistant Secretary, Mrs. H. Bartram, Marion.
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There was a very general representation of all parts of the State, of both men and women; an intelligent body of Christians, and great good- feeling and enthusiasm were manifest.
A committee on business or plan of work was appointed, consisting of one from each Congres- sional District, in the following order: Rev. W. I. Fee, Rev. Dr. C. H. Paine, Rev. Dr. Brew- ster, Rev. J. H. Montgomery, Rev. S. P. John- son, Mrs. H. L. Haag, Mrs. Chas. Beery, Mother Stewart, Mrs. E. C. McVitta, Mrs. E. Sullivan, Miss H. Maxon, Rev. D. A. Randall, Mrs. H. G. Carey, Mrs. I. R. Prichard, Mrs. A. C. Davis, Mrs. R. C. Graves, Mrs. M. E. Griffith, Mrs. M. Sperry, Rev. S. K. Dissett. A part of the duties of this committee was that of preparing the resolutions.
As always in those days, at such gatherings a portion of time was set apart for reports of the work and general speaking. Men as well as women participated in these exercises, which were greatly enjoyed and very profitable. I remember, with lively interest, the fact that in speaking of the condition and needs of the temperance cause, quite a number of men and women declared that, "now for the first time in their lives," they saw that women must have the ballot to help close out the liquor curse in the country. This was so noticeable that a reporter who had not himself measured up to such an advanced position, re- ported that the "old suffragists made themselves so conspicuous with their suffrage views that it might
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have been mistaken for a Suffrage Convention." But the fact was, it was not the " old suffragists." They were equally surprised with the reporter, but held their peace. Yes, these men and wom- en had for the "first time in their lives" obtained an insight into the abomination of the liquor traffic and the places where sold, the class that frequented them, the money and political power and the intrigues by which they controlled elec- tions and legislation in their own interest. No wonder they saw the need of woman's ballot at the polls, as well as her prayer at the saloon. But the great majority of mankind are slow to come to the truth, and what is a greater pity, they are always intolerant of those who do take ground in advance of them. So in this case these advanced thinkers were subjected to such scathing criticism as to very soon silence them.
We had a very animated time over our reso- lutions, or more strictly, over one of them. The Constitutional Convention had submitted a new constitution, to be voted upon on the 18th of August. At the same time was to be submitted a separate clause on the license question. In view of the coming fight with our enemy over this clause, I brought in the following resolution : .
"Resolved, That we, not as partisans, but as Christian citizens, will unceasingly oppose tlie giant evil of intemperance by personal, social and political influence, by the press, by the pulpit and by prayer."
As first presented to the committee, it lacked the explanatory clausc.
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There was a strong fight made on the resolu- tion, or rather that one very alarming word, " po- litical." I could not understand it. I supposed all understood that we were entering upon the most important contest ever waged in the State up to that time. They certainly understood that the temperance work must now take on a politi- cal feature. While we had, by God's help, done a glorious work in closing so many places of drinking, reforming so many drinkers, and even closing distilleries and breweries, yet the law was largely on the side of the traffic, and the liquor men would move all machinery under Heaven to fasten license upon us; and our last state would be infinitely worse than before our work began. I was very much astonished that any temperance worker should oppose such a resolu- tion. I had entered into the fight against liquor with the black flag unfurled-I meant death to the trade, and I did not dream but everybody else meant the same. But I had already been subjected to some masked batteries, though I could not understand why. Now, again, there was an influence at work that I could not yet un- derstand. The Chairman indorsed it and en- gineered it through the Committee, and told me that when he should read it in Convention, he would procure me permission to speak on it.
But, somehow, permission was not obtained. It did, however, elicit a very animated discussion, which occupied nearly the whole afternoon, and was adjourned over to the evening session. I was
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still unable to understand the animus underlying the opposition to that little word political. I must, in justice to the Crusaders, explain that the opposition came chiefly from the brethren. Upon going up for the evening meeting, as I approach- ed the door I saw a group of three or four men standing near, and as I approached them I heard one say, "there she is now;" and turning to me they very courteously addressed me-and -- com. menced feeding me taffy-(Oh, dear, dear ! I beg everybody's pardon, -but I could not think what other word to use). They hoped that I, with my great influence, would go in and make a speech in favor of the proposed amendment to strike out that obnoxious word, for the sake of harmony, you know, etc. I told them I should do no such thing. I did not expect to speak again, but when it came to a vote I should certainly vote against striking out that objectionable word, as they were pleased to call it. (I wonder if the friends who are still glorying in the victory of that cam paign ever guessed where the real battle was fought ?) I told the gentlemen I expected to work up to the night before election, doing all I could to defeat license, and I did not propose to go about over the State with a padlock hanging to the corner of my mouth. Stupid as I had been heretofore, I began to perceive now that I was in the presence and hands of wire-pulling politicians, and was glad when I saw Rev. Spring, a man that I knew was honest and true, approaching. I called him to me and told him that here was an
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impromptu caucus and invited him to join us, ex- plaining the gentlemen's proposition. He very promptly said he should not agree to the elimi- nation of that word. If it was voted out he should leave this branch of the temperance work and go to the Prohibitionists, which he did not wish to do. We went in, and upon opening the proceedings, dear Sister L- was put forward. She, in the innocence of her soul, thinking it was only to pour oil on the troubled waters, made a very pathetic appeal, not devoid of a few tears.
About the close of her speech one of the afore- said gentlemen came up to me and said in a low voice, "Now, Mother Stewart, is your time." "Why," said I, "may I speak?" "Oh, yes, " he answered. The dear man had given me credit for so much more tenderness of heart than I possessed, that he thought now surely I would be so touched by that appeal, "for the sake of peace and harmony, and to please one little woman" ( she wasn't little by ever so much ), that I would yield. I, however, was not looking at it in that light, and wondered that he should suggest to me to follow her. I was glad, however, for the opportunity, as were a good many others. I don't know what I said, and I never could ac- count for the flow of words that came to me, nor the result, for I carried the Convention with me, only upon the belief that the Lord helped me to frustrate those scheming men who were ready to risk the cause for which we had worked so hard, -" for the sake of the party." I know I
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was as much astonished at the result as any one present
A few years since, I spoke in Carey, and after I closed a gentleman came up, shook hands and asked if I did not remember him. I was sorry to tell him I did not. "I am Mr. W -- ," said he. " Don't you remember that some gentlemen met you at the entrance of the Opera House in Springfield, at your first Convention, and tried to influence you in regard to your resolution ? I was one of them." "Oh, yes," said I, "and that was a political intrigue." "Yes it was," said he, frankly.
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