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 5
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I was called to one of our large cities to help the Crusaders celebrate Fourth of July. The meeting took the form of a picnic and was held on the Fair Grounds. There was a very good attendance, and besides myself there were three gentleman orators. I shall never forget my agony and tears and almost despair as I sat listening to the rythmical flow of elo-
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quence from the lips of the Rev. "Oh," I cried in my distress, "my Father, my Father, why hast thou called me here to stand by the side of such strength and eloquence? I, so little and weak. Oh, what shall I do?" Had to do the best I could. A day or two after my return home, my feet feeling a little chilly, I took from my library Talmage's Nether Side of New York, and sat down by the kitchen stove to toast my toes a little. Opening at random- oh, why here is my reverend friend's elo- quent address, verbatim ad literatum from begin- ning to end. Oh, pshaw! It did not seem half so bad to be extinguished and annihilated by Talmage, certainly not at second hand. Isn't it amazing how much human nature there is in folks ?
A lady sent to ask me to come to her house on a Sabbath, during the hour of service, and see the throngs of men that went through an alley at the rear of her house and through a back entrance into one of the principal saloons. I was not able to go at the hour of preaching, but on the afternoon of Sabbath, 14th of December, I went. I had, with earnest prayer, considered the matter and finally decided what I would do if Providence seemed to favor, but kept my own counsel. I could not foresee what might possi- bly be the result, or what censure very well- meaning people might attach to me. So I determined that if my purpose should fail or bring disaster I would alone bear the consequences.
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My husband was at that time looking after some business matters in the South. My niece I knew would either insist upon going with me at all hazzards, or would at least be greatly distressed lest some terrible thing should befall me. The dear ladies also, who were standing so bravely by my side, would either have tried to dissuade me or asked to go with me. I had a purpose in the step I was about to take that I felt I could not fully explain to others, and decided to keep my own counsel. I sat an hour in my friend's sitting- room, seeing men coming and going through the alley that ran between Central M. E. Church and my friend's residence on High street, and the building in which the saloon was located on Main street. A walk well laid with tanbark led into the saloon; and if it had not been for the stained windows of the church, the preacher could have seen the throng passing as he stood in his pulpit. I have promised that when this "cruel war is over,"-when ?- I am going to prepare a lecture on stained windows. We church people stain our windows so that we cannot look out, the saloon men stain theirs so we cannot look in, and so the work of death goes on by a sort of tacit agreement or compact. My friend said one Sabbath morning she saw a man go in with a sweet looking baby in his arms. I
suppose he had encouraged the good wife and mother to go to meeting that morning, with the promise that he would take care of the baby. Taking advantage of her absence, he had taken
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the baby with him into that dreadful place to get his morning's dram, she, dear, confiding soul, feeling very grateful for the opportunity of once more joining the worshipers in the sanctuary. I have ever since felt it my duty to advise ladies, when they leave husband at home to watch baby, to leave some one to watch husband.
At the end of an hour I said, "If I had a dis- guise I would go in there ;" and asked the lady if she could furnish me one. She thought a moment, and said, "Yes, I can ;" and brought a large waterproof circular that enveloped me to my feet, and a black and white check gingham sun-bonnet having a corded front coming well over the face, a cap crown and deep cape. I took off my glasses, put back my hair and donned my outfit. I have always flattered myself that I made a very respectable looking old Irish woman. As I passed out I turned to the lady and her daughter and said, "Oh, now pray for me as you never prayed before in your lives !" They went with me to the gate that opened into the alley, the daughter saying afterwards that she went to keep guard, that if any harm befell me she would give the alarm to their next neighbor. But I was not thinking of danger, I felt buoyed as if I was treading on the air. I entered one door-as I did so a large, colored man came out, dressed quite nicely and with a very shiny hat on. I do not know what I said to him, but upon my return from England, the first Sabbath as I was on my way to church a colored man, sitting with others
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under an awning, sprang up and coming forward offered his hand, bowing very politely, welcomed me home, asked me if I did not remember hav- ing met him that Sabbath morning as I entered Stubbe's saloon, and what I said to him. I did not remember, but he proceeded to assure me he had not drank a drop in the three years since. I would be glad to know he has not to the present time. I passed the third door before reaching the saloon where the drinking was going on. There were young men standing at the counter drinking, and some older men sitting about the place.
I had intended, if I saw anyone with a glass that I could be sure held liquor, in his hand, to quietly take the glass and walk out. But I could not feel sure that what those young men were drinking was liquor, so I saw I would have to call for something myself, but was greatly puzzled as to what to call for. I desired to make two cases at the same time against the saloon- keeper. One for selling distilled liquors by the glass to be drank on the premises, under our State law, and the other for selling on Sunday, under the Sunday ordinance. But I was rather afraid to ask for whisky or brandy, lest I might be suspected as a spy. I found afterwards that I might have bought by the drink or demijohn, without creating any suspicion. I asked the bar- tender if I could have something to drink. He asked what I wanted. Here again I was quite at my wit's end, for I did not know one wine from
MY FIRST GLASS.
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another, but at a venture I asked ifhe had any sherry wine. He set a bottle and two small glasses on the counter, one having a little water in it. I did not understand what the water meant, but presumed he thought as I was a woman I would not care to take mine " straight," as gentlemen do, I picked up the bottle and started to pour out the wine, but I did not know just how much would be called a drink, and as I found my nerve force giving way quite op- portunely, so that my hand trembled, and as I wanted to implicate him as far as possible, I re- quested him to pour it out for me, remarking that I felt rather badly. He accordingly poured it out for me. I asked the price, and he said a dime, which I laid down, and picking up the glass walked out.
I have often, in telling this adventure, enjoyed the decided frowns that cloud the gentlemen's brows when I tell them I acted on the principle that in some things women are cleverer than they are. There is always an instant lighting up, however, when I add that I knew if that had been a woman behind the counter, she would have jumped at me like a cat. But I knew too that that man would have to stop to work out the problem as to what was best to be done in the case, and while he was working out his problem I would be able to put a safe distance between us. Upon reaching the alley I looked back and saw him in the yard, with hands spread, a picture of amazement. I took my glass home
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and sealed it up for future use. Why did I take so remarkable a step for a lady ? is a very natural question, and some, not understanding the mo- tive that actuated me, were not slow to criti- cise me. One reverend gentleman did so in my presence.
By those who could not and never have been able to comprehend the motives that then and through the subsequent years influenced and impelled me, of course I cannot make myself understood. I will say this much, however: I had seen that though our city had a Sunday ordinance, by which those dens could be closed on the Sabbath, yet the law was set at naught by the back doors always being open. I was told that I could have gone into every saloon in the city that morning and bought any amount, if I had sought the back entrance. The city offi- cials knew this, from highest to lowest; the business men knew it; church people knew it, ministers knew it, but no one seemed to think it any of his business. It came out later that the keeper of this same saloon, it being opposite one of our largest churches, had enticed our little boys, on their way to Sunday School, into the place and given them candies saturated with brandy. And, as I have said, the minister from his place at the altar could have seen the trains of men thronging by, if the windows had not been made of elegantly stained glass. I saw that some extraordinary means must be used to compel the attention of the people to the condition our city was in.
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In short, the people must be shocked into some sort of life and interest, as the physician, being called to a patient and finding him in a comatose state that must terminate in death if not speedily relieved, takes a heavily charged battery and sends a strong current of electric fluid through his system, with the hope of shocking him out of his insensible condition înto life.
Sensation ! again you say ; and I say, Yes, I insist it is a legitimate means ; and so would you if your house was on fire or your child had fallen into the water.
On the Tuesday evening following (December 16) we were to have our second mass-meeting, and I wished to call out a large audience, and I hoped this one saloon and possibly others might be sufficiently alarmed to respect the law for a Sab- bath or two thereafter. Monday morning I started to the Republic office, intending to give to the local enough of what I had done to create curiosity and call out the desired crowd. But I was very much surprised to find that my secret was already on the street. I had supposed the saloonist and his customers would prefer to keep silent. When I reached the office the editor sprang up, grasped my hand and exclaimed, "God bless you! I never saw such a woman before in my life. I could not have done such a thing." I found the local busy, scribbling away as for life, at the unusual incident. I explained to him that I wanted to control that bit of news. No, he insisted that it was now out and it was his sen-
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sation. I told him I had a purpose in it and could not be thwarted, so, by dint of a little scolding, I succeeded in getting the following item to the public:
THE TEMPERANCE MEETING.
If the general tone of public opinion and senti- ment is regarded at this time, there is no need to urge people to turn out and attend the mass temperance meeting at the Central M. E. Church to-morrow even- ing. The people will be there en masse, and it will only be a question of where to put them. A new feature, never before introduced and of a decidedly sensational nature, will characterize the meeting, and if you want to know what it is, go early and stay to the close. It will cost nothing. And then go to the tea-party.
The tea-party referred to was a Boston Cen- tennial Tea-party, given by the ladies of the Benevolent Society, held at the City Hall, follow- ing the temperance meeting.
We had a crowded house and hundreds went away unable to get in. After the speakers on the program had got through, being introduced by the chairman as having something out of the usual line to present, I took my glass and exhib- ited it to the audience, producing quite a flutter of excitement. I told the story, " How I bought my first glass of liquor," and asked if there were any gentlemen there who would come forward and prosecute the liquor-dealer for breaking the Sunday ordinance, adding that I stood ready to be a witness in the case. Gentlemen had told me it was not necessary for anyone else to appear. I could just go and make my affidavit in the case and have him fined.
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I told them I knew that very well, but I wished to see some of the gentlemen show their hand. It had come to be rather fashionable for gentlemen meeting me as I came and went in my work, to grasp my hand and exclaim, " God bless you, Mother Stewart, go on," and I had begun to think it was about time for some of them to come on. Several did indeed rise in the audi- ence and pledge themselves to attend to it. But after waiting until the latter part of the week without hearing from them, I wrote notes and hired a boy to deliver them to several gentlemen, requesting them to meet me at the Mayor's office the next morning. But they did not make their appearance. Rev. J. W. Spring, of the M. P. Church, however came and acted as prose- cutor. I had, early in the week, stepped into the saloon and laid down, under vehement pro- testations from the proprietor and his clerk, the price of the glass, that they might not be able to get up a little side current, as they hoped, because of my carrying off the glass.
I also directed the policeman to return both glass and wine when I was done with it. Though, if I could have had a little more help at the time, by having the wine analyzed, I could then have made another case for selling impure liquors.
The man was fined $30 and costs, this being the first time a case had been made on him though he had been arraigned before ; and this was the heaviest sentence that had been assessed up to that time, or that was for several years afterwards.
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The people were beginning to wake up and public sentiment was setting against the saloon, and it was getting easier for officers to do their duty.
Editor Bickham of the Dayton (O.) Journal is responsible for the name by which we and our work will henceforth be known, he being the first to employ it, as far as I know, in an editorial that appeared in the Journal, and was copied by our Republic, with the following remark:
Mother Stewart cannot complain that she has not plenty of newspaper backing. Here comes the Dayton Journal and talks in this vigorous manner :
"One woman in Springfield is disturbing the whole city --- not an unusual thing for a woman to do, how . ever, as they have in times past changed the course of whole empires. The lady to whom we refer is Mrs. Stewart, who is on a Temperance Crusade against liquor-selling. She is determined to banish the trade from Springfield, and has got herself rein- forced by a battalion of resolute women, who are making it hot for saloon-keepers.
"Last Sunday she disguised herself, entered a saloon and purchased a glass of liquor, which she carried away with her. Tuesday night she rallied her forces at a public meeting, displayed her glass of liquor on the platform, made a telling speech, invoked a lawful assault upon the saloon-keeper and was vigorously sustained in her proposal. That saloon-keeper will have to shut up shop."
In the month of November, I think it was- have not the exact date at hand-I was invited to lecture in New Carlisle, a very pleasant village in the western part of our county.
The citizens had, by action of their Council under the MeConnelsville Ordinance, closed up the saloons in their town. But they were greatly
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annoyed by a saloon which was started just out- side of the corporation, and enticing men and boys out where they could indulge in even greater excess than when in the more public part of town. I remember I urged the ladies to go in committee or company, take their knitting and sit with him, and sit or knit him out. I told them if they would only undertake it they could knit him to death.
But they had not the courage, and by just that much missed the credit of being the origina- tors of the Crusade or saloon visitation. Said they had no one to lead them. Only a few weeks later, all over the State were seen bands of women marching the streets, entering saloons and pray- ing the keepers to give up their soul-destroying business. I think I must beg the reader's indul- gence while I give a few extracts from a very full report of our second meeting, found in the Republic of the 17th, as I wish to do what I can towards transmitting to posterity a unique deliv- erance of legal reasoning and conclusions by our municipal Solons, that cannot find its parallel outside of liquor legislation. I may add that our city law-makers have held their own up to the present time, now fourteen years, and so has the liquor business, with its long train of crimes, misery and death, and in a continually increas- ing ratio. The same brewer has just been re- elected to Council at our recent Spring elec- tion :
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THE PEOPLE VERSUS THE LIQUOR TRAFFIC-IM- MENSE AND ENTHUSIASTIC MASS-MEETING AT CENTRAL M. E. CHURCH-ADDRESSES BY REV. J. W. SPRING, REV. MR. ALLEN, MR. J. A. JACKSON, AND MOTHER STEWART-A GLASS OF LIQUOR BOUGHT ON SUNDAY EXHIBITED TO THE AUDIENCE-WHAT THE LAW IN THE CASE IS.
The large and fine audience-room of the Central M. E. Church was filled with an immense audience Tuesday evening, the occasion being that of the second Temperance Mass-Meeting, held under the auspices of the Ladies' Benevolent Society. Not only was every seat in the body of the house and the gallery filled, but chairs were brought into the aisles and occupied, and hundreds of people were com- pelled to stand. Yet the exercises were of such a deeply interesting nature that there was no bustle or confusion, except as the speakers were applauded, and even those who were without seats remained .until the last. Vocal and instrumental music, as at the first meeting, formed a part of the program, and a part that was very pleasing and acceptable. Mr. J. Lamar Coleman led the music. Rev. C. W. Ketcham, pastor of Central Church, presided. * * * Another person (C. M. Nichols) was called upon, but declined in favor of the famous Mother Stewart, and her ap- pearance was greeted with applause. Mrs. Stewart gave a resume of the campaign thus far, spoke of the poor woman whose brother was a President of a Southern College, but whose husband was a com- mon drunkard. This woman came to her to get help. The habits of her husband were so bad that she was obliged to break up her household and take her children and leave the city.
From this had sprung the work already done. It had been asked, Why don't you women go to work ? And they had gone to work, and now they needed help. The people did not know how much iniquity was going on in the city.
As Mrs. Stewart stepped upon the platform she set a glass tumbler with a scarlet liquid in it, carefully covered with a white paper to prevent its evaporation,
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upon the table by her side, and the very appearance of the tumbler was making a very good speech of itself. Mrs. Stewart said she bought that glass of liquor at a saloon on Main street, within a stone's throw of the Central Methodist, Congregational and First Presby- terian church edifices, on Sunday last. * ₭ *
Mrs. Stewart then asked the men of Springfield, would they prosecute this case, and several hands were held up as token that they would. Scores of women held up their hands to show their determi- nation to aid in the work, and we have no doubt they meant business in the way of suppressing the traffic in Springfield, and that active operations will commence at an early day.
Mrs. Stewart then read the oath of office of the city officers, councilmen, etc., as follows:
"State of Ohio, Clark Co., ss : Personally ap- peared before me, a Notary Public in and for said county, the undersigned, who being duly sworn, deposes and says that he will support the Constitu- tion of the United States ; of the State of Ohio, and will perform faithfully and punctually the duties of office to which he has been elected. Sworn to and subscribed, etc., etc."
She then read the extract from the 199th Section of the Municipal Code.
The petition of six hundred women of Springfield. to the City Council was then read.
Mrs. Stewart next read the following extract from: the report of Council Committee on the above peti- tion :
We also give it as our deliberate judg- ment that the matter to which this petition refers is of such transcendent importance as to demand of this Council the exhausting of every means within its power to divest it of its capacity for making misery and crime within our midst. The univeral sense of the Christian world condemns drunkenness as a crime: * * And if this be so upon recognized prin- ciples, measures are demanded to prevent and pun- ish it.
"The temperance movement throughout the land has suffered more from the indiscretion of its friends than from the open opposition of its enemies. We
(6)
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are therefore not in favor of recommending the Council to grant what is asked for by the petitioners."
She then gave the action of the Council assembled December 2nd, 1873, in the adoption of the follow- ing two resolutions out of the five submitted with the report of the committee appointed to report on the petition of the 600 ladies :
" Resolved, That the indulgence in intoxicating drinks, whereby neglect and want are brought home to the family, is a crime against nature, and it is ex- pedient to exercise any authority or impose any punishment necessary to prevent it.
" Resolved, That it is an apparent and acknowl- edged fact that there is an indulgence in intoxicat- ing drinks in this city which deprives families of peace, comfort and proper support, and that there are those who take in exchange for their drinks the money known to be needed for family support, con- trary to law."
The effect of the addresses, and particularly that of Mrs. Stewart, was electric and most wholesome. Many persons in the audience were so influenced by what had been said that they appeared ready and anxious to put their hands to the work.
It was to me a subject of wonder and gratitude how the Lord led us, opened the way and sup- plied our needs, in this new and wonderful work. Early in our movement I began to wish some one might be inspired to write our songs for us. As in the political campaigns, more especially during our war, the songs that were written, and sung by the people, had a great in- fluence in winning our cause. We all know how Mrs. Howe's "Battle Hymn" fired all hearts, both at home and on the field, to do and to suffer unto death for their country. If only some one might be raised up now, to give us such songs as would catch the popular ear, -be caught up
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by the boys on the street, everywhere on the lips of the people, what an inspiration it would be for our work. Behold you, in the "Gospel Songs" that we commenced to use in our first mass-meetings, were just what we needed; and very soon floated out all over the land, " All hail the power of Jesus' Name," "Jesus, Lover of my Soul, Let me to Thy bosom fly," "Rock of Ages, cleft for me," "Nearer my God to Thee," and hundreds and thouands were in- spired to fall into ranks by these glorious war songs of the Crusade, even the saloon-keepers themselves often taking up the refrain. I remem- ber one such in Ironton, who, though unyield- ing, yet the songs, together with the prayers and tears of the women, so haunted his memory and disturbed his peace that he could be heard walking his room in the night, singing the songs he heard the women singing in their daily visitations to his saloon.
From the beginning of this remarkable work, all the old-time, stale, and often coarse and ques- tionable anecdotes that had been in times past reckoned as wonderfully telling were entirely dis- carded ; no place for them. And he who at any time attempted to introduce them very soon discovered his mistake. The spirit that pervaded the whole movement was earnest, solemn, devo- tional, the atmosphere seeming to say, "No time for trifling here."
Among my first thoughts in the work was how to enlist the young people, especially the
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young men. If the excitement fell short of the young people we would only succeed in part. How could they be enlisted ? became an absorb- ing thought. One morning, while my heart was burdened with this subject, a young man called and introduced himself to me and offered his services in any way he might be able to aid the cause, just what I had so felt the need of. It may to-day look like a very trifling incident, but at that time it was a source of great encourage- ment, and I received it as from the Lord and in answer to my cry to Him. And my young friend did prove himself a most valuable helper. I am happy to record that this gentleman, Mr. A. H. Griffith, has never swerved from his prin- ciples, but has given his strong influence and help to other young men who were in the toils of the destroyer or being tempted to their ruin.
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