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 8
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The subject for the meeting to-morrow morning is prayer for a revival in all the churches. The meet- ing was one of profound interest.
Our work is becoming almost overwhelming. The interest is spreading and deepening from day to day. My whole time has long since been entirely absorbed. Rising in the morning, my first thought is, what shall come to my hand to- day ? Upon going up to the morning meeting, calls and appeals come to me for help to find a husband or son, for counsel or sympathy or pecu- niary aid, or to visit the Mayor's Court with some pitiful woman to see if anything can be done to save her boy from the prison and dis- grace-to save her husband, to hear the never-
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ending tales of woe. Oh, where is the end ? Can it ever come? All the day busy, some- times unable to reach home, even for dinner, till the street lamps light the way. So weary, so feeble indeed, that often, as I have turned my steps homeward, I have looked at passers-by in their carriages and wondered why they did not in pity stop and take me home. But how could they know? My work stimulated and animated my whole soul, and the looker-on called it physical force, and often I would be congratu- lated upon my perfect health. I have heard ladies in the work say, "Oh, if I only had the vitality that Mother Stewart has." But how little they knew of the weariness, physically, in which I went forth. It seems to me that hundreds of times in the weariness and pain of the night, when paying the tribute mother nature insists upon for over-strain, I have said,"Now, certainly I have gone the very last day I can, I must yield it all up." But, as the poor, overburdened house- wife said, when I would get up and get "lim- bered out," I would go on again through the day, and so, with little variation, have I gone all these years.
I could stop here and write a homily, if it were advisable, on the preservation of health for the sake of the greater amount of good the Christian could do in a healthy body. Ah, what could I have done if I had had perfect health ? What could I not do, even yet, though beyond the line of three score and ten, if the tenement had not been prematurely disabled ?
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Our fifth mass-meeting was held on the even- ing of January 13th. A most excellent and in- structive address was delivered by Mrs. John Foos, which I am sure would be well worth in- serting here if the accumulating matter did not admonish me that I will be obliged to omit much that would be valuable as showing the different stages and progress of our work, or swell these pages to inadmissable proportions. The Republic of the 14th says, at the close of this admirable address, which was enthusiastically applauded by the audience :
Mrs. E. D. Stewart read a pledge to total absti- nence from intoxicating liquors, and proposed that it be circulated in the house for signatures, and sug- gested that all pastors of churches and superintend- ents of Sunday Schools circulate the same among those of their charges. Misses Rilla Cathcart, Matie Ballard, Anna Foos and Lida Ellsworth circulated the pledge, and Mrs. Stewart subsequently announced that 287 signatures had been secured !
The young ladies were coming up finely with their aid and influence. The above named be- longed to families of the highest standing in the city. Our "Y's" are to-day our pride, our joy and hope.
The following resolutions were brought forward by Mr. C. M. Nichols, and adopted, having been pre- sented at a previous meeting by Rev. R. P. Thomas:
WHEREAS, The liquor traffic in this city is doing no one any good, and many people great harm, therefore,
Resolved, Ist. That it ought to be abolished.
2nd. That all opponents of the traffic should join hands and commence work.
3rd. That the friends of reform need money to prosecute their work.
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4th. That the six hundred women, with Mother Stewart at their head, are doing a good work and ought to be sustained and helped by all honest peo- ple.
5th. That we at once recruit and enroll an army large enough to enforce our demands, and then issue a summons to surrender. (At this time,thirteen years later, the summons has not yet been issued. Why ?)
6th. That the City Council should adopt an ordi- nance in accordance with the 199th section of the mu- nicipal code. X * And having adopted it, make provison for enforcing it.
7th. That we should elect only such men to muni- cipal offices as will make wholesome laws and com- pel people to respect and obey them.
Mr. Barnett, as one of the advisory committee, re- ported at this meeting that the ladies had a fully- matured plan to secure material aid and pledges of co-operation. Committees of women had been ap- pointed who would canvass each ward. At the close of the meeting the following piece was sung :
" The land our father's trod, The favored land of God- Light of the age- Intemperance doth defame, And with its lurid flame Becloud thy glorious name- Thy history's page.
" Arise, ye sons of light, And slay this withering blight- Our country's shame! Wipe out its cursed stain, And break the galling chains, Where e'er the tyrant reigns, His guilt proclaim.
"The truth in love declare, But ne'er to speak forbear- Hence evermore, Oh, let the watchword be, Temperance and Liberty ! And Death or Victory ! Till time is o'er.
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MEMORIES OF THE CRUSADE. Heav'n will your efforts bless And crown them with success, And keep you free ; The temperance flag shall wave High o'er the monster's grave ; Then chant His praise who gave The victory !"
CHAPTER VII.
Letting Out of Troubled Waters.
EWS comes, glorious news of the spread of the Crusade. Wilmington, Greenfield and Franklin, with other smaller places, have entered upon the Holy war. As we come together in our morning meetings, telegrams are brought in, creating the wildest enthusiasm. Oh, if we could only start that form of work here ! But the enemy is so formidable, and with all the interest and enthusiasm now manifested by our people, I greatly fear the test would not give us enough women to make it a success. While some are saying they are ready to visit the saloons and urging me to form a band and lead them out, I find by private canvassing that the majority, as yet, shrink from that form of work. But this I dare not tell, lest I discourage those who are eager to go. But the most discouraging part of it is, that it is considered doubtful, even by Dr. Lewis, whether that form of work could be made successful in the larger towns and cities.
Gentlemen are saying to me, after I have used all my powers of eloquence to stimulate the sisters to a sufficient degree of enthusiasm to
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enlist-and I hope I have about succeeded- "Better not go too fast, Mother Stewart ;" "Better not attempt it, than attempt and make a failure ;" " Better make haste slowly." Oh, dear, how I have toiled, and wept, and prayed, now more than three months. It seems to me that is slow enough haste, in all conscience.
I do not say this new work is the way to close out the liquor business, but a way, and where being tried is proving wonderfully successful. In all the past efforts in the temperance cause, the drinking places have not been closed up. The great reform movements, such as that of the Washingtonians, were not directed against the saloon; and while undoubtedly for a time the sales were greatly reduced and very probably some places closed for lack of sufficient patron- age, enough were always left to supply the demand and to serve as man-traps, ever ready to lure back to his ruin any poor fellow who was too weak to withstand the temptation. And alas, alas! how many were thus lured again to their final destruction, while a new army has been recruited from our own dear boys. How soon might men with the freeman's ballot in their hands, arrest this ever on-surging tide of woe, if they would. But, since they will not, we must do what we can. I do thank the dear Lord that He is awakening the women and calling them from their long, lethargic sleep of indifference upon the subject. But our trouble here is not only the number of places, but the class of men
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engaged in the business. The towns that have taken up the work are comparatively small, and the citizens are known to each other. There is a less per cent. of foreigners engaged in the business, and men of American birth are more easily reached by the pleadings of the Christian women, especially where they know them per- sonally. When ladies that they know and respect for their Christian character come to talk with them, they are shamed out of their business. But our liquor-dealers are nearly all foreigners ; have been used to selling and drinking all their lives, and care only for the money they can get out of the sale.
My first visit to a saloon-keeper was to Mr. G. D., who was almost done selling. Accompanied by Mrs. Cathcart, I went to his home, a little out of the city. It was a very pretty place, which he had bought with the money he had obtained of many a poor man in exchange for his soul- destroying drink. But while he had dealt the poison to others, he had also partaken freely of it, and he was now slowly dying-a pitiable look- ing object. I tried to talk with him as well as I could ; spoke of his and my locks whitening for the grave. Yes, he said, his hair had been very black, but some nine years before Mrs. Gillet and other ladies (whose boys he was ruin- ing) had combined to prosecute him for selling liquor, and had treated him very badly. He stood them a strong fight, but they beat him and had him sent to jail, where he lay for three weeks.
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"That was what turned my hair gray," said he. "It was pretty hard to have it thrown up to my children that their father was in jail." Yes, but this poor, dying man did not seem to think of the many poor wretches that had been sent to jail through drinking his liquors, nor of their children taunted with their fathers being drunk- ards as well as in jail. The difference is in the point of observation.
Mr. D. charged that the druggists did much more damage than he did, and yet because they pretended to sell only for medicinal purposes, they had immunity from prosecution. He knew that many a man that would not be seen going into a saloon would go to the drug-store and get his flask filled and carry it away in his pocket. He knew all about the druggists' selling. He had been employed by them for many years as tester of the quality of their liquors. I asked him if it was his opinion that there were any pure liquors to be had. He answered that he did not believe there was a bottle in the city.
It is the universal complaint of saloon-keepers that the druggists sell right along, and are per- mitted to, everywhere. And everywhere the temperance people have repeated the uniform complaint that the druggists are hardest to reach. Claiming their privilege under the law to keep and sell for medicinal purposes, they take advantage of their opportunity to sell to drinkers, and it seems almost impossible to reach them. In one placc, I was told of a very respectable doctor
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and member of the Legislature, who had an ingen- ious arrangement in his store, where a gentle- man could go to a shelf, where was a faucet just above, turn the faucet, fill his glass and drink, lay down his change and walk out ; no questions asked, no word said.
I had a very interesting conversation with a traveler for a wholesale house in Cincinnati, who explained that he only sold to the "legitimate trade," the druggists ; he did not sell to saloons. I asked him about how much a druggist doing ordinary business would sell in a year for strict- ly legitimate purposes. He said two or three barrels. In small places they might not need more than twelve or fifteen gallons. I do not make the sweeping assertion that all druggists disregard the law, but certainly a large class of them do.
Still referring to my files, I see that at our next mass-meeting the interest was increasing. I will only quote from the extended report a speech by J. H. Beadle, the Commercial reporter, who said he had been sent by Mr. Halstead to write up this Women's Temperance Movement, which was being published through the State. He had been at Washington C. H., where the women had started, at Greenfield, at Wilmington, and other places. He thought from all he had seen and heard, that the Washington plan was the best for small places ; that saloon-keepers could and would resist law measures ; that they could raise plenty of money to do this ; but when pray-
.
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ing Christian women entered their doors and prayed for them and their families, and that God would open their eyes to the fact that they were dealing out death and destruction, the saloon- keeper had no alternative but to quit. He did not know how this plan would work in a city of this size, and thought it might be wise to use the law. Another point this speaker made was, the importance of the friends of temperance electing men to nominating conventions, so that they then would be sure of electing men of their choice, and said it was folly to wait until candidates were nom- inated in other interests, and your choice limited to men who do not represent your ideas, some of whom are sure to be elected, and the temperance cause would not be benefited by your votes (very wholesome doctrine this). I also see that my young friend, A. M. Griffith, made a good speech, saying he thought the work needed more young blood in it, and he had decided to cast in his lot with the friends of the cause.
At this meeting I presented the following res- olution, which was adopted by a rising and almost unanimous vote :
Resolved, That we, citizens of Springfield, will not patronize any grocery or place of business where in- toxicating liquors are sold as a beverage. But, if any person now engaged in the traffic will quit the busi- ness, we will not only give him the right hand of fel- lowship, but we will also give him a due portion of our support and patronage, with others of our fellow-citi- zens who are engaged in honest and honorable busi- ness.
And now I have come to the point where, in
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justice to myself as well as to historical truth, I am compelled to refer to a feature that early in- truded itself in our work, and has been, in the hands of certain parties, a source of great trouble and grief to me all through it. And although the world, or, I should say perhaps, the women, have wonderfully grown out of much ignorance and narrow prejudice in the march of events, there are yet some who seem unable to keep up with these events, but still stand ready to cry out in alarm at anything that is not in accord with their preconceived notions. I presume even those who do not know me personally, in following me thus far, will be prepared to be- lieve that what I have been convinced is right, I must indorse, whatever be the consequences. And thus it was, from my own observation, and more from my own experience in life, I hadlong since learned that woman was not man's equal before the law. That to live her life as God de- signed all rational beings should, she must be not only unhindered by unjust laws, but pro- tected, as man was, by those that are just. This I had maintained with voice and pen. But woe is me! I was indelibly branded " strong- minded," "woman suffragist," which were epi- thets not a whit behind, no, even more scath- ing than that of "abolitionist," for there was a little consideration for one who braved public prejudice for another, even though that other was a " nigger." But that a woman should clamor for her rights-want to go through the mud to
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the polls-want to go and vote with horrid men, drunkards and all-she might live with such, forever, and who cared ? She might go through mud, or what not, to procure a means of subsist- ence for herself and children, who cared? But an ambitious woman meddling in politics, want- ing office ! Oh, dear, it was too utterly awful ! Now you are scarcely able to suppress a smile at this array of a scare-crow stuffed with saw-dust or old rags. But you must know the class of sweet women-who are always so happy to de- clare "they have all the rights they want ;" " they are perfectly willing to let their husbands vote for them "-are and always have been numerous, though it is an occasion for thankfulness that they are becoming less so. But they have much to do in making public sentiment on the subject, and they are always louder in declaring that they don't want to vote-not they-than the suffragists are in asking the right. They were sufficiently numerous in the beginning of our work to make a great deal of trouble. It is a fact not generally known, but nevertheless true, that among the beginners of the temperance movement. those that came and stood by my side first were be- lievers in the principle of suffrage ; others, though believing in, were reticent about it. But in our work, as it presented itself to us, there was no oc- casion then for introducing the suffrage question. But those good, satisfied sisters suspected some hidden intent, and rushing into the papers gave the alarm. Oh, why was it that this demon of
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discord was permitted to show its deformed head at the very beginning of our work.
I have before me a report by Beadle, corre- spondent for the Cincinnati Commercial, of his visit to Springfield and of the meeting in which he participated, making some sharp, possibly in a degree just, criticisms, though we did not think so. I am satisfied that our methods were the best and only way we could work at the time, and they did arouse and eventually enlist a very large portion of our best citizens.
But unfortunately he asserted that our work promised to split into three currents; one for temperance, another for religious revival, and the third for woman suffrage. No word had been uttered on the subject in any meeting, pro or con, by any one.
Mr. Beadle called on me, the morning before the meeting, and interviewed me at considerable length in regard to my work and the temper- ance outlook in our city. And his report of the interview is very fair, as his reports of me always were. While he did not endorse my views en- tirely, he was always fair and generous in his re- ports of my meetings. He went with me to differ- ent points to write up the work for his paper, and I have always counted him as among my warm personal friends. I know he did not intend to do me a personal injury. But, oh, how I have suffered from that letting out of the waters. It gave color and shape to what before had neither color nor shape. And there was no possibility
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of arresting the impression that went out every- where from it. Mr. B., very much to my sur- prise, persisted in our interview in bringing for- ward the suffrage question. I could not under- stand why, but as he insisted upon my giving my views, I did so frankly and honestly, but in no way connected it with our work in hand, and re- minded him that this was strictly a private con- versation ; and again, as he was leaving, I re- quested him to bear in mind that this part of the conversation was strictly confidential, and he as- sured me that he considered and would respect it as such. Upon his return to the city, I told him of my astonishment at his report and re- minded him of his promise. " Oh, " he answered, with a conscious smile, " that I got from others." I am glad to say I never knew who they were. But I learned, to my surprise and grief, that there were a good many swept into that wonder- ful work, as I suppose always have and will be into every good work, who were not able to grasp the deep meaning thereof, nor to take in the great and glorious lesson God designed to teach his children through it of love and charity and forbearance one with another, as well as with the liquor-seller. We shall have gone a great way towards convincing the world of the gen- uineness of our religion, and bringing sinners to accept it, when we have learned well the lesson of tolerance and forbearance and charity among our- selves. I found this spirit of discord a source of much anxiety and sorrow to the more earnest and practical in many places.
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I had seen from the beginning that we had entered into a struggle with a foe that was strong and unscrupulous, as well as strongly backed with political and financial influence ; and I saw that it would take all the combined strength of the Christian Church to overcome it, I there- fore exerted myself as far as possible to enlist all, of whatever name, in our cause, and if we could have entirely laid aside our sectarian preju- dices and personal ambitions and jealousies, we would have accomplished much more than we did.
The liquor-seller had, if not a respect for re- ligion, at least a sort of superstitious awe and fear of the church. They have said to me, " We thought the whole Christian Church had risen up against us, and we knew it would be of no use to attempt to stand out against them." Yes, and they wonder always why the church could ever tolerate such an abomination ; and since it had, they had less respect for it. A wonderful confession, and one to suffuse the Christian's cheek with shame. It was virtually saying that the church had the power to put an end to the liquor traffic if it would-an honest and truthful admission of the power and influence of a faithful church. But what grief and humil- iation we suffered when they discovered that it was only a part of the church that had risen up against them, and even these were not always harmonious among themselves. How I exhorted my sisters everywhere to stand together, only
(9)
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in our united strength could we hope to prevail.
What wonder that many went back to their death-dealing business again !
Springfield being so much larger than those towns that had taken up the visiting method, it was a subject of serious question whether we could make that method successful. Mr. Brown, of the Cincinnati Gazette, having visited our city after witnessing the work in the smaller towns, expressed his doubt of the Lewis method suc- ceeding in a city of the size of Springfield, say- ing it was only calculated to be effective in coun- try towns of 3, 000 or 4, 000 and under. He adds, "I would not have it understood that Mrs. Stewart is alone in pushing forward the cause. She has several talented coadjutors, among whom are Mrs. M. W. Baines, whose missionary spirit has led her into other towns, and Mrs. S. M. Foos. wife of one of the wealthiest men in Springfield, herself a woman of rare ability. To these ladies the temperance cause is indebted for many excel- lent addresses and much other valuable service, but whether they are in favor of following the steps of Mrs. Hadley and Mrs. Runyan, of Wil- mington fame, and lead a band of women through mud and rain into dens of wickedness, I do not know." Mr. Brown's doubts were most sat- isfactorily answered only a few days later. Our Executive Committee had been very active in collecting evidence against the rum-sellers for illegal selling, and many cases had been reported and the keepers fined. A second petition was
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prepared by order of the Executive Committee and duly presented to the City Council, asking again for an ordinance to prohibit the sale of Ilquors under the McConnelsville Ordinance, of which we will hear a few days hence. But while we have been so busy in our city, so have the friends all over the country, calling meetings, organizing, getting ready for the conflict, and in many places moving out on the enemy. The papers are almost wholly occupied with reports of the uprising. Is the millennium indeed com- ing? My great perplexity is, how to select from so much. The history of the work in Springfield, if fully written up, would fill a large volume, as would an account of the movement in almost any place where it was prosecuted. No full history is possible any more than was that of the Great Rebellion.
It is true that the main features of the move- ment were very similar everywhere, but at the same time every locality had its peculiar features, controlling influences and incidents, both pathetic and humorous. But all were so thoroughly ab- sorbed in the work, so thoroughly a part of it, that they neither had time nor thought for look- ing on or taking note of passing events.
A reporter for Hillsboro, in a Cincinnati paper under date of January 15th, gives the following :
The woman's temperance movement in our town still continues and the excitement, pervading the entire community at this time, certainly exceeds any- thing we have witnessed in Hillsboro during a resi- dence of over twenty years, excepting only that oc-
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