TEMPERANCE CRUSADE IN AMERICA.

Evening Star, Issue 3482, 21 April 1874, Page 3

TEMPERANCE CRUSADE IN AMERICA.

Wken the Americans go in for a social reform or for a railway, for a church movement, or for a steamboat company, they go in for it very big indeed. That which follows is the latest thing out in the temperance movement. A woman’s organisation against the use of intoxicating drinks has been formed in San Francisco, and the women—as women will do when their energies are awakened—go to extremes. We learn from the San Francisco ‘ Weekly Chronicle’ that“ Patterson, of the Willow Springs, was visited yesterday by five ladies. It was raining hard; but they came in a carriage, accompanied by two men. The ladies began praying and kept it up a considerable time, surrounded as they were by decanters of whiskey, brandy, rum, die. Dave treated the ladies very courteously. He expects that next Sunday a large number of ladies will visit his place, and he has given notice in this paper of a welcome reception. The Willow Springs is a pleasant place, and distant only three miles from this city, and if the day should be fair and favorable there will doubtless be a large crowd there next Sabbath.” Dio Lewis of New York, recommends “conduct ing the temperance movement in the same manner as in the West. He proposes to district the city, ten ladies to a street, each band to go through all the saloons in their district, making short prayers in each, "When, they get through the district let them recommence. He has the greatest faith in the efficacy of prayers alone to effect the object intended.” In Pittsburg we are told “ the feeling gains strength daily that the field is too large for the accomplishment of much good by praying in the saloons. There are 1,400 places in this city where liquor is sold, and it is thought a sufficient number of ladies cannot be enlisted in the cause to do the required work.” In Dayton (Ohio) we are told (March 2); —“ Several prayer bands of women visited a number of saloons here to day. None surrendered j but several were willing to sell out or to be set up in other businesses. Three new saloons opened today. The women are not discouraged, but are determined to persevere.” In another town in Ohio we read The Ladies’ Temperance Organization is working vigorously here. One saloon was surrendered at four o’clock this afternoon, and the liquor poured into the gutter.” Other saloon-keepers, in Xenia (Ohio), voluntarily sacrificed the whole of their liquors by broaching the casks and allowing the contents to flow away. “Four large bands spent the day in song and prayer before other saloons, and a dozen small companies visited other places. Before night it was rumored that three more saloons had agreed to surrender to-morrow morning. A notable feature of the war in this city for the last two days has been the presence of a large school of girls led by their teacher, singing before the saloons such songs as ‘ Say, Mr Barkeeper, has father been here' V and Father, dear father, come home.* It is seriously proposed to close all the schools and business houses for a portion of each day, that the whole population may be brought to bear on the saloons, This is a night of rejoicing in Xenia. Those best acquainted with the situation are so sanguine as to believe that not a month will pass before every saloon in Xenia will be closed. 'I he ‘ Shades of Death,’ they say, was the ‘backbone of rebellion.’ ” These are a few of the many scores of paragraphs we cull from our American exchanges. Two millions of women are said to be

engaged in the cause. The movement is hysterical, and will probably last for no longer term than have other former temperance revivals in some of the States of America. That it is hysterical we have but to quote the following, one only of the many such we could give had we space at our command : u Another shout, and another song, and the assembly became too happy for orderly manifestations. Some women were laughing, some crying, others praying but the majority rejoiced in song or silence. Nothing was to be witnessed but tears, songs, prayers, hand-sbakings and congratulations. In the outskirts of the crowd was an old lady almost in hysterics, but still shouting in that rapt manner one often hears at camp-meeting. ‘ Bless the Lord ! 0 ! 0! 0 ! Bless the Lord !* On inquiry 1 learned that she belonged to one of the first families in the city, and is ordinarily a most quiet, placid lady. One son she has lost by intemperance, and another is in danger. To her this victory over the saloons was a consummation long prayed for.”