Syracuse University Library
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Gerrit Smith Broadside and Pamphlet Collection

Woman's war upon the dramshops / by Gerrit Smith.

Smith, Gerrit, 1797-1874.

Digital Edition.

This digitization project was supported by Regional Bibliographic Databases and Interlibrary Resources Sharing Program funds, awarded by the New York State Library.

Call number: Smith 581

WOMAN'S WAR UPON THE DRAMSHOPS

(BY GERRIT SMITH)

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Most miserable of all men is the drunkard. More miserable, however, than he is the wife of the drunkard. Not less true is it that the children of the drunkard have a harder lot than any other children. Is it then to be wondered at that the women are, at last, rising up against the dramshops? Nay, is it not rather a matter of wonder that their characteristic patience and gentleness have borne so long with these the great manufactories of drunkards? - with these the sweeping destroyers of the peace and bloody invaders of the safety of their families? How could they be still any longer? The men would not vote to shut up these "breathing holes of hell" ; and the men would not suffer the women to vote it. Hence the despair - the wild despair, if you please to it such - in which they are now acting. John Brown saw slavery to be stronger than ever, and in very desperation he dashed himself against it. Dear woman sees the murderous dram shop to be stronger than ever - to have a stronger hold than ever upon the habits of the people - and, conscious of her weakness, she nevertheless encounters it. But as God's presence in the John Brown movement. Slavery is dead; and, at no distant day, the dramshop will be dead. God glorified not the abolitionists but Himself in the fall of slavery; and He will glorify not the Temperance Societies but Himself in the fall of the dramshop. It will be just like Himself, if He shall let all the mighty machinery employed in the cause of Temperance for the last fifty years come to naught, and crown with success the pleadings of woman with God and man. With the help of God, the "stripling" David killed great Goliath ; and with that held feeble woman can kill the dramshop - is already killing it.

The press and myriads of tongues abound in criticisms on these distressed women, and charge them with violating the properties of their sex and the legal rights of the dramseller. But with these criticisms I can have no sympathy. If in their agony of soul, they should now and then, be seen rushing to besiege a dramshop, with hair dishelveled and clothing hurriedly and imperfectly put on, I, for one, could have no heart to remonstrate - no, nor if they should leave insufficient room on the sidewalk for the dram drinkers. To find fault with these weary and heart-broken women is to begin at the wrong end. The first duty is to relieve them of their intolerable oppression, and to stop making drunkards of their husbands, sons and brothers. After that will be time enough to urge upon them the claims of decorum and the scrupulous observance of the doubtful rights of the drunkard-makers.

I rejoice that the women see just where to strike in order to cripple the enemy and leave him no power to prolong the fight. Would that the temperance men were as discerning, and were concentrating their force in the same direction, instead of striking all around the compass and hitting nothing effectually. Women see that it is dramselling - the selling of alcoholic beverages to be drank upon the premises, as in hotels and saloons - which makes the vast majority of drunkards - and that once an end is put ro this branch of drunkard-making - to this, which is rather the very tap-root and trunk of the satanic business - the remaining victories in the cause of temperance will be easily achieved. Let the men follow in this wake of the women, and insist at the ballot-box that Government shall make an end of this dramselling, and very few years would pass away ere our country would be rejoicing not merely in the dawn but in the noonday brightness of temperance. And to do this they need not call upon Government to espouse the cause of temperance - for it is admitted that Government has no right to espouse any

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moral reform. They need but call on it to be true to its single office of protecting person and property - and surely it cannot be true to it so long as it suffers the dramshop to peril them so frightfully. Moreover, whilst the dramshop far surpasses all things else in perilling them, no plea can be offered for its usefulness in any respect or in any degree. The temperance men have but to insist on this duty at the hands of Government, and all political parties will straightway stand with them - for none of them could afford to deny that the suppression of the dramshop is vital to the protection of person and property.

The friends of temperance are right in using their moral influence against all intoxicating drinks in all places - but they are wrong in requiring the action of Government to be commensurate with this wide range of moral influence. Government is less than Government when it permits the existence of the dramshop. It is more than Government when it makes war upon [unreadable] intoxicating drinks in all places. Government [unreadable] leave large freedom to the people. It must, for instance, leave them free to practise many arts and much deceit in making gain - but it must not leave them to steal. It must not deny them all traffic in intoxicating liquors, but it must not suffer society to be demoralized and destroyed by dramselling. "Total abstinence," so far as it is voluntary, is excellent - but "absolute prohibition" should not be and cannot be enforced. In enforcing it, Government would be guilty of encroaching on the domain of individual freedom. Would that the temperance men might give themselves to a little study of the limitations of Government! There would then be far less danger of their being swept past these limitations on the tide of their benevolence.

Our prevailing and appalling drunkenness would soon be a thing of the past were,

First, the absurd and adominable license system abolished, and "local option" kicked out of sight.

Second, the dramseller forbidden to carry on his work of death and damnation - and forbidden it under effectual penalties - penalties reaching, if found necessary, even as far as confinement in the State Prison.

Third, and the drunkard punished as he should be, for perilling by his responsible insanity in the rights of others.

Go on, dear women, in your heaven-blest work! and stop not so long as there remains one dramshop to make idiots and madmen of its frequenters. Let not men succeed in making you ashamed of your undertaking as an unwomanly one. The shame is all on them, who have set up and kept up the dramshop. To you, who overthrow it, will be honor and thanks forever and ever. We recognize in you the instruments that God is employing in the most powerfull and precious revival of religion that ever brought salvation to the wretched and ruined; and we rejoice that "the weapons of your warfare are not carnal, but mighty through God Himself in this revival - for your religious victories. We recognize His own Son [unreadable] - for He died to redeem the world from this body and soul-destroying sin of the dramshop. We believe His Holy Spirit to be its enlightening and guiding influence and its vital breath. In the sublime presence of such a blessed revival, we stand filled with wonder, gratitude and praise.

PETERBORO March 24 1874.