Chapter II: Hillsboro’, Ohio (4)

A very large number of persons had taken the total abstinence pledge. A Temperance Reading-Room was established in Alliance. Many of our workers have never ceased to labor for the Temperance Reform, though in different ways from those of the Crusade days. Women’s Christian Temperance Unions are now in existence both in Alliance and Mount Union. The Crusade is not ended! but is going on with steadily _increasing power_, and our forces are being increased continually by enlisting the help of the Sabbath schools everywhere. This “tidal wave” of Temperance will go on, broadening and deepening, until it will sweep the Rum Power from his throne, and we will be in very deed a _free_ people, enfranchised from King Alcohol.

A number of conversions occurred at our meetings, and the _workers_ learned to _trust in God_, as they had never done before. As Moses stood between the erring Hebrews and their God, and on Mount Sinai the presence of Jehovah well-nigh overwhelmed him, so _we_ stood interceding for the fallen, and, at times, the glory of God shown to _us_ was all that we could bear. The promise that “no evil should befall us” was verified. A saloonist threatened to place gunpowder under the floor, and cause an explosion beneath us, but we visited him, and no harm came to us. Another turned a fierce dog upon us, but the dog hung his head and ran away. A dealer’s wife stood close by a kneeling Crusader, and held a _hatchet over her head_, but the uplifted arm fell harmless by her side. Guns were loaded and flourished at the windows near us menacingly, and many desperate threats were made. But the Lord of hosts was with us. “In the Lord Jehovah is everlasting strength: we will trust in him _forever_.”

The summing up of the results of the Crusade cannot be perfected until the records in the “Book of Life” are read. Many of them are like the tender seed we plant in spring-time--we see them not as they germinate under the soil, yet they spring up, and bring forth fruit in their season. _We_ sowed precious seeds of truth “beside all waters,” and we note not the silent germination going forward in the souls of those who received them, but we shall find the perfect fruitage in the glorious Harvest Home of the Hereafter.

We append some incidents of our work, that we trust will be of interest to all our readers.

INCIDENTS.

The Lord truly makes the “_wrath_ of man to praise him.” This was manifested to us on many occasions, one of which was the following:

One cold wintry day we were assembled for prayer and conference, when word came to us that a saloonist had prepared a “_Crusader in effigy_,” and placed it at his door. We formed a band, and marched to the place. The novelty of the affair brought a crowd of listeners to hear our hymns and prayers; and as we knelt around that hideous image, intended as a reproach to us, we seemed very near to our blessed Redeemer, who was mocked and persecuted, and _crucified, for us_, and who said to his disciples: “Blessed are ye when men shall revile you, and persecute you, and shall say all manner of evil against you falsely for my name’s sake. Rejoice, and be exceeding glad, for great is your reward in heaven.” Those services were blessed to our own souls, and those of our hearers.

Afterwards the saloonist apologized for his conduct, saying the image was placed there in his absence. We told him it did us no harm, but was overruled to our good.

An extremely wicked dealer was so convicted, as to tremble mightily, on the occasion of our first visit to him, yet would not relent. Afterwards, when intoxicated, he accosted the ladies with such a volley of profanity, that a policeman arrested him. He was kept in the lock-up all night, and in the morning, when the ladies were expected to appear in police court _against_ him, they went and plead for _his release_. Giving him good for evil, so deepened his convictions, that he came to our evening meeting and surrendered his business.

One evening, a small band of women were singing and praying in front of a saloon, the door of which was closed. Inside a few desperate men were trying to drown the sounds of prayer by singing a parody on “Mother, dear mother, come home!” and by dancing, and drunken revelry. A Quakeress felt moved by the Spirit to effect an entrance all alone. She opened the door partly, when some one within suddenly closed and locked it, catching the front width of her plain full dress skirt and holding it fast in the door. The lady was thus held in a stiff and uncomfortable position until a customer from the street, whose rap was evidently recognized inside, caused the door to be opened; the Quakeress entered and the door was closed; the dealer raised his hands to thrust her out, but she took his arms in her hands and knelt quickly before him, and breathed an earnest prayer. A policeman followed her into the saloon and ordered the men to be quiet. The revelry ceased, and silence reigned among the rowdies. When her mission of love was completed she went forth filled with peace, and those men were responsible before God for one more offer of mercy; for when the Holy Spirit indites a prayer, he also convicts the hearts of those for whom the prayer is heard, and then as free agents they receive or reject the Holy Spirit.

Soon after our active Crusade work commenced, the Whiskey Ring was roused to action, and they sent out great showy posters announcing an anti-Temperance Meeting. And those opposed to the “Woman’s Whiskey War” were invited from all the surrounding country. On the afternoon of their meeting we gathered in a church for social prayer. Some of our temperance men sent us word that it would not be prudent for us to patrol the saloons that day, as a _riot_ was expected if our band was on the street.

We took not “council with flesh and blood,” but asked direction of the Lord of hosts, and from Him our marching orders came. It was a long procession, and a very solemn one, that wended its way from the church to a point near the depot that afternoon. Three saloons were adjacent to each other, and we held our services on the street in front of those. While we were kneeling on the sidewalk--in two rows on the edge of it--leaving three feet between us for passers-by, a train of cars came rushing in, bringing a large delegation from neighboring towns. They took up the line of march, headed by the Mozart Brass Band, which accompanied them. The band struck up a lively tune as the procession started to pass between the rows of kneeling women.

Many of them were so drunk they staggered against us as they walked; but our voices went on, and the music ceased, and the tune melted into silence unfinished; and a great stillness came over that crowd of men who were scoffers at first; and the white dove of PEACE descended upon the women who had thus humbled themselves to kneel at the feet of a mocking rabble; and the living presence of the Master filled our souls with joy unutterable.

The Whiskey mass-meeting resulted only in the passage of some resolutions, denouncing the “present mode of female warfare,” and declaring that they did not approve of _intemperance_! Two of these we quote:

“_Resolved_, That we _condemn drunkenness_, _despise drunkards_, and _pity_ those who, for want of more moral power, try to fortify themselves against the violation of the laws of Temperance ordained by nature.

“_Resolved_, That we are willing to support the laws for the diminution and _prevention_ of _intemperance_ as far as in our power; to advocate a more appropriate _punishment_, and the _correction of inebriates_, and to use our influence to _regulate_ the sale of liquors by an effective license law.”

The vice-president of the meeting and many of the audience were liquor-dealers, and such resolutions as these were passed by those who sell what produces _inebriety_, and it is their philanthropic (?) design to punish men for the effects produced by liquors, the price of which clothe their wives and children! Thankful we are, that Justice is with God, and _will_ be _dispensed_ to us all in the eternal ages!

One gloomy April day, as we sat in council, a message came to us that a wholesale dealer from Cleveland was in town for the purpose of selling liquors to the dealers here. He was a very portly, pompous millionaire, we heard, and was boasting that the Crusaders in his city were afraid of _him_, and dared not molest _his_ place of business. Desiring to prevent him from supplying liquor to be sold in our town, we went in a band down Main street. He saw us coming, and sought refuge in a clothing store. We followed, and before he could escape, he was literally _surrounded_ by kneeling women; a prayer was offered and a hymn was sung. He then crowded past us into the street; we followed in procession; he went into a hotel, but as we were about to enter, he did not wait to transact any business _there_, but felt an immediate call to visit a neighboring saloon: _so did we_.

He evidently hoped to enter alone and lock us out, but when the door opened wide enough to admit his _corpulent_ figure, it was wide enough for two small Crusaders to find entrance, which they did so very close behind him, that when the door was quickly locked, it was _astonishing_ to him that his fair followers were _also_ there; he turned a woful face towards the back door, but lo! _they_ were coming! the Crusade band! The _front_ door was thrown open and in came _another_ division of the band, and they knelt, and the persecuted nabob was again in the centre of a lively prayer-meeting, which continued until he forced a passage to the street; we followed in solemn order, singing a hymn. We kept close behind him, going up Main street until he found a buggy standing idle, with a driver, and he was driven rapidly away, while we went quietly on to head-quarters as though we had no other intent. We considered and felt certain the warm reception we had given him would remind him of pressing business at home, that he must reach by the next north-bound train. Near train time a Crusade band was at the station. Soon after our arrival, a guest of a hotel near by, came to us and said, “The man you are _Crusading_ is hidden in an upper room at the hotel; I heard his plans, they are going to take him out the back way to the train.”

After a time we saw a frightened-looking individual of great avoirdupois, accompanied by a very small Jew for protection, coming up the railroad track from the rear, having taken a long walk down back alleys, to avoid the public thoroughfares. They entered the back door of the car, puffing with exhaustion; and just as our _hero_ drew a breath of relief, thinking how _shrewdly_ he had evaded his pursuers, he noticed some Crusaders entering at the front door of the coach; he turned to flee, but others came in at the back door, and in despair he sank into a seat. The aisle was immediately filled compactly with women. The terrified man threw up a window seeking egress, but it would not do, his body was too large to pass through the aperture, and besides---- _What_ greeted his bewildered vision? An immense crowd of men and women--Whiskey Ring, saloonists, and temperance workers--_all had come_ to the _prayer-meeting_. Crusaders to right of him! Crusaders to left of him! Crusaders everywhere! And close at his side a solemn voice was uttering an earnest prayer.

We exhorted him to cease his sinful trade in Rum, and we sung Crusade hymns, the conductor detaining the train for our services. The passengers in the car _wept much_, and cried aloud, “_God bless the women!_” We finally made our adieux to the dealer, telling him we were his friends, and inviting him to return and we would give him another meeting! A telegram was sent to Crusade head-quarters at Cleveland, asking the band of ladies there to meet him at the train and escort him home, which they did, following him singing Crusade songs.

The whole transaction here was conducted with the _utmost_ solemnity, and the prayers were full of spiritual power. The ludicrous aspect of the proceeding never _occurred_ to _us until it was all over_.

There was a large billiard hall in the opera house, just across the hall from our head-quarters. We found that liquors were sold there, in a quiet way.

We visited the proprietor in a band and he was very courteous, though unyielding. One _night_ two women “on picket duty” stood by his door. He grew very angry and roughly _pushed_ them out into the hall. Next day the leader of the band was warned, that it would be unsafe to go there, he seemed so wickedly disposed. After praying about it, the band leader felt especially impressed to visit him that very day; the band went, the leader rapped at his door and asked timidly, to be allowed to hold a prayer-meeting there. He gave a reluctant permission, and after a hymn had been sung he said to the leader, “Will you read a portion of Scripture that I will select for you?” She gave an affirmative reply, and he found the sixth chapter of Matthew and asked her to read the first eight verses. She did so, silently praying all the time, that Christ would lead her to act wisely.

Having read it she proceeded to speak from it: saying, “We do not think we are ‘doing alms’ when we carry the gospel to our sinful brothers for whom Christ _died_, neither do we expect to gain any glory for having knelt in saloons and on the unclean streets in prayer; on the contrary, it is the greatest cross that we have ever carried, to thus humble ourselves before the people. Yet, we are made willing to do so _for your sakes_, and the sake of the fathers and sons you are poisoning with alcohol!” She then gave a brief exhortation to the _unsaved_ to come to Jesus. Thrilling prayers were offered and hymns sung, and it seemed to the worshippers that the Shekinah itself hovered over them.

The proprietor was much affected. Several men who had ceased playing billiards at our entrance, gave eager attention, and many eyes were _red_ with weeping, when the little band departed.

Some weeks later the leader of that band was speaking to a congregation in the African Church. At the close of her remarks, a white man arose and asked permission to speak. “Once,” he said, “I was a liquor-dealer, but I saw the error of my way, and changed my business, but I never was converted, until the day you visited the Opera House billiard hall, and you read the sixth chapter of Matthew and spoke from it--_then_ and _there I was converted. I will never doubt_ my _conversion_,” etc., and he has ever since continued a faithful member of a Christian church. Reported by M. E. G.

Rev. William Hunter, at that time Editor of the _Pittsburgh Christian Advocate_, residing at Alliance, and working in the Crusade meetings here, composed the following beautiful hymn, which we used very often in our temperance meetings. He has since been called “up higher,” to sing the songs of the redeemed.

“BATTLE-HYMN OF THE WOMEN CRUSADERS.”

The light of truth is breaking,
On the mountain top it gleams,
Let it flash along the valleys,
Let it glitter on our streams,
Till all our land awakens
In its flush of golden beams,
Our God is marching on.

_Chorus_--Glory, Glory, Hallelujah!
Glory, Glory, Hallelujah!
Glory, Glory, Hallelujah!
Our God is marching on.

With purpose strong and steady,
In the great Jehovah’s name,
We rise to save our kindred
From a life of woe and shame,
And the jubilee of freedom
To the slaves of sin proclaim.
Our God is marching on.

_Chorus_--Glory, Glory, Hallelujah! etc.

From morning’s early watches
Till the setting of the sun,
We will never flag nor falter
In the work we have begun,
Till the forts have all surrendered,
And the victory is won.
Our God is marching on.

_Chorus_--Glory, Glory, Hallelujah! etc.

We wield no carnal weapon,
And we hurl no fiery dart,
But with words of love and reason
We are sure to win the heart,
And persuade the poor transgressor
To prefer the better part.
Our God is marching on.

_Chorus_--Glory, Glory, Hallelujah! etc.

When dawns the day of terror,
And the awful trumpet’s sound
Shall waken up the sleepers
From beneath the quaking ground,
May no blood of fallen brothers
On our startled souls be found.
Our God is marching on.

_Chorus_--Glory, Glory, Hallelujah! etc.

Our strength is in Jehovah,
And our cause is in His care,
With Almighty arms to help us
We have strength to do and dare.
While confiding in the promise
That the Lord will answer prayer.
Our God is marching on.

_Chorus_--Glory, Glory, Hallelujah! etc.

The following poem was composed by Mrs. M. B. Reese, at that time President of the Alliance League, and sung in our mass-meetings, to the tune, “Tenting on the old camp-ground:”

“THE COLLEGE-BELL.”

A lowly consecrated band,
Who loved the Master’s name,
With patience waited on the Lord,
Until the answer came.

_Chorus_--Many a form has bent ’neath the _storm_,
The burden of souls to tell;
Many are the hearts gladdened to-day
The burden of souls to tell;
Listening alway, for chimes that say,
Your brothers pray as well.[1]

Go forth, ye trusting ones, He said,
In faith to sing and pray,
No evil shall your steps befall,
I have prepared the way.

_Chorus_--Many a form, etc.

Dark shadows swept the wintry sky,
The tempest echoed loud;
But, oh! we know our Father’s face
Smiled on us from the cloud.

_Chorus_--Many a form, etc.

No threats disturbed, no fears oppressed,
Nor care, least man should mock;
We only heard the Shepherd’s call,
“Fear not, ye little flock.”

_Chorus_--Many a form, etc.

His love hath kept, His hand hath led,
Our footsteps day by day;
And victory soon will crown our cause
If we but watch and pray.

_Chorus_--Many a form, etc.

INCIDENTS.

Two ladies were sent to interview the priest, hoping to gain his gracious permission for the women of the Catholic Church to work in the saloon visitation. He received them courteously in his private parlor. But on learning the object of their visit, his denunciations were bitter. The ladies felt the exceeding uncomfortableness of their position and politely offered to withdraw their request, also their presence. In an excited manner he commanded them to be seated while he proceeded to explain that Christ’s commission was given to the Apostle, through whom it was delegated to the Pope, thence to the Priesthood; and sneeringly added, “Where did you get your commission to go on the streets and teach men the gospel? Tell me, woman, _I demand it_; where did you get your commission?” Remembering that she must not “deny the faith that was in her,” with coolness, she replied, simply, “I get my commission from my Bible.” Striking his clenched hand on the sacred word, he vehemently demanded, “_Where?_” Without hesitation, the Holy Spirit helped her to the words, “Christ says, ‘Lovest thou me? feed my sheep.’ St. Peter’s words, ‘The Rock of the Holy Church.’” Their utterance fed his anger. He reiterated, almost fiercely, “Woman, _dare_ you place yourself on a level with St. Peter?” Accompanied by sneering denunciations of the work, again he demanded, “Where in the Bible do you find a commission to women to teach the gospel upon the street?” Again the Spirit’s quickening power enabled her to reply, with calmness, “On the resurrection morn, Christ told Mary to ‘Go tell my disciples, to go quickly;’ in her haste she probably ran through the streets, proclaiming as she went the risen Saviour.” He made no reply. His manner softened; with a half-apology for his excited words, he courteously permitted the ladies to depart.

Nearly two months of the siege had elapsed. The light of earnest and patient labor shining within the haunts of vice, revealed the strong, deep shadows. The women, no longer invigorated by the keen, biting March winds, felt the pressure of household care, as well as the lassitude of spring-tide. The ranks were perceptibly thinned. The work of picketing the saloons grew wearisome and discouragingly monotonous. An energy born of consecration alone nerved the faithful to carry on the desperate struggle. In the proceedings of the city council, an ordinance to restrain and prohibit ale, beer, and porter-houses, or shops, or habitual resorts for tippling, had passed its second reading. The time for the third and final reading drew near. The saloon-keepers hopefully reviewed our depleted bands, and carefully tithed each ounce of popular sentiment, knowing their interests hung in the legal scales of the city council. They did not recognize a Gideonite band that made them daily visitations. Each member, humbled with the publicity of street parade, felt she had laid her face in the gutter that her brother might walk erect in sobriety and virtuous manhood. If the voices were fewer that sung “Nearer my God, to Thee,” the strains rose higher; if lips faltered as they plead for strength, the prayer was deeper as it went from burdened hearts to the ear of the Great Eternal.

At this issue, through the long afternoon, two ladies kept picket-guard at a notorious saloon in an obscure part of the city. In their conversation, the question arose in this immediate crisis: What can be done to quicken the flagging interest? A serious question. As they left the post of duty, they took it with them to their homes. One of them took it to her closet, and in earnest prayer besought the Lord to wisely direct, else a worthy cause and worthy efforts must suffer defeat.

As she rose from her knees, a full conception of a Temperance Convention flashed upon her mind. The plan was laid before the presiding officer, and heartily approved. Committees were speedily at work to effect its consummation.

The following Tuesday evening was the time for the final reading of the ordinance. That day was chosen for the convention. Announcements were freely but quietly made. The noon trains brought delegations from Pittsburgh, Cleveland, Salem, Ravenna, and towns of the vicinity, where leagues had been formed. Mount Union College sent a delegation of faculty and entire body of students. Alliance Hall was filled to overflowing. With addresses full of devotion to the work, and encouragement to the workers, and music that stirred all hearts to renewed energy, the meeting was one of wonderful enthusiasm. At the close of the afternoon service two hundred and twenty-five Crusaders filed out of the hall, down Main street. The saloon-keepers, suddenly surprised and awed into submission by the number, offered no resistance, and an impressive street service was held. During the evening session the enthusiasm was at its height, when a messenger brought the glad tidings that the hotly contested ordinance had passed. The old college-bell rang out gleefully; the men almost lost decorum in sounding cheer; but the “Women of the Whiskey War,” with uplifted faces, sang with hearty earnestness, “Praise God, from whom all blessings flow.” Reported by A. M. B.

NEW PHILADELPHIA, OHIO.

The Secretary of the League, Callie A. Everett, gives the following interesting account of the closing of the saloons in this town early in the Crusade:

“Mr. Schmidt, a German,” proposed many times that the ladies buy him out; this, however, was against our principles, and we urged him to “dare to do right,” and trust to our temperance people to give him a fair start in something else; finally, prayers and entreaties prevailed, and he carried out his liquor, and showed the women how to open the barrels. As it streamed over the ground, the expression of feeling in different individuals was noticeable. Some wept, others laughed, the men cheered, anvils were fired, and all the bells in our city pealed forth the glad news.

The women surrounded and overwhelmed him with thanks, and he, with tears flowing rapidly, assured them “he was glad, too.” His saloon-tables, glasses, etc., were at once offered at auction.

The cheering news spread like wildfire, and a large crowd assembled to bid-off the various articles. One tumbler was sold three times to the same man, bringing in all seventeen dollars. At this rate he was soon recompensed, and has started, a number one, butcher shop.

John Myers likewise poured out, or allowed the ladies to empty, twelve barrels of wine and whiskey into our streets, and as he was better off financially than Schmidt, did not need so much assistance; however, the women bought his tables, etc., and by their presence urged the men to buy. He has started a saddler shop.

The demonstrations on this occasion were similar to the one mentioned before.

Mr. John Furney asked that no public demonstration be made over his surrender, and the ladies obtained his name quietly, only evidencing their triumph by the irrepressible joy beaming from their countenances. Mr. Furney has started a “Temperance Restaurant” in connection with his grocery, and on the 4th of April, 1874, fifty ladies ordered him to prepare dinner for them.

These cases of surrender were from the very ones that at first opposed us in every way. At Schmidt’s, particularly, they danced and sung, jeered and drank over the women’s heads.

The worst cases generally yielded first.