Transcribed from microfilm and contributed by: Charles A. Sherrill, 1992
A project of the Bradley County Historical Society

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Petition Number 123, Year 1851_

[The envelope is postmarked at Bolivar, Tenn. and addressed to “Division S of T, Cleveland, Tenn”. The petition was referred to the committee on Tippling and Tippling Houses on Dec. 1, 1851. It is a printed petition, and copies of this petition were also signed and sent to the Legislature from other Tennessee counties. It reads as follows.]

To the Legislature of Tennessee

The undersigned, female citizens of Tennessee Bradley County, would respectfully represent to your Honorable body, that, from a conviction of the fact, that the largest portion of the Pauperism, Crime, Solial [sic] Evils and Untimely Deaths, with which our country is afflicted, flows from Intemperance; That the chivalrous State of Tennessee already has its thousand of suffering women and children, whose woes are rendered still more sacred, by the tears of other thousands of widows and orphans, whose sorrows may be traced to the use of intoxicating liquors by a husband or father, as the grand originating cause.

And, inasmuch as the present existing Laws of Tennessee have hitherto proved ineffectual in suppressing the unholy traffice [sic], in those exhilerating [sic] poisons, and we believing the true remedy to be found only in removing the cause. Although your petitioners do not wish to arrogate to themselves the right to dictate to or take part in the Law-making power; yet we do claim the right of soliciting, at your hands, the enacting of such laws as will best protect our interest in society, and preserve from disgrace, degredation and a drunkards grave. Thousands of fathers, husbands, brothers and sons, who, but for the intoxicating bowl, would hold an honorable station in that society to which nature intended them to belong. Your petitioners therefore pray your honorable body to take solemnly into consideration the importance of this momentous subject, and at an early day after your convention, enact some law that will be calculated to suppress the unholy traffic in intoxicating liquors, save for Medicinal and Chemical purposes; thereby placing it beyond the power of the dealer in those poisons to place the tempting glass to the lips of the unsuspecting youth, or filch from the inebriate gray haired sire’s wife, the pittance with which his wife and children should be made comfortable.

We cannot suggest the Legislative action upon this subject that would likely be most efficient, but hope that the wisdom of your honorably body, when tempered with justice, and with due regard to our claims on you as patriots, and the interest of all the people, will enact some law by weich [sic] our country will be freed from the sin of vending intoxicating drink, and with due respect, your petitioners will ever pray, &c.