The Wheeling daily register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1864-1878, 1874-04-14
The Crusals-If You Can't Aid Inc
Women, Don't Throw Anything In
Their WAY.


Their Way.
Editors of the Register:
l observe BY an Stticle copied into the
Sunday Ns1Os that the Ersning Standard
has come out, in its editorial columns,
souarely against the Women's Crusade
against intemperance.
Why this opposition l.? There Is sure
" no wrong in warning against Liquor.
Is ilnot one Of the strongest enemies oil
mankind as well a. one OF the most
inYincible? one Of the CHIEF causes OF
riot. plumber, aud, indeed, OF every
other crime? Is it not the handmaid
of poverty, and is not its way strewn
with broken hearts and premature
graves2
As think OF the homes broken and
the lives blighted by this curse, the
blood copgeals in my veins
when a voice is raised against
using any and every possible means,
whether the weak or the strong be the
instrument, to lessen the power OF
LIQUOR in the land. One life saved from
the rapacity OF the hungry-mouthed
demon is worth all the means that
have been used. No one is obliged to
enlist 10 this cause; it is purely mat
ter OF choice. And what harm can
come Of womar's earnest appeal to the
hearts and coDsciences OF those who
traffic 10 LIQUOR to turn their business
energies in another direction, and q
tervent prayer to God for HIS awak-
ening spirit?
Ii the editor of this paper has seen,
as many OF these women have Cor the
blight touches nearly every home)
dear ones daily going to destruction
through the agency OF this fearful evil,
sinking lower and lower, drifting TAR
Their and farther away from anything
pure and good; Slaves 10 drink; man
hood lost; judgment gone; likely, any
moment, to commit crime; transform
ing themselves by low degrees into be
sot,ed brures-he would he little
more in sympathy with this move
ment.
No one expects all the saloons to be
closed; but Il cir MI mber may be les
sened AVID their power for evil reduced.
No one expects to abolish entirely the
use OF alcoholic drinks; but it may be
restricted. Agitation will do good ii
will set the people to thinking; pubs
lie sentiment will be made more
healthy; and the drunkard-manu'ac
turer will fad social and business reas-
sons for engaging in other Vocations.
Let these women alone; If YOU cam
not help them, DO not try to sneer them
down. They have entered the lists
earnestly and conscientlously; the bat
tie may be long, but their courage will
not fail. They are awake now, and
VII not soon slumber. To find out
possibilities, is a great step gained (;
what has been done can be, aud they
know it Whenever and wherever q
blow can be struck for temperance, it
should be; and whenever tooth, il it
he but one OF the many millions with
which lntemperance grinds lis victims.
can be extracted, it should be. II you
know OF other means TO aid the cause,
use them; but throw nothing in the
way OF these women using the means
in their hands 1t must be, strike
strike--nOw here, now there, now ev~
erywhere. 1t is not question OF ex-
pedieDcy with these women. hut of
duty.
When The senior proprietor of the
Standard made his apparently earnest
speech in the temperance cause 10
Washington Hall, to vast multitude,
we naturally expected this paper to
be heart and soul with us But if il
will not be with us, we hope it will
cease to be against us.
EARNEST.