The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1874-04-13
A Word to the Ladies',
Editors Of tho IntOlllgcnccr,

Editors Of the Intelligeneer.
AT the risk Of mourning tho dIspleasur,
Of some OF the friends Of temperan
peg leave 10 say few words to thl
ladies who are engaged In what Is callet
the Temperance crusade"
l presume 1t is well understood that
have always been decided temperance
man. But l have not felt at liberty L
take any part In the recent temperance
movement, because Il seems 10 possess
some features Of which my deliberate
Judgment cannot approve. Among these
Is that Of street praying.
turn 10 the 9th chapter Of Matthew
9th and 9th verses, where find these
words: "And when thou ptayest, thou
shalt not be as the hypocrites are: iol
they love to pray standing In the syara-
gogues and In the corners OF the streets,
that they may beseen by men. But thou,
when thou prayest, enter into thy closet,
and when thou hast shut thy door praV
TO thy Father which Is in secret"
IL strikes me as rather q sad state OF
things when the ladies will allow their
own Bible which they love, and by which
they profess to be guided, 10 be quoted
BY the saloon keepers with such telling
effect against them. Forit cannot be de.
MED that the language used by our Sa-
vior applies not only as to its spirit but
almost literally to the practice Of street
praying.
Now l do not pretend to impeach the
motives OF these ladies. Not at all.
believe them TO be very earnest and sin
cere. Only ! believe that in this matter
oil street'praying their zeal Is miHdirected,
and that they arc pursuing very iDju-
dicious course. In q word, think that
the tendency Of such practice, Is to put
themselves in a false position, such as
ladies ought not to occupy, and to bring
the subject OF prayer, and even religion
itself into contempt. These ladies are
gaining for themselves notoriety which
will not be enviablc, and they should not
forget that they are now labOring under
an excitement Of which they themselves
are hardly aware; but that the time Of
reflection will come when they may DOS
si6lY indulge In unavailing regrets,
l entirely concur with Rev. Mr.. Fisher
on this subject; and am glad that he has
had the manliness to speak out his sertl-
ments, although he may have momen-
tsrily incurred ebloquy from some whose
criticisms are fanatical, and not worthy
OF regard. think that Mr.. Fisher Is en-
tirely correctin saying, that the first thing
TO be done is to create q healthy public
sentiment on the subject oil temperance.
Without this no Legislation, no municipal
ordinances, no police regulations, will be |
Of any avail to stay the tide OF intemper-
ance. Without this, laws and ordinances
VIII DO passed only to be broken, and DO.
lice officers will join the saloon keepers in
their efforts to defeat their successful OBJ
eratione.
l have been familiar with the temper
ance movement through al. It's successive
phases, and have generally cooperated
with 1t; and am now prepared to give to
Its friends the results Of a forty years ex-
perience. lam now an old man, and can
certainly have no motive for wishing 10
mislead my fellow men. Let me, there
fore, beg the friends Of temperance to lis
ten respectfully, iEnot to my unworthy
sell, ut least 10 such sound, conservative |
men as Rev. Mr.. Fisher.
J.H. MoMRcHEN.