The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1874-04-15
GheGtteIIie
A Word on Behalf Of the Ladies'.
RdItOFs Of tho lntclllgonter.

n WOEu on bchnII OF inc LauleS'
Rditors Of tho Intclllgencer.
CHANGING over your paper OF the 1911
my attention was attracted 10 an aiticl
under the title of"A word TO the Ladies.
The writer OF that article says, II presum
II Ia we'll understood that | have Away
been decided temperance man" Il
also says, II do not pretend to impeac
the motives Of these ladies. Not at all.
lam just as free from any thought O
impeachlng the motives of the writer 0
that article. But ] am quito satisfied tina
Ills judgment Is OF fault, not only in thl
Interpretation, but especially In the appll
cation Of scripture when he quotes In op,
position TO the ladies temperance move
ment the 9th and 9th verses Of the Oh
chapter Of Matthew. "And when thor
prayest thou shalt not be as the hypocriteI
are Tor they love to pray standing In the
synagogues and in the corners oil the
streets that they may be seen OF men,"
Now in tho first place, the motives o.
those OF whom our Savior here spoke are
declared 10 have been unworthy, both BY
the term "hypocrite" and by the expres
sion that they may be seen Of men.
And second, these ladies do not Loo.
thus 10 pray on the streets, but are i'm.
PEELED by.S sense Of duty 10 the perform,
Nnce Of q painful task. And It Is certain.
y sale 10 presume that they would much
rather DO sheltered from the gaze Of the
street throng, and hold their services In
tue presence Of those only for whom they
pray and whom they are endeavoring Ia
dissusde from their neiarious business.
II this passage Of scripture be cited 10
condemn this street praying on the part
Of the ladies whose mothers are pure, Il
may with equal force and propriety be
quoted against all public prayer, and es-
pecially against those street prayer meet
ings that hayelbeen 90 fruitful OF good In
many Of our great cities, though not con-
Quoted an the Interest Of any particular
reform.
We certainly do want a healthy public
sentiment on the subject Of temperance,
and | submit to any candid observer II
the present movement has not done more
- educate that sentiment in the past two
months than any other temperance move.
ment In tho memory Of the present,gen-
GRAFTON, in the same length Of time. Both
its slngnlarity and its unparalleled sue
cess prompt TO inquire both as to the
movementitself and and the cause which
has given rise TO 1t, and irquiring always
promotes education.
lis avOwed purpose secures for 1t favor
from those even who doubt the prOpriety
d the means, il at least they be lovers Of
temperance.
The selfsacrifcing devotion OF those
noble women who are engaged In 1t, in.
stead OF setting them, and prayer, and
religion, in false light, commend re.
ligi0n which prompts 10 such sacrifice,
and gives efficacy to the service which
that religion maintains under such unfa-
vOrable circumstances.
1t draws from the opponents even, the
sentiment, do not impeach the motives
Of these ladies. l feel like saying 10 the
ladies', Go on in your good work. We
thank you for the great good already &C
complished, both in the suppression OF the
traill3 and in bringing the subject Of tenn.
pgrAnCe SO prominently before the people.
And above all, We thank God Tor raising
up such powerful though unlocked Tor
instrument of accomplishing his work
among US. Your notoriety, ladies, will
not be unenviable, even though you do
not accomplish all that might be desired |
Tor it, will be that OF battling in the Lords |
name with mOnstrOus evil, that Of sacri. |
licing ease and pleasure on the altar OF
duty to God and love to men. Those who
now speak unIavorably will yet, l am per.
suaded, honor both you and your religion |
for the good you accomplish by it. |
u. N. SLEETH.
Another Communication on the Same
Subject.
Editors Of tho Intelligencer.
This mornings issue contains an article
entitled "a word 10 the Ladies" in which
the writer undertakes to lecture the ladies
OF Wheeling in regard TO the practice and
propriety Of "Street Praying"
He Is careful to inform the ladies, and
Of course the readers Of the INTELLIGEN-
GER, tina: he has always been a strict
temperance man." but has not felt at
liberty to take any part in the recent tenn.
peranCe movement, and falls back on his
deliberate judgment, as the reason Tor his
want Of interest in the praying Increment
for the suppression Of the crime Of drunk.
enness and drunkard making. Aglance at
his reasons Tor his lack Of interest in the
cause as to its practice and continuance,
and his decided interest in It's suppression
and discontinuance.
Only few days ago there was an arti.
Gle In one OF the city papers purporIing 10
be report oil a"sal0on keepers" address to
band ofpraying ladies,in which the same
argument and the same portions OF scrip
ture wcrc urged as reasons for the ladies
remaining at home, and letting these lao
abiding citizens pursue their "lawiul call
ing" 1t is not strange that the majority
oil the Christian Ministry should be SO
stupid and uninEormed as not only TO re-
frain from reproving the ladies for their
"unscriptural acts" bnt positively to aid
and abate such unsceming conduct in |
protesting christian females? And is II |
not also strange that those who profess |
friendship to the cause, but who take no
part except to discourage and retard the
work, use the same arguments 10 sustain |
their position as those whose business and |
interest 1t is to deal out the deadly poison |
TO the victims who1ell into their snares
But enough Of this, let US examine the |
passage OF scripture quoted by this "lriend
Of temperance" and see If his construc-
ton Of 1t is correct, and then let US also |
examine other portions Of the sacred |
work, and see II those to whom 1t was
addressed acted as this writer concludes |
all should do, who read and believe the
bible His words are 1t cannot be de-
MED that Me language used by the Saw
Jour applies not only as 10 It's spirit, but
almost literally TO tho practice Of street
praying" Would It not be well Tor him
10 go little further and say, that 1t ap-
plies to any kind Of praying not done in
closet with shut door?
May it not DO proper to ask TO whom
a II q