The Wheeling daily register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1864-1878, 1874-03-23
at'Ase1!as ge9l5ter.
THE TEMPERANCE MOVEMENT,
The Excftemens In Ohio-Some
Alarming Phases Of the Crusade.

THE TEMPERANCE MOVEMRNT,
The Excitemens In Ohio-some
Alarming Phases OF the Crusade.
4 correspondent OF the Cincinnati
Commercial who has been travelling
from point to point and writing from a
friendly standpoint an account Of what
he has seen ofthe Temperance Crusade,
has this to say in a letter from Near
thur, Vintou county, on the 18th inst:
l can no longer disguise from my
self the fact that this temperance war
is developing some very bad features,
l do not, of course, take it upon N.Y.
self to decide whether the ladies are
specially to blame, or the men that
have attempted to lead them or il the
evils are such as naturally intere in
the situation. But to the tact | speak
briefly the conflict seems 10 be assum.
ing an ugly shape. In several places
l have visited lately there are indica-
tons Of new issues First, OF conflict
between the foreign born, especially
Germans, and native citizens. 1t is q
fact that in many places all the saloon
men, and in many places more than
half, are foreign born. At Marietta. /
believe, all are Germans. Their edu-
cation has been such that it ia nearly
i'm possible to convince them that the
business is morally wrong; they do not
understand the feelings Of American on
the subject. Often they comprehend
the language but imperfectly, and the
songs and prayers not at all, II they
fail 10 understandable ladies, still less
do the latter understand them. The
Germans can not appreciate the relig-
ious element, as taking. this peculiar
direction. They look upon the crusade
either as pure foolishness, or a wanton,
causeless attack on them and their leg
itimste business. That il should be q
sin to manufacture, sell, or drink the
same beverage which their ministers
and parents have always used, Of which
Martin Luther often partook with rel
ish, they are slow to believe and those
who 80 regard it they consider either
fanatics or officious meddlers. That
the feeling has grown steadily more
bitter as the work has gone on, is sim
ply matter Of common experience.
In the secoud place, there is grow
ing conflict between Protestant and
Catholic. In half a dozen places with
in the last week the division has taken
this clearly defined Shape. "Strsws"
are abundant to show which way the
wind is setting. At Cilhicothe Judge
Stafford pronounced this to be the main
conflict, and made this startling state
ment: II believe God Almighty in
tends to destroy the Protestant Church"
and this shameless remark was receiv-
ed by that crowd with loud and pro-
longed applause What shape must
this matter have already assumed when
Judge could make such a statement
from the stand ? II the conflict does
take this form, no man can conceive OF
the bitterness it will produce. Terrible
as are the evils OF intemperance, | am
free to say that l would rather see
every saloon restored as it was last
Christmas than to pass through such
another contest as we had in this coun-
try in 1854. There are some evils worse
than intemperauce. l lately heard one
temperance speaker, one whom | have
heard frequently, and each time grows
ing more and more bitter, make this
remark: "The evil can not be allow
ed to 90 on if it should yet come to a
conflict OF arms and blood, it would not
be too much; it would be something
unusual if the conflict, although 1t be-
gan in prayer and love, should go on
and end the same way. 1t IS such
uuguarded expressions as these, some
times slipped out in the middle OF Ian
otherwise cautious speech, which sho"
what's passing in many minds.
Another very ugly feature Is the un-
wholesome religious excitement which
accom- panies it in many instances. l
mean excitement inside the Protestant
| Churches. In this respect l might alT
most say that this movement has been
too successful. 1t has swept so many
towns with such suddenness that thous-
ands are moved by spiritual pride, I'M
holy exultation and fierce determln-
alton to carry the day in all things, by
the same weapons. Many have pre-
sum ptuously staked their religious falt
on the success of this movement IN par
ticulsr instances As though morta
nan should approach Him in whose
sight the heavens are not clean, ans
offer Him bargain; "Il thou wilt dc
thus or so, l will believe" That the
movement has had no more OF this
sort of evil, is cause for hope; that i
has had too much, can not be denied.