The Wheeling daily register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1864-1878, 1874-04-13

know, juet as earnestly desire
the overthrow Of king alcohol as the
most enthusiastic member Of the band
but they ask. what can we do? l hops
you will not deem me presumptious il
/ enter somewhat formally upon this
subject of methods. ! would iair hope
that The few thoughts / may throw
out to-day upon this subject may star
other and better minds to thinking, and
tba, the result of the thinking aud o.
the interchange of thought from time
to time may be the adoption OF some
plan of warfare adapted 10 our Cir
cumstsnces.
look ct the subject In this way
We have now in the city Of Wheeling
such a stste Of public opinion or The
subject of temperance SIS We have moi
had for years past. and may not have
again for years TO come, and we should
therefore make the best OF it. There
is a tide in the affairs Of men which
taken al the food leads on TO fortune,
and there is now q tide IL
our fayor-a tide OF public
sentiment which, il We are wise enough
to take at its food will lead to the tri-
umph OF temperance in our city.
1t is true the problem OF lighting in
temperance in cities has cot been soIv-
ed, but i. may yet be il We set ourselves
resolutely to the task. Itrequires only
these two things:
|. A class OF women endowed with
the grace ii patient continusncein well
doing, and
>. A plan OF operations looking 10 a
long campaign.
The first we have in the band OF over
500 women OF our city. They nave
suffered in the past from intemper
auce and are not likely TO give up the
contest through fcrgettulneSs of former
injuries or loss OF tneir present hatred
OF the traffic. II tie widows and
wives, mothers and sisters OF the VIC
Tins OF strong drink grow weary IN
fighting intempersrcs, tnen we never
can hope 10 see class OF workers IN
the field fit for the contest. In regard
to the second requisite | have only this
TO say-in ordinary warfare there are
two general methods OF capturing q
fortified place, The one is by storm
ing and the other by JGSeiginG
aud il depends upon the character o.
the enemy's works which methoi is the
better. Grant deemed the latter the
safer for the capture OF Vicksturg, and
by a slow process OF tIenching he
achieved an almost bloodless victory
| am confident Wheeling cannot be
taken By Storm. The enemy is too pow
eriully entrenched and the attacking
forces are proportionally too weak &c
achieve instant victory, but | am equal
ly confident that by the adoption OF q
plan OF operations extending through
Two, three or more years our city may
be as completely freed from drunken
ness as small places ip Onio.
am not the proper person 10 say
what this plan should be, but 1t may
contribute somewhat towards the forma.
ton OF il TO indicate some Of the things
which may be done to diminish, pre-
vent and finally Danish intemperauce
from our city. We have relations to
this vice az citizens, az members OIL
society and as christians.
/. As citizens we may do much to
improve legislation. AS TO the duty
and right OF governments to legislste on
this subject there can be no doubt
Government is bound to 10 every
thing possible to prevent loss o! lite
and increase of crime.
II hostile power should attempt to
land upon our shore an army OF $50 DOC
men 10 wage war upon us we all recog-
nlze the duty Of government to prevent
this landing or to drive them off should
they effect 1t. For, according TO the
usual results Of warfare, il this army
should be permitted to war on our citi-
zens. about 50 0U0 lives would be Lost
annually, other Thousands would be
dlaq7alfed Tor LIES duties, homes
would be de4olated and property de-
stroyel. Tie tact is, there is an army
OF about 10000 liquor dealers estab
lished and at work throughout our
country, with such results as these
10000 lives taken, many other thou
ands disqualified for duty, homes desc
lated and crimes vastly increased. Who
can doubt 10 this case also, the duty OF
government to prevent, il possible, this
great loss OF life and production OF
m sery? 1t is generally agreed that
niue-tenths OF all crimes are directly
traceable to drinks, i. e. if drunken
ness could be banlshed there would be
one murder where there are now ta,
murders. If it Is the duty OF govern
ment TO prevent crime does it not seem
az il all the legi- awe wisdom aud all
the executive ability OF the country Tor
years to come should be employed in
ouly one direction--the suppression OF
drunkenness
As to the specific oljsc! OF liquor
legislation it should not be against the
use and sale OF liquors 80 much as
against drunkenness and drunksrd
making, Tor the simple reason that pub
lie sentiment is as yet too much divid-
ed on the former &c enforce sucn
lawe. Butt is no difference OF opiD-
ion On the sutjec; Of drunkenness. l
might quo:e resolutions by the yard
passed by Beer Conventions and Ii
ouor Associations condemuing drunk
enness in the strongest terms We are
ready then for any laws which seek 10
prevent drunkenness, while an abso-
lutely prohibitory law would become
only dead letter on our statute booke.
The speaker therefore commended
our State law as sufficient 'or the pres
emit state OF public opinion, but advocat-
ed the abolition OF cur city license sys.
TEN for the following reasons: