The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1874-04-04
SATURDAY, APRIL 4, 1874.
M Power OF Public opinion.

u
There arc now seven persons confined
in the Jail at 81. ClaiBville for selling
liquor contrary to law. Some Of them
have been fined fifty or hundred dollars
apiece, and sentenced to confinement for
twenty or thirty days. One Of them was
even put on bread and water during his
term Of confinement. In addition to
these seven now in prison, one or two
have recently been discharged, having
served out their sentences. The enforce
ment Of the law by Judge CHAMBERS has
begotten a species Of terror among those
engaged In the business Of liquor selling,
90 much so that the occupation Is conSid-
cred "extra hazardous" In It's nature. And
yet there Is no new law in Ohio in regard
TO selling liquor. The law under which
the convictions alluded 10 have taken
place Is the same that has been on the
statute books OF the State for years past.
The only difference Is that the laws can
now DO enforced. Public opinion Is such
as to demand their enforcement, A year
ago Il would have been q strange sight
indeed TO SEQ seven men in Jail at St.
Clairsville TOR simply selling liquor,
while now 1t Is not a matter that pro-
vokes any special amount Of comment.
People accept 1t as something In keeping
with the excitement that has arisen on
the subject Of temperance, and as the
legitimate result Of the enforcement Of
lava that were considered necessary
when they were made, and that have
simply lain dormant because nobody
wanted to be responsible for their en-.
lOrcement. Now however, these
laws execute themselves, as 1t were, under
the pressure Of public opinion. The
effect Is to almost sweep out Of existence
a vast amount Of liquor traffic in the
towns and villages for the time being.
Whether 1t will resume again, and, II so,
10 what extent, depends Of course on the
length to which the present movement
may go. twill certainly be very strange
If liquor Is never again sold in many
places where 1t has been suddenly sup
pressed by the movement. Such result
is too unnatural to be expected. What
then will DO the result oil the present
movement Tie New York Tribune
answers this question as follows:
1.-THE temperance movement will not
stop every drunkard in his ruin Gus Ca
reer, but it will lessen the ranks Of the
drunken, and 1t will keep alive in the
public mind sense Of the beauty and the
utility OF sobriety. 1t does not permit q
physical any moral fact 10 pass into OBJ
livlon. Men will continue 10 drink to
drunkenness, but new morality has been
established or an old one revived, and
another has been added TO the catalogue
Of the possible virtues. Moral agi.
tation proves the existence OF sur
vining public and private conscience,
to which problems Of right and wrong
may be referred. 1t Is true that
the war against social evils will probably
be perpetual. We need expect no abso-
lutte disappearance OF temptations which
are part Of the moral economy Of God.
The main point is to keep our idea Of
right and wrong in wholesome and sen.
sitive condition, and to prevent import.
ant truths from falling into oblivion. So.
ciety, like individuals, assumes character
slowly but surely. The temporary and
the trivial and the accidental pass away;
but every truth which has been uttered
or vlndicated enters into this public char
acter, while 1t increases the average Of
private virtues.