The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1874-04-27
Travellers Register.
Acknowledgements:
MARK TWAIN ON THE PRAYER
CRUSADE.
And His Views About Woman Suf-
frage.

And His Views About Woman Suf-
frage.
fLetler to tbs London Standard
If seem to doubt that prayer is the
AGENT that conquers these rum sellers, ]
do it, honestly, and not in a fippant
snirit. If the crusaders were to stay at
home and pray for the rum-seller and for
bis adoption of better way of life, or, if
they even assemble together in a church
and offer up q prayer with united voice,
and it accomplished a victory, I would
then feel that it was the praying that
moved heaven to do the miracle, for I!be.
lieye that, if prayer is the agent that
brings about the desirable result, it can
mt be necessary to pray the prayer in
any particular place, in order to get the
ear, or move the grace, of the Deity.
When the crusaders go. and invest a
Hhisky.shop, and fall to praying, one sus.
poets they are praying rather less to the
Deity than at the rum-man. So I cannot
help feeling--after carefully reading the
detail of the rum seiges-that as much as
nine.tenths of the credit Of each of the
5000 victories achieved, thus far, belongs
of right to the crusaders themselves, and
it grieves me to see them give it away
with such spendthrift generosity.
will not aftlict you with statistics, but
desire to say just word or two about
the character of this crusade. The cru
ssders are young girls and women-not
the inferior sorts, but the very best IN the
village communities. The telegraph keeps
the newspapers supplied with the progress
Of the war, and thus the praying infection
spreads from town to town, day after day,
week after week. When it attacks a COM
munitY it seems to seize upon almost
everybody in it at once: There is meet
ing IN church, speeches arc made, reso-
lutions are passed, a purse for expenses
is made up, "praying band" is appoint
ed; and il it be large town, half dozen
praying bands, each numbering as many
as hundred women, are appointed, and
the working district OF each band marked
out. Then comes grand assault in force,
all along the line. Every stronghold
Of rum is invested; first one and then an
other champion ranges up before the pro-
prietor, and offers up a special petition
for him; he has to stand meekly there be-
hind his bar, under the eyes OF great
conccurse OF ladies who are better than
he is and are aware OF it, and hear all the
secret iniquities of his business diyulged
10 the angels above, accompanied by the
sharp sting of wishes for his regeneration,
which imply an amount of need for it
which is in the last degree uncomfortable
10 him. II he holds out bravely, the cru.
sader5 hold out more bravely still-or, at
least, more persistently; though 1 doubt il
the grandeur OF the performance would
not be considerably heightened If one SOL
n In q
hundred rum sellers in body for o
while, and see how Il felt to have every
body against her instead of for her.
Would you consider the conduct of
these crusaders justifable9 do-thor-
oughly justifiable. They find themselves
yOiceless in the making of laws and the
election OF officers to execute them. Born
with brains, born in the country, educat-
ed, having large interests at stake, they
lind their tongues tied and their hands
lettered, while every ignorant, whisky
drinking savage in the land may hold
office, help to make the laws, degrade the
dignity of the former and break the latter
at his own sweet will. They see their
fathers, husbands and brothers sit namely
at home and allow the scum OF the coun-
try to assemble at the primaries" name
the candidates for office from their own
vile ranks, and, unrebuked, elect them.
They live in the midst of acountry where
there is no end to the laws and no begin
ming to the execution of them. And
when the laws intended to protect their
sons from destruction by intemperance lie
torpid and without sign of life, year after
year, they recognize that here is matter
mat interests them personally, matter
winch comes straight home to them. And
since they are allowed to lift no legal
voice against the outrageous state OF
things they suffer under in this regard, I
tnlnk it is no wonder that their patience
mas broken down at last, and they have
!rled to persuade themselves that they are
Unsuitable in breaking the law of treapass
Wnen the laws that should make the tres.
pass needless are allowed by the voters to
lie dead and imperative.
The present crusade will doubtless do
D9t little work against intemperance that
VIII De really permanent, but it will do
what is as much, or even more, tofsthe
purpose, think. I think it will suggest
10 more than one man that If women
could vote they would vote on the side
OF morality, even If they did vote and
speak rather frantically and furiously;
and it will also suggest that when the
women once made up their minds that il
was not good to have the all.powerlnl
primaries" in the hands OF loafers,
thieves and pernicious little politicians.
they would not sit indolently at home, as
their husbands and brothers do now, but
would hoist their praying banners, take
the Held in force, pray, the assembled po-