The Wheeling daily register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1864-1878, 1874-04-13
TEMPERANCE.
The Meeting Saturday Night and
sunday .Anernoon-Addressss by
Judge Cochran aud Rev. James

Moffetf.
As usual, Washington Hall was
crowded on Saturday by the tenn per.
ance paopIe. The exercises we're ,con-
Quoted BY Mrs. Dr.. Hupp, and the
meeting was opened with singing and
PRAYER.
JUICE cocHRAN's SPEECH.
The speaker occupied about an hour
in an earnest, plair, impromptu talk, a
synopsis OF which We give:
After brief revie ~ OF the work al
ready done, he proceeded 10 cay that
the present movement is argumentative
and persuasive, directed 10 the heads
and hearts OF our people, and calculated
to eulishten and elevate tue public
conscience. That the public discus
sons at lbese meetings aud the toler-
arce OF varieties OF convictions and
views ebarpened and quickened the
ideas OF the hearers, and kept the pub
lie mind concentrated and directed to
the great evils flowing from the liquor
traffic.
Law is defiued as q rule OF action,
commanding what is right and prohib-
iling what is wrong. In some sense
every man is law unto himself, every
household TO itself; 80 OF every society
municipality and State. This move
meut is intended 10 aid in ipstructing
or commanding what is right and pre-
hibilipg what is wrong. The patience
with which people come here from
week to week and listen 10 the oft told
story, sometimes thrillingly, sometimes
prosily told is an evidence OF deep
public sense OF duty to God and man.
kind.
oE:TAcLEs TO Be MET.
King alcohol seems to be planted On
a central throne, reaching his arms out
in every direction 10 the uttermost parts
of the earth, binding and holding his
forces with iuuum cradle, strong and
ever strengthening cords. He is az
gressive, as wrong ever ia, while the
right and friends OF right are timid and
fearful. You will find many CT our
best people afraidto lit their voice aud
lend their influence in a work they know
10 be right. The merchant. grocer and
others have fear that If they take a
stand it will affect their patronage or
trade. They forget that liquor sellers
are few compared with the buyers and
others OF the community. They forget
that if there was less money spent Tor
LIQUORS there would lie much more spent
for dry goods and all the necessities OF
| le. They forget that there are hundreds
and thousands Of men, women and
children, without clothing, without
nourishing food, without furniture,
witaou. the delicacies and solid COM
forts OF lie, because the money that
would secure them is spent for whisky.
Where dollars worth OF goods are
now bought with liquor, five hundred
dollars worth would be bought if there
were no liquor sold.
1t is stated tina: the city derives q
revenue of $4,000 a year from liquor
license, and shrewd calculators say this
is not five per cent. OF receipts from
the traffic. If it is five per cent. II
proves that $4,000 year are epent
in our saloons. How much OF this
goes to the merchants and the trades
And it must be much more than this,
because statistics show that nearly nine
milIions OF dollars are annually spent
for liquora in Our little State.
The traffic makes itself attractive,
seductive and insinuative. 1t gathers
to itself the color and sanction OF law.
1t in,imidates the weak by threats. 1t
intrenches behind money and IN the
social circle. 1t finds = place in ell
the churches. 1t fluids amongst lts
benefciarles, devotees and apologies
deacons, elders, trustees, vestrymen,
class-leaders, church officials and mn'
listers of the gospel. 1t holds them un'
der its spell They fear TO lit their
voice or show their face in countensnce
OF opposition. Some people are AFRAID
to do right for fear they will do wrong
Their fears actuate them instead OF an
inner consciousness OF duty and con-
viction Of right, No great good is ever
accomplished without a sacri-
flee. You must cleanse aud
purify the home and the church at the
same time you attempt to reform the
saloon keepers. II the church has
whisky amongst its pillars you bad
better knock them out, even If It cracks
tie church little.
Nothing but the license by the city
makes the trnflic legal. Without that,
nearly every sale at retail would be a
crime, and even under the license the
report is that the law is daily insulted
You have excellent laws if they
could be enforced. Your much abused
new constitution authorizes the legisla-
ture to psss laws not only to regulate
but to absolutely prohibit the sale oil
liquors in the State. The speaker tber
lead several passages from cnapler %
OF the Code, and parts OF the new liquor
law, showing the limitations and PEN
allies which the law fixes 20 the sale Of
liquor / have been cautioned by kind
friends against speaking at these meet
ings; that it might be thought an in'
fraction Of my official relations to this
community. But, my irieods, cannot
see that / am debarred from lifting
my voice against what believe to be q
moral wrong. The law tells me it is
wrong to steal, to fight, to commit Ior-
gerry, to murder-Is it not my right to
use my influence off the bench
to prevent these crimes and to purilyaDd
and elevate community? Nay, is it not
my duty? The law tells me that Ger.
tain features OF the liquor traffic are
crimes, punishable by fires, imprison-
IL 7, Ioee MT