The weekly register. [volume] (Point Pleasant, Va. [W. Va.]) 1862-1909, 1875-12-23
STATE Temperance Convention.

SiItc 4e1ipeEsihcc SoiAsSLiOn'
At the Temperance meeting which
commenced its session in the city of
Wheeling, on the 18th inst. The
temporary organization was effected
as follows:
The Convention was called to order
by Rev. Mr.. MofFett, who nominated
Rev. J. G. Armstrong as temporary
President.
Mr.. Armstrong made afew remarks
upon taking the chair, and nomina-
ted Mr.. James Gilchrist as Secretary
of the Convention.
On motion of Mr.. Mofctt: all per-
sons in the room, in sympathy with
the temperance cause, were constitu-
ted delegates to the Convention.
The welcome address was made by
Rev. Dr.. Riley, who spoke as follows:
a do not know that | have any
thing to say that will be very inspir-
/ ing, but permit me, Mr. Chairman, as
the representative local committee
upon temperance in the Wheeling
community, to express to those from
other portions of the State, our hear
ty greetings and great pleasure in
meeting them on this OCCASION
Their presence here very clearly in
dicates that they are not among those
who are indifferent to the operations
of the destroyer in our midst; that
they are not among those who cry
Peace! Peace! when there is no peace;
that they are not among those who
are willing to agree to truce when
the destroyer is ut the door, fassot in
hand ready to burn us out,-when
branded capitalists, Haunting their
permission from the State, are ready
to back up the terrible work Of the
destroyer.
| have no intention Of dilating
this morning upon the terrible eTi:
dcnces we have of The prevalence o!
the DESTROYER. We meet men stag
gering on the streets and through our
thoroushfarcS; we meet them on our
steamboats, aud railroad cars, and In
all our public places; we meet them
in all the relations of life, bearing
upon them the marks of debauchery
an ungovcrnable thirst for strong
drink. Many among those We thus
meet are men Of as generous sympa-
thics and kindly nature as you can
find anywhere, and by those very
svmpathies they are led into di$sips-
ton or strong drink. Among thens'
YOU viii find those who were formerly
the most industrious of our laborerS,
and thrifty of our mechanics ana
tradesmcn. Among them you VIII
find men who were regarded as the
most talcntedof our lawyers, the most
able of our judges, the most eloquent
and pious Of our ministers. ANDY
are We that that we shall not fall by
the hand of the destroyer. =,
And suffering from that, you Will
| find ladies' of refined feeling, ladies OF
noble svmpathies, who are compelled
to occupy the position of drunkards'
mothers. drunkard$' daughters, drum
| kards' wives, and drunkards' sisters,
and who are our mothers, who are
our daughters. who are our wives,
who arc our sisters. 1t bchooves us.
then, that we shall use every effort
that they shall not be cursed by the
destroyer.
We see among them victims of in
temperance, young men, indeed some
Of them vet in their teens, overtakcn
By It before they have yet had an
opportunity to experiment on the
problem of life. And who are our
sons. that they shall not be overta-
KEN And as we consider our chill
rdrer,. their welfare in the future, we
feel feel" that we ought, ifpOssible, to save
them from the evil.
We are here to day, to inquire
what should be done to get at the best
means of arresting the inroads of this
terrible destroyer upon society. We
are not here as citizens of Wheeling,
or this or that part of the State, but
rs citizens of the Commonwealth
We are here representing a State
whose natural resources are sufficient
to make her one of the foremost among
the sisterhood of the States, provided
we do not start out with this dry-rot
of intemperanee upon her.
trust that we shall be enabled to
effect a State organization and q
county organization in every part of
the State; that we shall be enabled to
move forward in social phalanx; that
We may effectually root out this evil
from the State.
Iextend to you or hearty greet
ing, and ask the blessing Of God on
this Convention.
Only eighteen Republicans in the
House voted in favor Of q third term,
or voted eonstruetively for it. Forty
members did not vote at al. The
Enquirer claims that those abscntccs
are all in favor of re-nominating
Grant.