The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1879-07-29
The Circle Of Honor and the Pittsburgh
"Sunday LENDER

The Circle OF Honor and the Pittsburgh
SUNDAY Leader
Editors IntelllEencer,
A certain young man who stays about
Wheeling, recently conceivedthe idea that
he was some pumpkins as a newspaper
correspondent. Accordingly he wrote a
"piece," about a half a column in length,
and sent it to the Pittsburgh Sunday
Leader, in which paper it has just appear
ed. This scribbler makes an attack upon
our noble temperance workers, by calling
them Temperance fanatics" tries to say
one or two things about the Circle Of Hon
or, and winds up by making great mis-
take in the selection Of nom de plume. In
stead Of singing himself "Sans Merci"
it would have been far more ap-
propriate if he had signed him
self, non cOmpos mentiS, but we lsup-
pose he feared everybody down this way.
would at once recognize the author. Now,
] wish to inform my friend OF the Pitts
burgh Sunday Leader that we have no
more such "Sans Merci" running at large
in this city. am sorry, Mr.. LEADER, that
YOU were imposed upon, but the fact is,
"Sans Merci, as he calls himself, is not
regarded down this way as being altogeth.
er right in the upper story. His peculiar
idiosyncratic weakness consists in belief
that he has acquired all the literary and
scientific knowledge worth looking after
in this world or that which is to come.
To prove that the aforesaid Sans MerCi"
is cheat, fraud and greenhOrn, here
give you the platform OF principles as
laid down by the Circle OF Honor, and
from which his garbled extracts were
taken:
1--WE, the undersigned, recognizing the
evil effects Of the importation, manufac-
ture, sale and use OF Intoxicating liquors
as beverage, and DESTROYS Of raising the
standard OF morality. and for lettering
our condition politically, socially and re.
ligiously do unite ourselves for the ad.
vancement OF the temperance cause, in a
secret association to be known and hailed
as the Supreme Circle OF Honor; and we
hereby pledge ourselves to abstain from
the importation, manufacture, sale and
use OF intoxicating liquors as a bever.
age; and to do all in our power,
honorably, to persuade others to do
the same. Recognizing the fact that our
numbers can be greatly augmented, by
moral suasion; but that the desired sue.
cess OF the temperance cause, depends
finally on the enactment and enforcement
Of prohibitory laws; toacComplish our OBJ
ject, We pledge ourselves to give the pre-
ference Of our suffrage, to none but per
sons OF well-known and acknowledged
temperance principles. We recognize God
as the Supreme Ruler Of the Universe,
and the Bible as his revealed viii to man
and appealing to Him for His blessing, we
adopt as the motto Of the Supreme Circle
OF Honor, Temperance, by moral suasion
II We can, by legal suasion il we must"
The ignoramus who signs himself "Sans
MerCi" comments in the above as follows:
In other words they propose to make
an aggressive movement and secure the
dismissal from employment OF every
skilled workman who refuses TO become a
member OF their circle and contribute
money to support certain leaders in state
OF holy laziness, filling their places by
persons who are now out OF EMPLOYMENT
and are members OF the circle"
Any person who reads the above can
readily perceive that "Sams Merci" inten.
ded to misrepresent the principles Of the
Circle OF Honor. or else too ignorant to un.
derstand the plainest English works. The
Circle Of Honor Is not an ofIshoot OF Mo.
Fart Hall Union as "Sans Merci" asserts,
but has now been in existence year.
It Is composed Of men Of all professions,
the pulpit, the press, the bar, from the medi.
cal profession and all grades. Indeed, il
the Circle OF Honor is so insignificant why
the necessity for our enemies and
the enemies OF the temperance cause 20 SO
far and labor so hard to write us DOWN.
Ours is a Just and righteous cause, the
cause OF humanity and OF God. We aim
to make mankind sober, industrious and
happy. Whisky, supported by such men
as Sans Nero" always seeks to bring men
lower in the scale until 1t degrades the citi.
zen, debases the legislator, dishonors the
statesman, and at last, 1t brings shame,
terror, despair, misery, disease, crime and
death. Who, but person like "lSans
Mtrct, would not Join an order with such
principles? l conclude with this conun-
drum:
Why is the letter in the Pittsburgh Sun.
day Leader, signed "Sdw Aerci," like the
authors head2