West Virginia freeman. (Parkersburg, W. Va.) 1881-1886, 1881-03-16
FROM RALEIGH COUNTY.
Good Words from a Patriarch in
the Temperance Cause.

demands cordial response, and |
would not be impolite. Thanking
you for your visit and the tidings
borne, and cheered by the Temper
ance Banner you unfurl, | give you
hearty welcome to our corner of
the State, and to our homes in Ra-
leigh county; hoping that the good
cause will be promoted by your eff
cient cooperation. In your pages
is pretty full notice Of our petition
to the Legislature, for prohibito-
ry clause in the State Constitution
on the. subject of making and sell
ing intoxicants as beverage. The
vote of the Senate to postpone in
definitely is significant, but should
not discourage the friends Of this
laudable enterprise.
WHAT DID THE PETITION ACCOMPLISH.
1. 1t made known to our Legs
lature the desire Of a very large ma
iority of our citizens to exclude for
ever the manufacture and sale Of in
toxicants as a beverage from our
State. Our Representatives are
the servants Of their constituents,
and their obvious duty is to heed
their voice in framing the laws for
their Governments as it may be
very safely assumed that, to grant
their petitions, would inhict upon
them no injury The vote Of the
Senate to kill the bill by indefinite
postponement, and not suffer the
people at the polls to ratify or reject
it, evinced too great disregard for
the expressed will Of their constit-
uency, and should have its inhu-
ence in future elections. The
known will of the master ought to
control the actions of the servants.
2. 1t brought to the front the ad-
vocates of the beverage, thereby en-
abling the citizens Of the State to
know who they are, and what their
sentiments are, regarding tho mann
moth evils of incompetence and
whom to trust in the halls of Legis-
Iation.
3. 1t called forth, in favor Of the
free use Of the beverage, the strong
est arguments available, thereby
putting the friends Of temperance
in possession Of them, and subject
ing them to a successful refutation.
This is certainly something gain
ed. But there is one argument, in
vincible, irrefutable, which logic
cannot reach, nor rhetoric charm,
because grounded in love for the
beverage, which self-respect will
ever conceal and this argument
may have exerted some little influ-
ence in the vote that was cast. |
would be glad to know it did not.
This discussion in the Legislative
halls and out Of them, on the evils
of incompetence, must 90 on, inten-
sify, and become more thorough,
unless some definite result is reach
ed, and l mistake the signs of the
times, if ourlaw-makers and admin
istrators will be permitted to con-
tinue their completely in the enor-
NOUS evils of intemperance by le-
gal protection, in licensing distill-
cries and drinking saloons. Let
the public mind and conscience be
thoroughly educated, and the officers
of civil government will pass into
other hands. Is not the concession
of Hon. MIR. Faulkner, the leader of
the opposition, most significant: 'If
[ was to go back to the days of the
Pilgrim Fathers, to leave my land
for a new country, l aOould make such
taaos as are proposed by this Amend
nent." And why? Evidently be-
cause the welfare of society de-
mands this protection.
THE WORK TO BE DONE.
While the Prohibitory clause in
the Constitution, sought by the pc
titions, is desirable, there is another
thing more so, and that is, a thor
-ough education Of public opinion
on the question of temperance.
Unsustained by public opinion, con-
.stitutions and laws are worthless,
and hence the wisdom and impor-
lance of bringing the press as a
powerful agency into requisition.
The West Virginia FREEMAN has a
work to do. Much has already
been done in this line since the
Temperance reform first commenced.
Then the use Of LIQUORS as q beYer-