West Virginia freeman. (Parkersburg, W. Va.) 1881-1886, 1881-11-23

ED. FREEMAN: Our county has
been for many years anti-license.
1t is true that our railroad towns,
containing considerable foreign
population, have illicit whisky
shops. These are all careful to
have U. S. license. This shows
that laws can be made sufficiently
severe to prevent it altogether.
Some of our people are enthusl-
astic over the prospect of prohibi-
ton. Others are careless and need
to be stirred up. The more the
subject is ventilated the better it
will be for the cause.
A gentleman from the country, q
class-leader, being requested to take
q petition and obtain signatures,
replied that "the matter did not
concern the people where he lived,
as but little whisky was used
among them; they would not trou-
BILE themselves about it"
There are too many who think
they are not their brothers keepers,
and who forget that the gospel en-
joins upon them to do good, as they
have opportunity, to all men.
Some of our preachers have not
the zeal we would like to see on
this subject. 1t would be well for
them to consider the words Of Nor
decai to Esth err; eff thou holdest
thy peace, then shall enlargement
and deliverance arise from another
place, but thou shalt be destroyed"
The great Washingtonian Tenn
perance movement originated
among drunkards and the preach
ers who opposed it, in its incipien-
cy, lost greatly in their influence.
Only aged persons can remember
the stirring scenes of that wonder
full movement.
In the fall of 1889, Elder Knapp,
Baptist revivalist from the State
of New York, was holding a series
of meetings with the Sharp Street
Baptist Church, in Baltimore, and
a great revival was in progress. He
preached one sermon on intemper-
ance, in which he was very severe
on the whisky-seller. At the end
of the sermon q number of drunk
ards met in their accustomed bar
room, and the talk was about the
sermon, what the preacher said
about the whisky-seller, who took
from the laboring man the money
which should be used to make his
family comfortable, and gave in ex-
change that which did no good but
much harm. =.
The hotel-keeper became enraged
and was violent in his abuse OF
Elder Knapp. The others sided
with the preacher, and the conten-
ton became fierce, resulting in a
temperance pledge being written
then and there, and s persons sign.
ed it. The pledge prohibited all
Intoxicating drinks, and engaged
that each one should use his inhu-
ence in favor Of temperance among
his acquaintance.
These eight persons all became
JGmD efanC6 lecturers. uey went
out everywhere telling the story Of
their sufferings and their deliver
ance. The movement seemed tC
run like fire in a prairie. 1t spread
from city to city and from State to
State, and the drinking customs OF
the country were revolutionized.
The farmer found out that his har-
vest could be gathered without the
whisky bottle; the auctioneer
that sales could be made without a
dram to the next bidder. The peo
pie learned that weddings could
proceed without wine and brandy
and the dead could be buried with
out putting the bottle to then
nieghbor's lips.
This movement eliminated in
the year 1912. The fire had gone
out in many a distillery; the bal
had been closed in many tavern.
The temperance people concluded
that their work was done, and ceas
ed their efforts. Here they made &
great mistake. The whisky-sellers
went to work to build up their al
most ruined business. They work
ed in summer and winter, by day
and by night, and countless multi
tudes have been ruined in body
/ i L L