West Virginia freeman. (Parkersburg, W. Va.) 1881-1886, 1881-02-23
1T MOVES.
BY G. C. w.

=,
moves? you inquire. l answer:
the temperance world-that world
in which live the temperance work |
ers and reformers of to-day, and in
which have dwelt the noble army
cf veterans who battled against |
rum for life time and have crossed
the river to enjoy the reward of the |
courageous and the faithful.
1t is only by glancing backward
over the field of battle and blood,
where, for fifty years, this conflict
has been raging, that we can dis
Germ the progress that has been
made and behold the victories that
have been won. For half century
in this country, the armies of sobri-
ety and sottishness have met in the
arena of strife and grappled in dead
" embrace, each striving with
mighty effort to overcome and de-
stroy the other. 1t is encouraging
to the friends of decency and sobri-
etv to know that every vic
tory that has been won
has perched upon their banner;
and every day the battle goes on, the
advantages are in their favor, and
the prospect of ultimate and COM
plete victory is becoming more as
sured.
Every genuine reform has been
slow and tedious in its movement.
By nature reforms are gradual and
Drogressive. People are never en-
tirelv ready for them when they
come. In every case there are a
few earnest, Jealous, firm spirits
who are away out in advance of the
sentiments of theirday. Theireyes
are open to the evils about them.
Their hearts are touched by the suf-
ferings of the oppressed. Their in
dignation is aroused by the wrongs
inflicted. Their souls are all afre
to remedy the matter and to succor
the suffering. They cry aloud and
spare not. The voice of the true re-
former rings out on the sluggish at
mosphere, and the drowsy multi
tude rouse up enough to denounce
them as fanatics. Such men in
their day were Rev. G. w. Cheever,
Dr. Jewett and Hon, E. c. Delavan.
Such men in our day are Neal Dow,
Gideon Stewart, and VIM. E. Dodge.
Such as these are not appreciated by
their own generation, but by the
generations that follow them, for
they all were two or three genera
tions in advance of the times in
which they figured. Yet they did
theirwork- accomplished theirmis-
sion; for, though opposition was
kindled against them, they awaken
ed and created public sentiment, ell
evated the thoughts and opinions Of
the people, and prepared them to
follow.
The true philanthropist, the gen
uine humanitarian had observed
and marked the terrible effects of
New England rum for many years
before any effort was made toward
effecting an organization for tenn
perance work. The leading reason
for this delay in Systematically OPP
posing the traffic in rum was a lack
of light upon the subject-an alb
sence of definite information as to
the enormity of the evil. There
were no railroads, no telegraph
wires-to say nothing of telephones
and phonographs-but few daily
newspapers, not many weekly pa
pers, and they were bnt poorly con-
Quoted, manifesting but very little
enterprise in getting up the news.
Very few tracts or books had been
written on any phase of the tenn
perance question, at that time, so
there was no opportunity for the
people to read up on the subject.
Postage was high and expensive,
and most Of the people were poor
and practiced a rigid economy, and
as to travelling, very little of it was
done, most Of the people living and
dying without having been twenty
miles from home during their life
time. It is not very difficult-as
we take in these facts-to reach the
conclusion that the mass of the peo-
pie knew very little about the do
mgs Of rum outside of their own
~,