West Virginia freeman. (Parkersburg, W. Va.) 1881-1886, 1881-04-27
FROM A MORAL STANDPOINT.
By BERNICE MCCALLY Pollock.

One accustomed to form his con
illusions hastily might possibly af-
firm. that prohibition should be
viewed only from moral stand
point, because it could not be Yicw-
ed from any other This is mis-
take. A person may do a strictly
moral act, and yet be unworthy Of
any special benefit arising there
from. 1t would be well if we could
always remember that God judges
only from motives. may give a
very large sum to the support OF the
Gospel, or may maintain at my own
expense a benevolent institution
but if my sole object be ostcntation,
L am not worthy to receive any
blessing here or hereafter, nor will
|, indeed, receive any. If man
does right by accident, it does not
count anything in the field of NOR
ais. We must intend right, and
even if we pcrchance 90 wrong we
shall be credited with the intention.
Many may work in the temperance
cause with an eye simply to the
temporal advantage which it would
be to q community were all its cit
liens sober and industrious. The
increase in worldly prosperity,
trades pursued with vigor, profess
ionsuninterruptcd by drunken de
bauches, children clothed and fed,
the jails empty, the streets quiet
and peaceful-all these things
doubtless influence the minds Of
many prohibitionists; and yet this
is not viewing the matter from a
strictly moral standpoint. We
must try to look at this great evil,
as nearly as the human mind can
approximate to the Deity, in the
same light in which God looks at it.
We are to dwell principally upon
the awful fact that the liquor traffic
is sending thousands OF souls to per-
dition souls for whom Christ died,
and let us be very cautious lest some
of these souls be required at our
hands. When we have done all that
human endeavor can accomplish, If
we then fail it is not our fault, but
until we have done this, we have
no means of knowing how much of
the general failure is chargeable
to our own individual short-com-
ings If we have been afraid Of
public opinion; if we have had d
friend engaged in the traffic, and
have refrained from denouncing it
lest we should offend him, then we
are not worthy to be enrolled in
this army. Cowardice is contempti-
BILE in any soldier-it least of all
becomes a soldier Of the Cross. We
are to handle this matter as moral
agents who shall by and by give an
account to the Great Judge, who is
even now at the door.
Wemust not flatter ourselves that
because we do nothing to favor IL
cense nothing more should be re-
quired OF us Much more is expec-
ted of us, and that by One who
holds all created things in His
grasp, and is even now preparing
LHG luul(lGIDOlG UlluJ SllUll sweep
this abominable traffic from the
face of our fair earth. 1t is not
enough for man to say | always
vote against license, and more | do
not feel called upon to do" This
is not the conduct Of a true soldier;
it is a pitiable Sinking of duty,
fatal parleying with the adversary
fatal to him who thus acts, not
fatal to the cause. The cause has
more for it than against it. The
Mightiest Of all bears the standard,
and bids all who love Him rally
around it. 1t is not sufficient that
we gather our forces behind en-
trenchmcnts, and boldly defend our
selves against attack. Even though
we hold our own and suffer no loss,
the question is, will this mode Of
warfare gain him anything? VIII
we subdue the enemy in this way?
Never What we need is more
courage, more dauntless bravery in
attacking strongholds, which at
"a distance, and before we have made
any effort, appear imprcgnable.
We must fling aside this cringing
spirit which prompts US to do obei-
sance to men Of wealth who have
gotten their riches by this nefarious