West Virginia freeman. (Parkersburg, W. Va.) 1881-1886, 1881-11-16
TEMPERANCE.
In the West Virginia Baptist Gen
eral Association.

representing the twenty INV
sand Baptists of the State, which
held it's sixteenth annual session
in this city last week, has as one OF
its standing committees, reporting
annually, a Committee on Temper
ance.
By special order of the body, 1t
was arranged that this Committee
should report on Saturday evening,
and that the entire evening session
be devoted to the consideration OF
the Report and the discussion OF
Temperance.
Together with the unusually
large number of delegates present,
large audience was assembled at
the time announced, and with Coz.
D. D. johnson, President, IN the
chair,
THE TEMPERANCE SESSION
was opened by the choir singing
Temperance Bells" and a most
earnest and affecting prayer by
Rev. w. P. Walker, Of Huntington,
when the President announced as
the order of the day the report Of
the Committee on Temperance,
which, in the absence of the Chair
man, Prof P B. Reynolds, was read
by Prof. F. S. Lyon, of the West
Virginia University, as follows;
REPORT ON TEMPERANCE.
Your Commettee would submit,
as their report on temperance, the
following preamble and resolu-
tons:
WHEREAS, The traffic in intoxi-
eating liquors, because it is necessa-
rily productive Of poverty, disease,
immortality and crime, is curse
and a disgrace to any community /;
and,
WHEREAS, 1t is the duty Of chris
tians to labor, individually and in
every other capacity, for such a re-
formation in the laws of the coun-
try as will secure the people
against the infiction upon them of
such evils as the liquor-traffic al
ways and inevitably produces; and,
WHEREAS, The absolute prohibi-
ton by law of the liquor-traffic is
the only sure and sufficient safe
guard against it's evils; therefore,
be it
Resolved, list, That we heartily
endorse the present movement to
secure an amendment to the Con-
stitution of West Virginia prohibi-
ting forever the manufacture and
sale of Intoxicating liquors within
the limits of this State, and that we
earnestly pray God to give success
to this movement.
I'd. That we pledge ourselves, as
individuals and as a body, to assist
by all lawful means, the effort to
secure the said prohibitory amend
ment to the Constitution of the
State, and to cooperate in the work
Of bringing the matter before the
Legislature by way Of petition, and
Of securing its adoption by the peo-
pie whenever submitted to them for
ratification.
Sd. That we urge our people all
over the State to aid the work by
signing the petitions and securing
signers to them, by holding meet
ings for arouslng interest in prohi-
bition and for organizing for an eff
fective campaign when the amend
ment is submitted for ratification,
and to vote solid for the abolition
of the liquor-traffic.
4th. That we consider the WEST
VIRGINIA FREEMAN an indispensi-
BILE instrumentality in securing the
success Of the prohibition work in
this State, and urge all our people
to subscribe for it, to secure sub
scriptions for it, and to put it into
the hands of every voter and into
every family in the State.
P. B. REYNOLDS,
F. S. LYON, Com.
L. B. MOORE.
In connection with the Report
and as part Of the same, Prof. F. S.
Lyon submitted the following:
Resolred, That we, the General
Baptist Association of West Virgin
ia, assembled at Parkersburg, Nov.
Il, 1881, representing the twenty
five thousand Baptists of the State,