West Virginia freeman. (Parkersburg, W. Va.) 1881-1886, 1881-07-06
johnson, chairman. as followsaf 81
To the State Temperance Convene
ton Of West Virginia, sitting at
Wheeling. June %, 1881.


ton Of West Virginia, sitting Mt
Wheeling, June 2S, 1881. s. NM
The State Executive Committee,
appointed by the State Temper
ancc Convention held at Parkers-2
burg, last Winter beg leaveto re-
port lgagnegia ssaa aw 1ae aesa
That pursuant TO the require
ments Of the resolutions adopted by
that Convention, defining the du-s
ties of this committee, we have
made some endeavor, and TO some
extent have succeeded in organize
ing the opposition to the liquer-
traffic Of the State. sss9 Messsssa
But while only limited progress
has been made in the work Of organ
ization, we mark with extreme sat
isfaction the rising sentiment Of
Prohibition throughout the State.
That sentiment is rapidly becom-
ing more emphatic and practical.
In addition to the thirty countiesof
West Va that have long stood in
the anti-license column, eleven
more have refused to grant license
utter the first Of May last. Only
thirteen counties of the State now
have their records stained with or
ders legalising the sale Of intoxi-
cants, thus giving their official
sanction to the liquor-trafiic, with
all it's attendant train Of misery
and crime, sA@gN AM
| Immediately after the adjourn
ment of the last Convention, your
Committee caused d memorial to
be prepared, copy Of which is
herewith submitted, and circulated
the same for signatures, pctitioning
the Legislature to propose and SUBJ
NIT to a vote Of the people a Prohib-
fitory Amendment to the Constitu-
ton of the State. But the interyen
ling time between that Convention
and the converting Of the Legisla-
ture, was so short, we found it inn
possible to make any considerable
canvass of the State. About ten
thousand voters and perhaps as
many women signed the petition.
This petition was laid before the
Legislature, and was appropriately
referred to the Committee on the
the Judiciary. A Constitutional
Amendment prepared by the Hon.
JAS. HI. Ferguson, Chairman of the
House Judiciary Committee was
reported back to each branch
lof the, Legislature. HI ~,
Upon subsequent action by the
Senate, it was indefinitely post
poned. 1t remains, however, before
the House Of Delegates, and will
come before that body for action, at
the adjourned session Of the Legis-
laturc next winter; and if passed
by that branch, it win 60 again to
the Senate for their final consider
alton. A copy ofsaid Amendment,
known as House Joint Resolution
No. 81 is herewith returned.
While the action of the Senate
was by no means encouraging, yet
we do not regard their action as at
all final in the matter. Senators
who voted to indefinitely postpone,
are free to consider the Amendment
upon its merits, should it pass the:
House, and some of them have ex-
pressed themselves as ready to re-
gard the will Of their constituents,
in regard to submitting this ques-
ton to vote Of the people. ~
If the desire Of the people can be
fairly expressed, by suitable petit
lions or otherwise, whereby as we
are confident, q large majority of
all the voters of the State will be
found to favor submitting the
measure to a vote; your committee
indulge the hope, that the Legisla-
lture will grant their petition and
will submit the Prohibition
Amendment to vote at the next
general election. s ~ Il
Your Committee recognize the
necessity of a more thorough organ
ization of the counties, in order
that there may be greater unity Of
action,-that deeper interest may
| be awakened and that better means
Of communication among the peo- \
pie upon the subject before us may
be established. &C
Recognizing the efficiency of the
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