West Virginia freeman. (Parkersburg, W. Va.) 1881-1886, 1881-02-23

everybody who called, not even ex-
cePtlng their pastor By the way,
II Is said that in those DAYS a Young |
and inexperienced minister could |
not safely make more than a half |
dozen calls in an afternoon. AS he |
became accttmated he could possibly |
indulge in the luxury of a dozen |
pastoral calls in one half day.
The first line of battle was drawn
up against New England rum, or
rather against the use of too mach
rum, for the first temperance men
were m0derationists, Men might
drink rum but must not get drunk.
Each man should be law unto
himself-know just how many
drinks would trip him up and stop
at Just one below that number and
remain sober. Soon it became ap-
parent that rum was a decidedly
uncertain and unreliable fluid; and
1t became evident that the temper
ance cause could not triumph and
carry rum with it, so, at last, rum
was abandoned entirely. Yet home
made wine and domestic cider was
used freely, even copiously, as a sub
stltute for the relinquished and dis
carded rum. 1t was no unusual
thing for the speaker at temper
ance meeting-who was to inveigh
against the evils of rum-to be so
full of hard cider that he found it
very convenient to have a desk to
lean upon.
But the day was dawning, that
would reveal clearly, to those who
were seeking it, the true and safe
path of sobriety. Thoughtful tenn
perance men observed, with min
gled feelings Of disappointment
and sadness, that persons who be-
came intoxicated on wine or cider
were just as thoroughly and COM
pletely drunk as if they had swal-
lowed rum or whisky. This led to
the establishment of the temper
ance work on the basis of total abb
stinence from all that intoxicates,
ON which foundation it rests to-day
and will firmly rest for the years to
come.
+ Many and various methods have
been employed, operating on the
basis of total abstinence, to accom-
plish the same end and to win the
same victory. All of these methods
have been partially successful, and
accomplished in their day about all
that could be done. There has been
a different Suasion for each temper
ance period, and each one seemed to
lead right into the next. In the
| Washingtonjan movement the aOill
suasion was the mighty lever en-
ployed to lift men out of the gutter.
The pledge was signed, and men
endeavored, in their own manhood
and strength, to keep their pledge
I inviolate. Next came social suasion.
Young people were gathered into
the lodge-room, nicely carpeted,
comfortably furnished, handsomely
decorated and, with an interesting
programme, the evenings passed
pleasantly away. Then followed
intellectual suosion in the Bands Of
Hope, where children were instruc-
ted regarding the evils Of intemper-
ance, and in the lodge-room and
Sunday School b., the formation of
temperance Libraries. Through
nearly all of these periods moral sua-
sion extended, and by tract, address
and statistics men were persuaded
to abandon the way of sin and tray
ell the pathway of good morals-the
way of sobriety. Following closely
behind came legal sataslon-grap-
ping the unholy traffic with the
ungloved hand of the law. The la
test and mightiest of all is Gospel
s,.asion, as developed in the Murphy
movement. 1t consists in offering
to drunkards, as to all other sinners,
Jesus Christ as the only hope for the
fallen. Out of legal suasion has
grown prohibition, which, combin-
ed with Gospel suasion for the
drunkard, is the line of battle for
to-day-and we "propose to fight 1t
out on this line.