West Virginia freeman. (Parkersburg, W. Va.) 1881-1886, 1881-12-21
The Richie Gazette and the Press
of the State.

ED. FREEMAN: Through the
kindness of friend / received o
copy of the Richie Gazette Of Dec.
LIST, containing an editorial on an
extract from temperance address
made by myself at the late meet
ing of the Baptist General Associa-
ton at Parkersburg.
In this editorial, ! am arraigned
before the public for "unwarranted
and inexcusable ignorance, or de-
liberate falsehood, for stating that
the friends of prohibition in the
State could not depend upon the
secular press, as rule, to support
their cause.
Now, l want to tell the Gazette
what | kne,o, as the ground for that
statement:
When l was asked to advocate
the FREEMAN's cause in aspeech, /
went to an editor of one of the wild
est circulated papers in the State,
and asked him how many papers
were published in the State, and he
said "a, as lately reported. | then
asked him how many could be reli
ed upon to advocate prohibition.
He said, probably about 20.
This statement | made, and used
as an argument to support paper
that gives "no uncertain sound"
So the statement came from the
press of the State, and if that is
"unwarranted and inexcusable ig-
norance," | am sorry for it.
, kneao that the first temperance
Convention that-was held in the in
terest of Prohibition in the State
was unwilling to advise the publ
cation of a temperance paper, until
the press of the State had been ask
ed to espouse the cause; and
kq,ew the State Executive Commit
tee addressed a circular to the press
of the State, asking space to advo-
cate it's claims, and kq,ew that some
of the replies to that circular were
anything but civil, while it is true
there were some of them that
were willing to open their columns
for the consideration of the subject
these were among the exceptional
20 mentioned above. And further
more, | kneao that the next Conven-
ton endorsed the FREEMAN, as its
organ.
/ knew that when the temperance
convention met in Wheeling, last
June, one of the dailies, which the
Gazette calls zone of the leading
newspapers of the country" came
out the morning before the conven-
ton met, in long editorial, con-
tanning much advice to the conven-
ton, even presuming to indicate a
policy for its action, but taking par
ticular care to state that prohibi-
ton had always been failure
where tried
kne,o that at the last meeting of
the Press Association of West Va,
a banquet was given the members
in which intoxicating drinks were
profusely used, and among other
toasts one was drunk to the minis
try of the State, which many of
the ministers doubtless regarded
more as an insult than a compli-
ment.
Knowing these things, Mr.. Edi-
tor, | made the statement which so
shocks the nerves of the Gazette.
AS to the prediction that many
of them would come over when they
saw that we would succeed, I may
be false prophet, (hope | may be-,
but Judging the future of the poll
tics of this country by the past, it is
not an unreasonable prediction af-
ter all.
Now, in conclusion, / want to
say to the Gazette, and every one
else who may read this notice, not
to take my statements nor predlc-
ton, but let history answer the
question.
The press Of the State had an adj
mirable opportunity last winter to
define itself on the prohibition ques-
ton. Did it do it? 1t will have
another opportunity. Let it proue
my statements and prediction false,
and no one will rejoice more in the
victory than | will.
L. E. PETERS.