West Virginia freeman. (Parkersburg, W. Va.) 1881-1886, 1882-02-08

land the fools deserve it, for they'll
go and vote at the very next cleo
ton for license for us) but I'll have
my pay for the drinks. That's the
business.
Then, sirs, a tough set these-bar-
tenders we get. Men that can
swear and buster and fight, finger
revolver or bowie, are the best men
for US. No matter how ignorant,
if they know dime from a nickel,
eve keep no account, you know,
cash down always, and the more
desperate in saloon-fght the bet
ter the fist they make of it.
| told YOU | had to get hardened
to the business; we must be ready
for anything; know how to defy or
to laugh at women and children
who come whining around about
husbands and fathers that we are
using up. 'Twouldn't do to have
any kind-hearted fellows in the
bar when we get well set up. We
should lose a sale now and then if
we did.
But I tell you, sirs, man that's
had any decent bringing up feels
mighty mean to have to be with
most of the time, and have his bus
mess carried on by such men as we
have to employ This liquor-sell-
ing's tough on a man that's got any
manhood left in him, you'd better
believe.
Then in addition to all this, we,
as a class, have forever to defy soci-
ETY.. We know as we'll as anybody,
what an Internal business we are
doing, We know how all good men
and women, too, and children abhor
our work and we, in our better
moments, detest it. The craven
souled politicians, keep this
accursed business alive, SO that they
can paddle into office. We know as
well as other people the awful mas
sacres of young men and old caused
by our licensed business. We know
that widows cries, orphans choking
woes, and graveyards foul with
drink bloated corpses, are all piling
up a reckoning of some kind for us.
| for one haven't lost all sense Of a
Judgment day, which I got at my
mothers knee. Sinty thousand down
by our bloody sickles, every year,
[ tell you, sirs, 'tisn't a comfortable
idea for sleepless night hours. We
have to defy society or we couldn't
bear it, couldn't.
Yes, we know all about your tenn
perance doings; of course we do;
and know if one in ten Of you tenn
perance people were as determined
as we liquor-men are desperate, the
deadly business would not live a
month. We know you are not. So
we defy society. Look at this: We
liquor-sellers in West Virginia
count but q few hundreds, and we
defy State population Of 618, 1913,
0ast ceEsus) nearly all of whom are
at heart opposed to this horrid work
we are engaged in.
A Judge here and party politi-
clan there, city council or county
board" over there, quake at the
shaking Of our spear; so we shake
it and defy a halt-million of out
ragged people. | confess at times |
wonder why ministers, churches,
Judges, jurors and the masses, don't
rise upon us with brands and halter,
as they would upon any other class
of organized murderers, for that's
the real business we are in.
Then the lying, utter lying, we
liquor men hire and pay for, against
temperance; that troubles me when
the better nature gets up in me;
but what can we do for truth while
lives amounted CULVER on our
spears?
All, sirs, though l haven't told
1.-THE of it, this liquor business is a
good deal closer to hells door than
| like to stay. This choking out
conscience and all fellow-feeling for
man, daubing front windows over
to keep out sight, giving up all de-
cent society, and having about you
the foul-mouthed pests Of society,
and for aught you know, by every
drink sold to one of, them whetting