West Virginia freeman. (Parkersburg, W. Va.) 1881-1886, 1882-02-22

that Lnore are men duJ uuSou W
their fellow citizens to be worthy Of
the highest honors of the State,
who are so unmindful of their own
regulations as to expose themselves
to the imputation Of desiring to
fasten the rum traffic upon this, or
upon any other State.
To me it is the cause OF something
more than regret that the temper
ance people of the State are now
forced to make the question OF pro
hibition an issue in the politics of
our State. | am sure that l give
voice to the desires Of an over
whelming majority of the temper
ance people in West Virginia when
| say that l had hoped that the
Amendment would be submitted to
vote of the people without COM
plicating it with politics in any
way This desire, this expectation,
has been rudely, and as | think,
wantorly disappointed by the Leg
islature, and there is now no course
left open to us but to surrender al
together, or make it an issue at the
polls. The one of these things we
dare not do, the other we dare not
leave undone. We have twice ask
ed this Legislature to grant us, not
prohibition, but the submission OF
the question to the people, that 1t
might be ascertained whether they
desired prohibition. Twice our
humble prayer has been spurned;
and there is nothing left to us now
but to lay our case before the peo-
pie themselves, and let them pass
upon it.
I hope it will be seen to be the
duty of the Executive Committee to
take i'm mediately such steps as
wal secure the nomination and
election of a temperance man in
every Delegate and Senatorial dis
trict in the State. If these men are
to be elected they ought to be in
the field at the earliest possible
day, in order that there may be am
pie time for canvassing and discus
sion. Let us give our banner to
the breeze at once, and use all hon
orable means to carry it to victory.
Before | close, desire to express
my hearty gratitude on behalf both
of myself and of those who are asso-
ciated with me in the contest, to
those Delegates and Senators in the
present Legislature, who stood up
so calamity for the right, for their
heroic, though fruitless, endeavors.
You, gentlemen, will not be forgot
ten when success shall come to bless
our cause and our State.
When the representatives of the
people fail to meet the demands of
their constituents it is the duty Of
the people to turn them out of office,
and elect men in their places who
will embody their just sentiments
in proper legislation. What is true
in this respect Of individual repre-
sentatives is true also Of parties.
When parties are no longer rep
resentatives Of the just sentiments
of the people, it becomes the duty
of the people to turn them out of
power, and intrust the administra-
ton of public affairs to others.
This State Of things seems to pre-
vail in West Virginia just now
and the only remedy we can apply
to cure the evils Of which we COM
plain, is the demanding of these
men and parties to private life I'M
til such time as they shall learn to
regard the responsibilities which
are imposed by public trusts.
This procedure is the only bar
rier which stands betwixt the peo-
pie in popular government and
permanent misrule.
Yours truly,