West Virginia freeman. (Parkersburg, W. Va.) 1881-1886, 1882-03-15

Temperance friends need not be
discouraged in West Virginia; we
are gaining ground every year, and
can abide Gods own good time for
prohibition. 1t will &C me. Justice
and truth may be trampled under
foot for time, but they are mighty
and must prevail at last.
Some license apologists say imam
must have some stimulant; if he
cannot get whisky he will have
opium, coffee, tea, or some other
stimulant." | do not believe that
man was born with an appetite for
stimulants, but it is an acquired
appetite, by the gradual use of
stimulants. I believe this appetite
is very easily cultivated. 1t does
not take some men long to acquire
it.
My own experience teaches me
that it must be an acquired habit.
| never drank any kind of spirits.
| can and have lived this long with
out, and consequently l feel no
inclination to use stimulants. And
| am of the opinion that the use of
alcoholic liquors, as medicine,
will some day be looked upon by
the medical fraternity, just as Gallo
mel is regarded now. 1t will be re-
garded as one of the old ruts that
the doctors have been able to get
out of. And | think that day will
be hailed by all friends of temper
ance with great joy, as there is no
doubt but that the medical use of
ardent spirits has much to do with
the misunderstanding of this coun-
try.
Doctor Lees, of England, has
been making this his study for for
ty years, and he says in his book on
the subject, that chemistry has
reached such perfection that there
is no use for ardent spirits for med
ical purposes. There is no more
nourishment in a glass Of whisky
than in flash of lightning.
This Legislature has put itself
on record on the whisky question.
We are now what the Republicans
have always called us-the whisky
party. And l think / can see
breakers ahead of the old Democrat
ic ship. How is that? Why, Gov
Jackson's vote was only a little
more than 5000 over the combined
vote Of Sturgiss and French. Now,
suppose they were to find a man,
one to unite their forces? 1t would
take but a small change in the vote
for them to carry the State. [ shall
be very sorry to have any thing Of
the kind to take place; and the
way to avert it, is to pass the
amendment | have proposed to this
bill. 1t will help the temperance
cause very much.
l was much pleased, the other
day, with the speeches from the
distinguished Senators from Ohio,
Marshall, and Hancock. They
were just such eloquent and patriot
ic speeches as Senators can always
make in favor of needing the petit
tions coming up from the people to
this body. But how sad to me was
the reflection when [ remembered
that on this floor about one year
ago, these same Senators disregard
ed the petitions of twenty thousand
people, asking them to allow these
people the privilege Of saying
whether or not we shall haves this
dreadful traffic continued in this
State.
And also the distinguished Sena-
tor from Greenbrier. How eloquent,
on this floor, the day he advocat-
ed the plea of his constituents as
expressed in a petition of eighty
seven citizens Of his county, pray
ing for Dog Law, The Senator
had the petition referred to the Ju-
dietary Committee, with directions
to report a bill, and the chair so Or
dered. On the following day, the
bill was duly reported, but by some
slip of the Clerks pen, the word
"dog" was changed to "road," so the
bill read "road law" How prompt
ly the Senator came to the rescue
of his dog law! But, like the other
Senators, he refused to listen to the
petitions of his people on the sub
ject of the liquor traffic. When
= bo Cono+or Iyrouc tbo+ +b;o 4ro 4 -