West Virginia freeman. (Parkersburg, W. Va.) 1881-1886, 1882-01-11
WEST VIRGINIA FREEMAN.
From the Other Side.
Free Fight and Fair Count,

dreaming how we'll we were sue
ceeding.
We then had but one saloon to
boast of down in Mason, but since
writing I have learned that we
had knocked the whole backbone
out of the Board of Commissioners of
Mason county, and saloons were
springing up like mushrooms all
over the county, They first yielded
to our appeals and granted licenses
in incorporated towns. But we
slipped up on them and demanded
license in towns that were not in
corporated, and the court seemed
afraid to enquire whether there was
any municipal court or not, but
granted license, and you ought to
have seen how lively it was during
Christmas.
Why we just made the great
christian holiday hot and wild with
curses and drunkenness. Why even
the Lords own day was celebrated
by our folks by selling and drink
ing.
In one town there were three
men in one house with pint each,
and then had to send for more and
some were still staggering along
the streets on Monday, and swear
ing that "Christmas only comes
once year"
Now we are earnest in our oppO-
sition to the amendments, for fear
we may violate the law if you make
one, and we feel confident that we
can scare those into silence who are
in places for executing the present
law.
And then we want "our rights"
We know that our trade kills more
men than smallpox, yellow fever,
cholera, gun-powder and bomb
shells, and makes more widows and
orphans than any other three causes
known. Yet we want "our ri ghts"
and will have them at all hazards,
and I would like to see the court
that we can not bully out Of execu-
ting the law.
If you temperance folks do not
believe this just trot out your court
and give us six months time, and
if we do not make them "cave-in,"
Unen 1 VIII treat to peanuts.
What care we for law with King
Alcohol at our back ? Talk about
King Cotton in the South, and
Rail Road monopolies and Landlord
aristocracies. Our King yields
greater influence than them all
combined, Why, Mr.. Editor, he
controls the elective franchise, and
the legislative bodies of many of
our states, and has the "vim,o Ca
patent word for impudence), to ex-
ert his influence anywhere.
He enters the sacred precincts of
ecclesiastical organizations, and
weakens the knees of many chris
tians He whips the wife that
dares to interfere, and looks with
grim pleasure on the ragged, starry
ing child as it dies from cold and
exposure. He controls the courts
and would be happy if he could get
control of the railroad interests, for
here he could succeed in killing by
wholesale, but to the detriment of
our killing business, Railroad man
ayers have had the audacity to pro-
hipit the employment of our best
friend, and to rob us of our rights
to sell on board the trains. Mu-
nicipal and State authorities have
the same right to prohibit, but we
keep them in such constant fear
that legislators are afraid to oppose
US, lest their political sun 60 down
behind a whisky barrel to rise no
more, and as to municipal authori-
ties you know we have "got 'em,"
in Parkersburg, Charleston, Ripley,
Point Pleasant, and many other
places.
The fact is, Mr.. Editor, you chris
tian and temperance folks have to
work in an honest way, and by hon
orable means, while we want nei-
ther honesty, truth nor christiani-
ty. We want nothing but money
and whisky to run our whole ma
chine, and here we have the decid-
ed advantage of you and are using
it right along. And if you do not
get some of your sleepy christians