West Virginia freeman. (Parkersburg, W. Va.) 1881-1886, 1883-06-06
Petroleum Prohibition.
PETROLEUM, w. VA, |
Nav "a. 1883. ]

May II, 1000
ED. FREEMAN: On the evening
of May 23d under the auspices OF
the Petroleum Temperance Society
we had a rousing temperance meet
ing, which demonstrated the fact
that instead of being "killed off" by
the notorious Eleven. the advocates
of prohibition, have thrived and
increased until on the evening of
which we speak the house was filled
almost to overlooking, to listen to
the ever interesting speeches of
Dave D. Johnson, Esq, Chairman
of State Executive Committee, and
Prof A. L. Purinton.
Mr.. johnson reviewed the prog
ress of the cause from the first to
the present, and showed steady
advance Notwithstanding the action
of the Legislatures, and plainly
showed that in the near future sue
cess would crown the efforts of the
Temperance people.
Politicians plainly see to main
tain their positions, the voice of
their constituents must be heard.
They must submit to the demands
of the people or bury themselves
forever in the graves that they have
dug.
The answer to the argument that
in order to make prohibition gener-
al it must be National act, or an
act of Congress; he said, reforms Of
all kinds began by Titles, and cited
numerous instances. 1t was the
persistency Of the few that finally
carried the many.
! He closed with an earnest appeal
to continue in the fight, assuring
them that the day was not far dis
tant when the facts of the future
would verify the statements of the
present.
Prof. Purinton followed in his
usual brilliant and pleasing man
ner and commenced by saying that
a certain one had said the advocates
of temperance were either long
haired men, or short haired wo-
men," and he answered them that
he was neither. ct might be well
to state that Mr. P is by nature
compelled to part his hair in the
middle, as he has none. Reporter.)
The speaker said he had two prin-
cipal planks: the first was total
abstinence. And as his reason for
that plank he gave the fable of the
lion who invited all the other
beasts to dine with him, and all
went but a sly fox, who mistrust-
ing that all was not right secreted
himself and awaited the return of
the beasts.
After waiting several days and
seeing nothing, he went home, but
returned several times and found
no tracks leading from the den.
! Being upbraided by the lion for
not attending the dinner, his an
swer was that all the tracks point
ed in, and no tracks led out of the
den, and such being the case he
preferred to remain out.
A reason for total abstinence was
that sixty thousands tracks point
ed inward yearly to those dens and
none out, hence he had better stay
out.
His second plank was prohibi-
ton. He mentioned the troubles
in Ireland, but Ireland's great curse
was whisky. He stated that
although they were downtrodden,
yet more money went for whisky
annually than was taken in rents,
and with no whisky they could
live even though under unjust
landlords who demanded exorbi-
tant rents.
Without whisky Ireland would
be free.
1t was our duty to first protect
home and next the State. If we
could not wipe out this curse by
prohibition, it would be washed
out in blood as was slavery in the
civil war.
After Mr.. Purinton had finished,
the Society appointed three dele
gates to attend the State Temper
ance Convention which meets at
Clark sburg on June Goth.
The delegates were Messrs. Bur-
racher, Shrast and Douglass.