West Virginia freeman. (Parkersburg, W. Va.) 1881-1886, 1883-05-30
WEST VIRGINIA FREEMAN.
CORRESPONDENCE.
The Coming Convention.
What Is to be Done by 1t.

DEAR FREEMAN: The Prohibi-
ton Convention, to be held in
Clarksburg on the Goth Of June will
not have, [ take it, SO much of a
character of a convention as a con-
ference. Several circumstances will
contribute to give the meeting this
character, and [ think this is the
best shape it could possibly take.
Some of our best and wisest work
ers doubted the necessity, and ev
en- the disturbances of a conven-
ton this year at all. But, if it
shall assume the form of an earnest
conference of the leaders in the pro-
hibition movement, for the pur-
pose of laying plans for the
accomplishment of the work to be
done next year, it is obvious that it
will be the most important and
profitable meeting yet held.
In fact, looking at the work to
be done, | do not see how the con-
vention, or conference, could be
dispensed with.
Past experience has shown pro-
hibitionists plainly, what they
will have to do in the future, un-
less they propose to abandon their
cause.
If we mean to do anything, we
must utilize our strength more
fully then heretofore. We must
bring the votes we can command
to bear where they will infallibly
serve our purpose. We know that
the whisky men will vote accord
ing to their interests.
The party, or candidate, that is
not favorable to their cause, they
will not support. 1t does seem
that we ought to be as wise as they,
and as much devoted to our cause
as they are to theirs. Again,
politicians know that, unless they
concil'ate the whisky men by serv-
ing .he interests of the traffic, they
cannot possibly get the support Of
these men; and they prefer to make
sure Of the support of these men,
and trust that the masses will be
led by partisan influence, except,
perhaps, a few fanatics whose sup
port they can better afford to lose
than that of the whisky men. And
they have good grounds for such a
conclusion, in the fact that thous-
ands of prohibitionists have been
in the habit of voting against their
cause in order to vote with their
party. ...
Now there is one thing that will
most certainly give us success in
our efforts to get prohibition before
the people; namely, for enough
prohibitlonists to band themselves
together in every county in this
State under pledge to vote for no
man and support no party that
will not favor the su omission of the
desired Constitutional Amendment
enough, say, to control the sec
tions and make it impossible for
any candidate or party opposed to
this amendment to succeed. This
is simple, 1t is efficient and can
not fail. And it is practicable, too.
For | kno y there are enough who
favor this amendment to carry their
point, if they will stick together
and convince politicians that they
mean what they say.
If we are to be ready for the cam
paign of 1884. we must begin to or
ganize at once. We must have our
forces Sin hand" How to do this
is the most difficult and important
problem connected with this whole
prohibition movement.
The Clarksburg Convention
should attack this problem and
solve it. .
This will give it abundant work
and make it grand success. o..
If the earnest workers through
out the State will meet in this
conference, lay their heads togeth-
er and achieve this result, they
will most assuredly have made the
success of their cause certain. They
will have accomplished infinitely
more than could be gained by mere
numbers, much speechifying and
ad cdptandum display.
Let no man who proposes to