West Virginia freeman. (Parkersburg, W. Va.) 1881-1886, 1883-02-14
WHEELING INDiGNATES !
Mass Meeting In Academy of
Music last Sunday.
WHEELING, Feb. II,

eohi poiauSe Hdu anolner OF tnelf
rouslng mass meetings at the
Academy of Music Yesterday af.
ternoon, in this city. AS usual
the crowd was large and full of en-
thusiasm.
Mr.. G. W. Atkinson presided,
and after the choir, led by Wheel
lng's best male vocalist, Mr.. J. Mel
vim Richards, sang some of their
best songs, Rev. DR.. Smith, led in
prayer. He prayed earnestly for
the deliverance OF all classes from
the curse of the liquor traffic; and
was specially eloquent when he
asked the Lord to spare the recre-
ant Senators, who were elected to
submit the Prohibition Amend
ment, but for the sake of personal
promotion, had gone over to the
liquor power. 1t was simply a
powerful petition to "the Throne
of Grace"
MARSHAL ATKINSON,
in introducing Rev. Mr.. Grogan
the first speaker of the afternoon.
among other things, said:
Fellow citizens. over sixty thou
sand voters of West Virginia are
indignant this afternoon; and they
have reason to be indignant. They
have been grossly mistreated bv the
law making body of the State.
They have been insulted--
THEY HAVE BEEN SPIT UPON.
The proposition rejected bv the
Senate, a few days ago, was not
Prohibition. When grave Sena.
tors arose in their seats and at
tempted by lengthy dissertations,
to prove that prohibition does not
prohibit" and then used their fall
laclous arguments against the pro.
posed Constitutional Amendment.
they were out of order, and should
have been asked to take their
seats. They were not called up
on, as Senators, to decide whether
Prohibition prohibits. The only
question for them to settle was,
whether they, as the servants of the
people, should recognize the right
of petltion--that of 10000 voters
of the State, begging the right,
not that Prohibition should be es-
tablished at this time, but the sim
pie right that thew might he al.
lowed the
PRIVILEGE OF VOTING,
at some future day, upon this great
question. This was all they were
asked to pass upon-nothing more.
1 declare to you to-day, my fellow
citizens, that when legislative as
semblies refuse to recognize the sa-
cred right of petition, as ours has
done in this instance,
REPUBLICAN GOVERNMENT rs A
FARCE AND DEMOCRACY BE-
COMES TYRANNY.
| say to the eleven Senators who
voted No, that this question will
not down. Truth crushed to earth
will rise again" The independent
voter is abroad in the land. AL
ready we have Al out of the "a
counties of the State which are en-
forcing local option. They could
not do this if there was not a pub
lie sentiment in favor of TEN per-
ance, behind them. | go further;
| believe that majority of the
voters of the State, if allowed to
pass upon the question, would de
eide in favor of not only local op-
ton in Al counties, but in favor
of legal prohibition in the entire
fifty-four counties Of our prosper
GUS little State.
No, gentlemen, you cannot crush
out the temperance workers of this
State. They are more determined
now than ever.
FORWARD,
is their watch word No real re-
form movement has ever been
crushed out. They have been inn
peded for a time, but they have al
ways taken fresh start, and gone
forward, with renewed energy,
from conquering to conquest. So
it will be in this instance. The
next Legislature will submit this
question to the voters of the State
/ L Al