West Virginia freeman. (Parkersburg, W. Va.) 1881-1886, 1883-07-04

WEST VIRGINIA FREEMAN, our live
State organ, has been read for two
years in more than twenty-five
hundred families. There is a
healthy feeling all over the State in
regard to the tyranny and barbarlty
of the traffic, as is evidenced in the
resolutions adopted in the repre-
sentative religious bodies and po-
litical assem- blies held within the
last year.
The conduct of our Senate, or
more properly speaking, of the
tyrannous minority-the already
notorious eleven-has aroused an
indignation, deep, intense and
stern, all over West Virginia. The
press of our State almost without
exception condemns the conduct of
the minority in the Senate, and to-
day speaks out boldly in favor of al
loving the people to say whether
the fragrant and innocent saloon
shall be an institution of the State
any longer, and whether the wards
of the State, the saloon-keepers from
over the sea, shall be furnished
with fresh victims from among our
boys or not. II is a coed indica-
ton when the press of State utter
such sentiments. With the press
and the pulpit aroused the outlook
grows more hopeful every day.
1t is due unto justice and courtesy
that in this report we note, with
gratitude, the faithfulness ard in
tegrity of the friends of the amend
ment in both houses of Legislature.
We will ever embalm in our mem
ory those true men who swelled our
splendid majority in the House,
and those noble men who stood by
our colors in the Senate, even after
it became evident that victory was
an impossibility.
The temperance voters, who
dwell in the districts nais-represent-
ed by those eleven Senators who by
their votes registered their belief
that their people cannot be trusted,
should teach them at the ballot box
that they-the people-reeiprocate
that feeling of distrust, and prefer
that those noble Senators retire to
the shades of private life. Let them
learn that tyranny is no more pop
ular now than in the days of seven
ty-six that it is no less distasteful
from State Senator than it was
when exercised by King George.
We have learned something since
the Ravenswood Convention. Our
dlty as to the campaign next year
is much palmer and clearer than it
was year ago. We still deem it
wise not to organize prohibition
party for separate action, but to
spend our energies in agitating the
public heart, in enl:ghtening the
public mind and in uniting the
forces of prohibition in our State
so as to make ourselves heard and
felt in the political CT nventi'# E
W hen candidates are put forth.
We have learned that the lines
must be drawn tighter than they
were in the last campaign. We
must touch none but known friends
of prohibition Of acknowledged
frmness and grit. When our
wishes are spurned 10y our own
party, and they put upa man who
is an enemy of our cause, or
if not an open enemy, is weak and
vacillating in his adherence to
prohibition, and we are expected
to help elect him because he is of
our party, let us disappoint the
party bosses and spurn the party
lash by voting for better man on
the ticket ofanother political party.
We must overcome this amiable
weakness of too readily supposing
a man to be perfect because he is Of
our political belief, or that he is of
necessity 6end incarnate if he
differs from us in party utilization.
One of the things that our tenn
perance people are slow to learn is
that it takes money to run the ma
chinery of our work ia this State.
After two and. a half years work
upon the part of the Executive
Committee, and considerable ex-
penditure of money for postage,
printing, stationary etc, only $3.50
hoc boor ooptrihntad hv tba Stota