West Virginia freeman. (Parkersburg, W. Va.) 1881-1886, 1884-12-31
CHASTISING THE FREEMAN,
Little From Both Sides.
BANNEN, WEST VA.


Mr.. EDITOR 81 have been a
reader of the FREEMAN for two
wears and endorse many things In it,
but this everlasting tendency and
effort to degrade the Repu blican
Party to level with the Demo-
cratic Party on the Temperance
question has been annoying to me
for long time. 1t is true the Repub-
lican Party in it's national platform
did not take the stand in favor of
Temperance that l wished, but it
did not make the direct bid for the
rum vote that the Democracy did
in its plank on "Sumptuary" laws.
And most of the legislation in favor
of Temperance has been by the
Republicans. Instance, Kansas,
Iowa and Maine. And if we get
anything favorable to Prohibition
for some years we must get it large
ly from Republicans. In the Re-
publican State convention they
bad big fight for Prohibition
plank by a very respectable min
GRITTY, while the Democrats ignored
it altogether and endorsed the Ma
tional platform, "Sumptuary Laws"
and all and I will here say | have
seen not less than ten Presidential
cam paigns and if any party has
been the whisky party more than
another, it has been the Democrat
ic party.
Now 1 am not going to justify
nor even excuse all that the Re-
publican party has done nor con-
denim the Democrats in mass. But
when we have two horses harness
ed and one will work little and
the other wont work at all, to see
the one that will do little receive
all the blows is at least unfair. And
when l consider the many thrusts,
that have been directed at the Re-
publican party, and SO few COM
paratively against the Democratic
party, one Of the following conclus-
ions forces itself on my mind The
FREEMAN is either in league with
the Democratic party or deems
that party so degraded in moral
sensibility that there is no hope of
saving it and to address it with
Prohibition exhortation, reproof
or rebuke would be to cast pearls
before swine. The latter is most
charitable toward the FREEMAN
But I don't speak of individuals.
I know there are hundreds and
thousands, of good and true Tenn
perance Democrats. Of course you
will recognize me as Republican,
which is true, but I am none the
less Prohibitionist for that. And
if we wish to combat the Rum
Power let us turn our missiles
against our avowed enemy, and not
drive our friends into the enemy's
ranks by abusing them for not
seeing eye to eye with ourselves.
| intend to vote Prohibition when
ever it is fairly before the people
and | believe there is large ma
Jority of the voters.of West Virginia
will do the same thing.
Of course you will do as you
please with this communication it
Is the first from me and will likely
De the last. 1t will as Likely find
Its way into the waste basket, or
you can publish if you have moth
Ing better to put in some little
corner 1 have no quarrel with
Prohibition nor any temperance
men. If the language in this let
ter seems harsh it is because don't
know how to tell things in a smooth
and oily way. God speed Prohlbl-
ton. And let all the people say
Amen. S. GRIsELL.
A REMARK OR TWO.
When we wrote the caption over
The above communication, We pur-
posed following it with sample
letter from the other side, but we
forbear. We have hitherto refer