West Virginia freeman. (Parkersburg, W. Va.) 1881-1886, 1885-08-19
Shameful Ignorance.


to hear unscrupulous wise-acres
spoating against St, John and the
Prohibition party. Men who read
both sides of the Prohihition oues-
ton and are posted, have far less to
say. as rule, than those who read
nothing and pretend to know every
thing. Such staunch temperance
papers as the N. Y. Weekly Witness,
The Voice, The Union Signal and
WEST VA. FREEMAN, are utterly
ignored, while the Cincinnati Com,
Gazette, and like partisan papers,
which reek with venom and cor
ruption, are carefully read and
credited as truthful from first to
last.
As these political sheets, for the
most part, are in for whisky, they
hasten to suppress any and all facts
that would seem to favor Prohibi-
ton. Every slanderous falsehood
against Prohibitionists that comes
within their reach is snatehed up
and circulated with a greed that
shows how hard pushed they are
for something to say against their
opponents, and in the interest of
their own wicked cause. And yet,
after reading such papers and get
ting only one side of the issue be-
aore us, many of these partisan
ignoramuses will presume to die
tate the policy of temperance men,
and to malign the characters of
those who see fit to pronounce in
favor of independent action touch
ing the liquor problem.
1t is next to impossible TO talk
to Republican of a certain type
without hearing st. John vilified
and denounced as fraud" A
great many seem to think it q bit
of smartness to thus express them
selves, but ask the reason for such
abuse and insist upon an answer,
and at once their ignorance is ex-
posed. "The papers say So" or
"Sam Smith says 500 is about as
far as the evidence goes. | have
asked fifty men to give me the proof
that st. John sold out to the Dem
ocrats last fall, but not one of the
number has attempted to do so.
Our friend Mr.. I. r. Carskadon
is berated by sore headed Republi
cans as disappointed office seek
err" as wire pullsr'' and "crank !"
but demand the proof, and insist
upon it, if you would drive these
sore heads to the wall OF course
they will intimate that the charges
are true, because he dared to leave
his old party, but that is not proof,
and man that is a man will not
make it a ground for such calunnny.
Such political ranters would act
more III harmony with the eternal
fitness of things if they would
crawl back into their political ken
mel and shut up" their barking
until they see or hear something
real to bark at.
Prohibitionists, it is said, are in
league with the Democratic party.
Ali at once it has been discovered
that our aim is to "break down
the Republican party" Any man
with common intelligence ought
to know and does know better.
1t is simply an unmitigated fab
rication out of whole cloth, and
the man that gives credence
to, and helps circulate false re-
port, without examining the evil
dence, is equally guilty with the
man that made it.
The Democratic party has de-
clared officially against Prohibi-
ton. We do not expect anything
from it as a party. From dawn
till dark we expect to oppose it,
and hope ere long to overthrow it.
It is not fit to live, and under the
ordinary test, not fit to die. But
there is an antagonism between or.
ganized Prohibition and the Re-
publican party, as we'll. Does any
one ask why?
First, 1t is a whisky party. l
challenge denial,
Secondly, Because it is against
US. At this time the National Re-
publican party is allied with the
Democratic party IN fighting the
battles of the saloon. This is also