West Virginia freeman. (Parkersburg, W. Va.) 1881-1886, 1885-01-14
"Cranks."

how TO SUBSTITUTE mere policy Tor
principle, nor can he see how NOR.
al cowardice or moral dishonesty
can pay in the long day.
Poor simpletonI he may miss
much enjoyment because he is so
shallow. If there is any luxury
in betraying the right for mere
party success, the "crank" can new.
er know it. His luxury is found
in being cursed and slandered by
the political saints of the land.
To be a Prohibition "crank' is q
fearful crime and has the same eff
feet on bsped bovG,es that red rag
has on quadruped bovines.
These "cranks" are much ANUS
ed at the gushing of the Parkers-
burg correspondent of the CONNER
cial Gazette. He exults especially
over the fact that the ''cranks"
will not be known in the city cleo
ton. 1t may be that it was not
their purpose to be known. Many
of them did sign or would have
signed the call for Citizens Con-
vention and would always support
a citizens ticket. There are good
reasons for this which our enemies
may not know.
The late National election has re-
vealed the fact that we were trust
ing men who were our secret enc
mics and who had no conscience
on the Prohibition question. 1t is
now dry orange to them. We
know them and will not trust
them with our plans. We have
plans and will work them with aIi'
energy that will surprise the polit-
zeal saints of to-day.
The late election revealed an
important fact and that is, there
are many Temperance" men
who have no respect for righteous
principle. Whether this is the re-
suit of natural incapacity or NOR
al obliquity, / do not know. Sup
posed manhood has suddenly dis
appeared and men are stranded
everywhere.
I, for one, am glad they stand
disclosed. Had we trusted them
when the final battle is to be
fought they would have sold us out
for party success, if an opportunity
had occurred. The phrase "Tem-
perance crank" will he lifted into
a term of honor and power in the
near future.
| would rather be a "crank"
than a man without an honest con-
viction' that I respected and my
moral nature honeycombed with
hypocrisy.
The spirit and policy of pro-
scription that is now asserting it
self W ill bear fruit as disappoint-
ing as "apples of Sodom," and
those who are responsible for this
spirit will have to eat this fruit.
But we are told that the Tenn
perance question has been put
back twenty years. This must
mean two things:
. First, God has abandoned His
own cause and intends to aid the
saloon power.
Second, Men who had been
drinking moderately or perhaps net
at all, intend to drink excessively.
This is to be done to show the pub
lie that the declaration is true.
}. Church members must patronize
I rum shops in order to show fow
8 much the Temperance cause has
= suffered by men voting according
TO their own judgment and con-
science.
"Cranks" are not Temperance
men; they are prohibitionists, OPP
e posed to the barbarism Of the le-
2 galized liquor traffic. If thiscause
| is "put back twenty years." as as
t serted, then it must be true again
y that many who were opposed tc
J. this barbarism are moU I'm fdvor o.
1t. There is no other way in which
this can be true.
/. But why is there Prohibition
sentiment in the land? Wha
l. caused this uprising? rs it pure
crankism. or is it the evils of the
liquor traffic that has caused it?
), When slavery ceased, "aboli
l. tionism" ceased. When the Equo
J, traffic ceases, Prohibition will
y ooaea Raoausa M no1itioal mart,