West Virginia freeman. (Parkersburg, W. Va.) 1881-1886, 1885-08-26
WEST VIRGINIA FREEMAN
EoIroR fEREENAN-

Many good people, lncaoo1ng
souae ministers Of the Gospel, are
either 'unwisely hopeful or unae-
oountably indifferent as to the
great Tenn perance reform.
Indeed it was most painful to OBJ
serve in thee raftonC ION vention, that
some delegates and even some min
listers seemed to be much more COZ
aerned for the interests Of the polit-
ical party of their choice, than for
Tenn perance and Prohibition.
These partisan friends insisted
on nom pars;sas action; that is, no
party action, hoping, l suppose,
chat the Liquor traffic, being such =
giant evil, If let alone long enough,
would, in some way, work its own
destruction. IF they really thought
this they are to be pitied and need
to be enlightened,
And as to tho attitude of the old
parties toward this great curse,
there is nothing IN all the history OF
either of them to Justify the hope
fulness of aug that look in that di-
rection for relief.
Without thorough and complete
organization there can be no perma-
neat success.
God says to evii, at times, Titus
far css& no farther," but he says
this by the lips Of re6ormers and
deeds Of heroes. If Christianity
means anything it means opposi-
ton to evil and unrighteousness.
If the Christian church means any
thing, it means Gods police force,
on duty in the world to defend His
law and do his will.
This evil will continue to grow
as long as good men refuse to organ
ize against it 1t is the sheerest
folly to say the time has not yet
come for organized opposition, or
that by letting the foul cancer
alone long enough it will tester it
self into purity.
Any man of reason ought to
know better.
A curse so deeply seated and
thoroughly organized in the appe-
titles and avarice of hGmanity, will
only yield to organized, active and
persistent opposition, and it will
die hard, contesting every inch of
ground with its assailants, even up
to the very hour of its final defeat
and destruction.
But what is a political party,
that any of I'd should cling to this
or that old organization. with such
tenacity? What is q party but
union of citizens believing in GER
tain principles and policies, labor
ing together to engrat these poll
cies and principles into the laws Of
the State. These objects accom-
plIshed, the work of the party is
done, unless these same citizens
agree on other policies and meas
nres to be advanced and establish
ed
The principle and policy of Pro-
hibition is foremost in the minds
and hearts of the mass of sober,
law-abiding people OF the country !;
neither of the old parties will adopt
this principle nor advocate this
policy, and how any true Prohibi-
zionist can oppose the organization
of Prohibition party, to carry for
ward the principle he thinks es-
sential to good government, and
the safety of our homes, is beyond
my comprehension.
Why should a Prohibitionist
have any care or concern for the
success of any party that not only
opposes what he advocates, but in
suits and ridicuIes and maligns
him for thinking for himself, hav-
ing his own political opinions and
voting as he pleasesf
We are in the midst of a great
moral and political revolution, and
new lines are being formed in this
struggle OF the people against this
gigantic curse of the country.
Arrayed on the liquor side in
this great contest, are powers that
seem we'll nigh irresistible. The
huge traffic pleads its vested inter-
ests, and most 1ehemently demands
the fullest sway Of personal liber-