The freeman. (Parkersburg, W. Va.) 1886-18??, 1886-06-23
Prohibition is Coming.
BY W. JENNINGS DEMoREsT.

Do you want to know what are
some of the indications of the ad-
vance of public opinion in condem-
nation of the criminal effects of
rum-selling? Lend me your ears
while / recount the distinct rum
blings of the coming reform.
Hear what the South has recent
ly uttered with voice that cannot
be misunderstood. Virginia, South
Carolina, Mississippi, Florida,
Georgia, Alabama, are all echoing
with glad and spirited enthusiasm
the necessity for the Prohibition of
the liquor traffic. The crowd of
colored voters that is now gather
ing into grand combination to
justify the Prohibition movement,
now mum bers over a million strong.
This is to be the knell of the rum
sellers doom in our country. The
loud reverberations from Georgia
had scarcely died away, when we
found the whole West alive with
it's clamor for Prohibition, and last
though not least, is the grand
bomb from Rhode Island, thunder
ing along the line of the movement
to startle us with it's unexpected
shout of coming progress. Come,
friends of Temperance, wake up
and prepare to welcome the infant
giant of moral reform, or surely
some of US will be found struggling
in the rear,
The mighty, indomitable wave of
moral sense, of common sense and
public conscience is now being
aroused to the Importance of the
mountain-like pressure that bears
so heavily on our business enter
prises and our numerous Industries.
This together with the newly
awakened aspirations of the people
tor freedom from this awful in
cubus on our morals, education
and religion, claim a renewed
conservation to the great work
before us.
While the people seem to be
impelled with a common purpose
to put down this awful clog on
our civilization, they are met with
legions of opposing forces whose
large moneyed interests, social sur
roundings and depraved appetites
challenge their progress; and al
though vile passion and a storm of
vindictive abuse may and will be
hurled against them with all the
venom of maddened frenzy, yet
their moral heroism, with an
enthusiasm born of conscientious
conviction, will triumph in the
end.
The cause of Prohibition is
moving rapidly onward to oppose
these demon conspirators against
our homes, and the constant
laundering of our mighty argu-
ments and q vitalized conscience
in the great cause of humanity
will stir up determined energy
to conquer these mountain forces
of wrong and oppression.
Unutterable despair might well
take place of these pleasant hopes
if we had no remedy for the extir-
patton of this great SIMEON of
drunkenness that now threatens
our land. But Prohibition has
given US watch-word that finds a
full and ready response in every
generous and patriotic mind, and
to which the Christian Church can
join heart and hand,
There is a consciousness that
pervades the minds of the people
that they hold within their grasp
the power to manage and control
this monster evil, and this is one
Of the difficulties with which we
have to contend. This conscious
hess lulls into a sleep of forgetful-
ness. Our INSCRIPTIONS enemies
taking advantage Of the insidious
character of alcoholic stimulants
are ever vigilant and industriously
employed in appealing to the
sordid interests and the generous
impulses of the thoughtless multi
tude who are ever ready to embrace
vice when it is presented in an
alIuring GARD, as it will be found
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