West Virginia freeman. (Parkersburg, W. Va.) 1881-1886, 1886-03-17
Pr. PLEASANT, W. VA, !
March s, 1886.

EDITOR FREEMAN:
Many time and Oft have | been
inclined to tell the FREEMAN read
ers of the cheering indications seen
along my route, but the task of or
ganizing the anti-rum sentiment
SO as to make it potent for good,
has monopolized my powers. The
past month has been devoted to
the Great Kanawha Valley and
vicinity, and while my work has
been arduous / trust that the res
ults are commensurate with the
efforts made. Starting at Point
Pleasant the foundation was laid
for good lodge of Good Templars
which will be organized tonight.
This is a rum cursed town, which
| hope to see redeemed by the
efforts of the Good Templars here,
acting with the other FIVE Lodges
which have been formed in the
county. At Leon, Lodge of 13
members was formed which has
since grown to 35, and their efforts
are already being productive of
good, St. Adams fell into line
CALAMITY with Lodge of the best
people in the place, and now so
earnest workers are battling to rid
the little town of rum shops. Sue.
cess is assured and we will find
St. Adams soon without single
l;oancad uroooarv
At Spring Hill 1 found little
band of brave souls who declare
their determination to drive the
enemy even out of Kanawha
county, and they mean business.
A good Lodge was formed and [
carried their message to Charleston.
Here in the Capital of the County
and State l found powerful SEN
timent; strong enough to effect
great things, but sluggish-cowed
apparently by the bluff braggado-
clio of the whisky men, who are al
ready alive to the advantage of
paralyzing the Temperance men
so that their lobby can do its work
undaunted by any interference.
A few earnest souls there are, who
deprecate and condemn this timid
do-nothing policy, and valiantly
cry aloud, urging the need of &C.
tivity for the sake of the State as
well as of the city. God grant that
their efforts will not prove vain.
A general State fight should be
made to drive the Rum power out
of the Capital so that the Legisla-
ture shall not be hindered in need
ed reforms by the corrupting infu-
ence. A small Lodge was formed
here, and Immediately the whole
State was notified of the fact by
the Wheeling Register, which saw
in this the beginning of an effort
by Temperance men to capture the
city. Make it SO, my friends
nothing succeeds like success, and
pull altogether by the good peo-
pie of Charleston would exercise a
great influence in our State fight
for Prohibition.
At Brownstown, an excellent
Lodge was formed with Mayor Lee
at its head.
At Hampton good Lodge was
formed, and conjure the energetic
people there to ignore sectarian
lines and pull together for the COM
mon good of all the churches.
In Coal Valley, again our friends
organized and at once appointed a
committee to search through that
Rum ridden town for a room to
use as Temperance headquarters.
Few can appreciate the difficulty
of radical work in town where
every deed is qualified by a clause
intended to prohibit Prohibition.
May God open the eyes of these
people, and arouse them to fight
against instead of for this deadly
enemy.
In Milton, 56 men went into
the work with an energy which is
full of promise. They are determin-
ed to redeem Cabell county, as they
have already redeemed Milton. God
speed them. They will have help
from Guyandotte and Huntington
where also good Lodges were form