The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1888-04-24

esting Argument.
To he Editor Of he IateIigAeT.
sm:-There being little, If anything
in Judge Ferguson's last article notfull!
answered in my former communications
l have not deemed it important to indit'
an earlier reply. The public will noticC
with what cunning, ingenuity and self
complacency the Judge attempts to use
to my dctriment, my refusal to descent
to a personal controversy with him
going SO far us to intimate that ! feared
The consequences OF such IN encounter
and begged q truce. / wish now, once
for all, % warn the gentleman, III The
language OF Webster, in his immortal re.
ply TO Hayne OF South Carolina, that 81
shall not allow myself on this occasion
Il hope on no occasion--to be betrayed
into any loss of temper; but il provoked
MS trust never shall allow myself to
be, into elimination and re-crimination,
the honorable gentleman may perhaps
find that in that contest there will be
blows to take as we'll as blows to give,
that others can state comparisons as sig
nificant ut least US his own; and that his
IMMUNITY may perhaps demand OF him
whatever powers OF taunt and sarcasm
he NAV possess. commend him to
prudent husbandry OF his resources.
II assumption, presumption and asser-
ton, ware argument, then indeed might
even d Webster quail before rhe dis
tinguished gentleman. But they are
not, and, when these are eliminated from
the Judges discussion OF this subject,
all candid thinking men will agree that
there is little left. =.
Throughout this whole controversy II
has been his iavorite mode instead OF
answering my argument, to presume
and assume false premises for me, that
he may have the credit OF having an
swered what Inever averred or claimed.
For example, in his last letter the
Judge says that in my first article, as he
understood it, II undertook to prove
that the true and only way to adopt the
amendment was for its friends to organ,
ize themselves into o third political
party" etc. neither said nor claimed
any such thing, / did say, and do yet
say, that believe the best interests o.
temperance in West Virginia, and all
other States, and in the United States,
will be most rapidly advanced, and the
great curse the sooner abolished, and
the country redeemed, by the continued
organization and advocacy OF q great Nj
tional party for that purpose.
never, Mt any time, claimed that the
opposition to the Third party by those
who care more for thesnccess OF party
than principle or the amendment, might
not lose few votes for the amendment.
But did then, and do now, believe
that the prohibition OF the liquor traffic
is a great National question, transcend,
ing in Importance tho question OF the
amendment in West Virginia, SO that
while we would do everything in our
power for the amendment, and the abo'
lition OF the curse in this State, We be-
lieve it to be the true policy, and Just rs
important, that we stand by and sup
port the National Prohibition party
whose success is absolutely necessary to
secure the abolition OF the nefarious
traffic from the whole country.
What would have been thought o.
West Virginia's noble boys in blue il
during the mighty war OF tho Rebellion
they had refused to fight only for and
on the bloody fields OF tho Nirginias,
while ther comrades from their peaceful
homes OF the far away North, drink
ing out Of the same old canteen," were
fighting to save the whole land?
We have been utterly amazed at the
groundless fears OF temperance men,
who declare, and seem to believe what
they say, that If the amendment is dc
feated now, it will be generation before
another is submitted.
This prophecy sounds much like, and
may emenate from like spirit OF that Of
1854, declaring Mr.. Biaine's defeat had
set the cause back twenty years ormore
Was there any setback Nay, verify
on the contrary, these four years have
advanced the cause more than the
previous twenty. Blaine's defeat in
1854 was clearly prophesied by that
great Though not always good) Republic
can organ, the New York Tribune, in
1882, when it declared that "alCohol is
curse more debasing and degrading
than slavery or polygamy. Have the
leaders OF the Republican party the fore
sight to see, the courage to meet the ire
pressible issue, or will they wait to bG
wrecked or ruined like the old Whie
party2" The Wing party was ruined
as all know, by the desertion OF it
abolition element because OF that party't
failure to antagonize the great wrong O.
human slavery. Just so was the Repub
lican party defeated by the desertion OIL
its temperance voters in 1854 as thu
Tribune predicted it would be II thu
party failed, as it did, to meet thiE
greater temperance issue.
Directly after that election, in an after
dinner speech, prominent Republican
United States Senator declared that thu
defeat OF the party at that time was be
cause Of its failure to measure up to thu
moral convictions Of the people. So to
day, instead OF abusing US, these grea
organs and leaders OF the 6. o. p, ough
to praise the Third party people for be
ing Just where they predicted ouI
Christian patriotism would lead us.
We fully concur with the logic Of thu
Tribune that the destruction OF this aw
full curse and burning shame to the civ
ilization Of the nineteenth century haI
fast hold on the hearts and conscience
OF the Christian people Of the land.
And II allowed n little philosophical
depression right here, Iwllltell you wha
in my opinion, l fear, will defeat thu
amendment, viz: a kind OF a felt-in'the
bones.presentiment on the part of-olt
party leaders and politicians, especial
tty Republicans. AS before iRtima
ted, these Christian voters do meal
business and are looking around 70
some proper medium through whicI
to accomplish the grand work
their inward consciousness indicating
MS We believe it does, to these leader
that the Third party does really oite
this chance, and believing, Us We thin,
they do, with q distinguished Republi
can in this end OF the State, and full
concurred in by the writer, that "a
temperance agitation will injure the Re
publican party" by arousing a zeal thu
will naturally and certainly carry thei
best element into real prohibitio
PARTY. Rather than this result shout
follow they refuse to agitate or wor
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