The freeman. (Parkersburg, W. Va.) 1886-18??, 1888-08-29
THAT RESOLUTION.
The Logic OF w. c. 7. U. Work
and Prayer.
Ges eral Harris Calmly Rcvie,os The
Situation and the action of the
Convention.
RICHIE c. H., W. VA.
August 25, 1888.

hITCHlE ". liz w. A.
August %, 1888.
EDITOR FREEMAN;
With your permission l desire to
present a few thoughts on that res
dution of the W. Z. T. U. at its
last meeting, which has to some ex.
tent been made a cause of conten-
ton in that very estimable, con-
scientious, Christian organization.
I shall endeavor to show that the
trouble, if any exist, comes not
from the resolution, but the environ
ments. and shall address myself only
To those whose sole desire is to pro-
mote the great work of making the
traffic in alcoholic beverages in any
form, a crime.
The crusade against the terrible
evils that grow out Of alcohol was
directed toward their removal by
securing a reformation Of the minds
and hearts of those who sold and of
those who drank, and thus remov-
ing the evil by securing the volun-
tary abandonment of the manufac-
ure. sale and use of alcoholic
drinks. In other words, the aim
WAS to secure a moral reformation
that would remove this great evil.
The result proved that this traffic,
on account of its lucrative character,
was too strongly entrenched behind
the cupidity of men whose only aim
was to enrich themselves without
any regard to the consequences of
their business to their fellow men,
70 admit of removal by appeals of a
moral or religious nature; and in
regard to the victims of this traffic,
it was found impossible to save
them, in the great majority of caees,
because of the complete enslave-
nent of the will to the appetite.
They have begun, by a new organ
ization, to attack the legal stand
ing OF the business, and to show
that, being wholly unneces sary to
any natural want of man, and
being always and everywhere ruin
GUS to human happiness and well
fare, ruinous to individuals, to
families, to society and to the state,
ruinous to all of mans best and
highest interests in time, and end
ing in the eternal ruin OF the souls
Of it's victims, it ought to be out
lawed. The inevitable conclusion
was. that such business could
not be legalized without SIM" and
every White Ribboner is bound to
take this conclusion with all Of its
logical consequences. This com-
mits the organization to the policy
of the prohibition of the manufact-
ure, transportation, sale and use, as
beverages, OF every form of alcoholic
drinks.
But how is this policy to be en-
throned and made triumphant, ex-
cept by political action? Before
you can outlaw anything you must
have law, and to make laws Is
function of government. In a
democratic, or republican form OF
government, the power to make
laws resides in the people; and the
people act through representatives
and these are chosen by or through
the ballot.
The work then, in which the W.
&. T. U. is engaged, although based
on the highest moral and religious
considerations, can only have real
lzation through political action,
and with whom conld the organiza-
tlon sym pathize but those who,
In the political field, are seeking to
accomplish the end at which the
W. G. I. U. aims?
Let u6 look tor 2 moment at the
resolution:
"Resolved, That we work in every
righteous way, and with all who
Will cooperate with US, for the ratii-
cation of the Prohibitory Amend
ment, and as a Constitutional
Amendment, to be effective, must
nave a favorable political force
pack of it to enforce it, we declare