The weekly register. [volume] (Point Pleasant, Va. [W. Va.]) 1862-1909, 1888-12-26
a Day at the Polls.



BY REV. GEO. r. LYLE
I'VE have besn handed The fol-
lowing taken from the Christian
OLsercer, with request to publish
it. The article is written by a Rev
erend gentleman, well known to
our people.-ED.
Messfs Edttofs.-The Prohibition
amendment is thought to have been
rejected, by very large majority,
in our State of West Virginia. /
was deeply interested in its SUCCESS,
and went to the polls and spent the
larger part of the day eleetioneer-
ing for it amongst the voters of all
parties. was well assisted by sew
eral friends, and we have the hap
pfness of knowing that our precinct
gave the largest majority for it that
has been yet reported.
For a long time was at loss to
know what to do about the amend
ment. / was trying to make up
my mind by balancing evils. For
example, I would think, if it passed,
we would have hundreds of men
violating the law by introducing
and selling intoxicants, and periur-
ing themselves for the sake of the
gain that would attend their sale.
And would it not be better to have
them introduced by regulation of
law, than to increase the class of
habitual law breakers and perjurers?
Finally the question came closer to
me, and / decided that, as unit of
the public, j had no. right to give
lawful sanction to anfevil from fear
of greater evils. [ think great
many good men never escaped from
that foggy state of mind that result
ed from balancing evils, and hence
made themselves personally respon-
sible for the evils of whisky by vot-
ing against the amendment. This
/ would record as the great cause of
the defeat of the salutary law.
Again, we were defeated by the
fanatics. The Prohibition, or third
party, was a red rag that Infatuated
many of the two great political par
ties of the State. And again, some
of tho strong minded women of the
day came around stumping the
country, and disguised many of our
conservative citizens with the cause
they represented.
Furthermore, the Prohibition
amendment was mixed up with two
others, difficult to understand by
the ordinary mind, and when un-
derstood, very unpopular. The
tendency was to sweep it from the
ticket with the others. Besides, the
whisky party had looked after its
interests, and many of the tickets
were prepared to vote rejection, and
get advantage of any inattention on
the part of the voter. Some sup
posed that by simply striking off
PROJECTION" from their ticket, they
would be voting for it, whereas it
was no vote, if "for ratification"
was not written upon the ticket.
Many men who are habitual
drinkers, had told me they intend
ed to vote for it, with view to self
protection, and, in two instances,
know this was done. Let good men
make note of that.
Give our citizens a vote on this
question, apart from the excitement
of a general election, and believe
the State will ratify the amendment
by large majority. L look upon
the question as anything else than
fairly settled.
| do not know when I was ever
so glad to see anything over and
gone, as was to see the election
ended The lying, the counter-ly-
ing, the clap-trap arguments, the
braggadocia offers of bets, the whirl
of excitement-aIl are over and
gone, and now one can hope that
the people are in a, better condition
to give eternal truth little consid
Grafton.
/ I wish to say, for the honor of
our eolored voters at this place, that
they voted almost solidly for the
amendment.