The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1890-10-13
A TALK ABOUT MISSIONS.

Rev. DIR. q. W. Gushing Entertnins n Smnll
Audience with II Very Pleasing nnd In.
Htruc.ive Lecture.
twas announced yesterday that Rev.
DR.. G. W. Gushing, OF the Fourth Street
NJ. E. church, would preach in the
evening on "Some things needed in the
city Of Wheeling to obtain a better con.
dition Of society,"" The violent storm
which came up shortly before church
time caused very slim attendance, and
a number Of those present suggested to
DR.. Cushing that it would be well to
forego holding service at all.
DR.. Cushing stated that he had not
been scared out by rain storm since
he had entered the ministry, but that
he would postpone the sermon he had
prepared and had intended to deliver,
and instead give short lecture on q
topic which he had intended to include
in his sermon.
1.-THE sermon I had prepared had no
special reference to religious matters in
connection with the city's moral status,
but rather to the municipal work. It
has been said that Wheeling is the worst
city in the United States. l cannot say
on the whole that | see the city in TINT
light. In most respects the city of
Wheeling is no worse than other cities
Of the same size, while in some few, it is
little worse. There are more saloons
licensed than in most other cities. There
are l24 licensed retail saloons, which
makes one for each. S05 peonle; mon,
women and children; or one for each 90
male adults. The profits in this business
are immense. A barrel OF beer costing
IS sells by the glass for SIG. The fact
that each GO men support one OF these
saloons shows what great amount of
drinking there is done by thoso who do
drink. I don't know how many OF you
people arc in favor OF the licensing Of
these saloons, but you all have votes for
or against the men whogrant the licenses.
These saloons are temptations which
have destructive tendency upon morali-
ty in society, and the well being OF the
community. hut this city is no bad in
that regard as some others. In Roches.
ter, N. T., there Is one saloon for every
one hundred people; making the num-
ber Of male adults supporters Of each sa.
loon not more than twenty-five. Beer
is the curse Of Rochester, as it is the
curse OF Wheeling. Beer ia worse in its
effects than distilled liquors. The sale
OF distilled liquors has been decreasing
steadily for twenty years, while the
amouat Of beer and malt liquors con.
sumed, has been increased fifty times in
proportion to population. The regular
use Of beer is much worge than the use
Of distilled liquors because it is used as
beverage and is taken in much larger
quantities. Physicians say that men
who arc habitual beer drinkers are
much harder to save from disease than
any other class, and many diseaEcs, noia-
bly, Bright's disease, which have become
so prevalent Of recent years, are due TO
the immoderate use oi malt liquors.
"Men who drink liquors do not re-.
spect themselves and they feel that re.
spectacle people DO not respect them.
The drinking OF liquors destroys all
self respect, and even the men who
drink occasionally to excess feel that no
one respects them. These men, when
the feeling that they are not respected
takes possession 81 them, are to a great
degree beyond all moral restraint.
There is not an organization IN tho oiiy
Of Wheeling-the chuyeh nor any other
that places any restraint on the moral
condition OF its members, that hhs any OF
these drinking men in it. The churches
feel that they have enough to do to take
care OF their own, and they leave this
great outside class TO take care Q! l!seli.
There is now, after many months Of
failure, ha1danip, and earnest efforts an in
stitdtion in the city which is doing vhaI
!, It can in modest and yery cheap way
to save theae men aud women from the
down grade." '0f
He then spoke at some length OF thl
efforts that have been made TO establish