The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1895-10-07

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TO he EIlor Of H1 HteltgRer.
sTR:-ThO citizens, or rather the
preachers meeting, held at tho court
house In tho city OF ParkerIburg, or
Thursday night, was a grand SUCCESS
and at the same time q magnificent fail
urs,
A grand success, in that 1t demOnstra'
ted the earnest patriotic zeal Of our
noble women and intelligent men in
behalf OF good government, and sin
core desire to do all in their power to
secure it. In my humble opinion, all
the blessings, as welt as all the suffer.
iuGs, misery and crimes, emanate d.
reclly or indirectly from the govern
menL It Is the government, the pow.
ers that DO. that make people happy
aud prosperous, or poor aud miserable.
Hence tho noble stand OF Brutus, Al.
gsrnon Sidney, Washington, and tho
whole host OF patriots OF rs, Patriot.
lem lie tho noblOsI Of all human virtues.
1t embraces and holds the liberty OF the
citizen, aud is the Woal aud wealth OF
life; the one priceless jewel Of mankind
It is sanctiGei as our tirst duty and en-
bRlmi aud ennobles in the hSart OF
every good and trus man and woman.
Therefore, say tho crowded house on
Thursday night with our most lovely
women aud Intelligent mon WAS
grand succoss. But the meeting, as n
practical accomplishment was a mGgniti'
cont failure.
Nobody seemed to know from whence
came the call, or what was designed by
those who had issued It. Like fire
bell NJ midnight, tho call rang out and
the good people OF our city rushed to
the court house to ascertain tho dagger
aud from whence it emanatOd.
There were a number OF good speeches
aud somO not so good.
Mr.. A. b. White, oil the Journal, was
most uncersmoniously laIsoOd and
dragged into service and made tho
opening speech. It was very sensible
address, In which no fairly aud ably OK.
planned the difficulties connected With
the enioIcemOnt OF tho law, and vindi-
Gated the officers in their efforts 10 per.
form their respective duties. lie took
q plain, practical, conservative view Of
the situation, and, while he regretted
there was 90 much crlmO in our COM
munity, he insisted that It was not phe-
nomenRl and that our city would com.
pare ilvOrably In that respect with any
in tho land.
The next speaker was tho Rev. Dr..
WiHaRs. Of the N. L. church. OF course,
his speech was from the standpoint oil a
minister Of the Gospel; and, according
TO his theory, there IL NO excuse for
criIno. That man, being by his nature
totally depraVOd, is 10 duty bound to DO
perfect in oil his acts or suffer tho con.
sequences oiViolaled law. lie reviewed,
at some length tho crimes that had been
committed in this community recently,
and the shortcomings Of our city ami
county officials in not suppreIBing
crime and bringing the oGouders to JUS
tice. His speech, from a preachers
standpoint, was very entertaining, clio.
quent and Instructive
Tho Rev. DR.. Rumor was the next
speaker. lie is O most eItimable gen.
tlsmRn, q dne scholar and u true
preacher. He believes that laws are ON
nipotOnt, aud should DO enforced At all
hazard; that 1t iI tho duty Of those in
authority 10 enforce the law whether
public sentiment endorses them or not.
In fact, according to his theory, tho
powers that DO arc ordained OF God, aud
should DO implicitly oboyed.
The Rev. Dr.. Smith, Of the First Bap-
list church. nOXt addressed tho meet
ing. Mr.. Smith Is a handsome, bright
young man Of brains, who has the cour-
age Of his convictions and Is not afraid
ito speak out In meeting"
llOarrsiEnsd our city and county OIL.
cials, Cor their many shortcomings in
not enforcing tho Inv, and had a list
prepared OF tho numerous crimes that
hal beOn pSrpstratgi in our county, IN
which the prosecution had proved an
utter failure aud tho criminals had oB.
capped from justice, and no held our
county and city officials responsible.
The noXtapoaker was tho Rev. O. I.
Caldwell.
beyond all question Mr.. Caldwell Is
tho BsechOr OF this day. Ito hRa tho
Hrsaetism, the eloaGears. tho wit aud
;hr plain. practical common sense that
gave llunry Ward Bpochnr tbs world
wide reputation he enjoyed aa public
man; aud no man, IN my opinion, At
tins day Ia better outitled TO I'LL Beech.
or'a shoes The glory Of Mr. Beschcr
Wa8 that no vowed tho world from tho
standpoint OF common sense Ito was
tho frat minister In break tho leo Of
irigid orthodoxy. To Wow tho world
nS tis, not from tho narrow, contracted,
impractical pann Of glass Oi the nscotic'1
window, or those who cOwardly ignore
tho driieB and responsibilities " lll,
and 5OL Themselves mp as patron saints.
Is It not no who runs away aud hidss
himself In some aeGluded monnstgTy
that makes tho bost nni most uSoiut
cItl2on; but tho man and woman that
braycly aud iearloUly cntOrs tho battle
Of lilo. aud does hli duty ~ u molnbSr
OF society To tho boat OF his means aud
ability. that will ultimately rOap tho
reward NJ that las. grand day, "lhoh
good and faithful sorvnut."
Mr.. Caldwell demonstrated that each
aud every man and woman III tho com.
muniiy Is not separate aud distinct
entity, but that We wOro all inoTtrcably
connected AZ u common whole, onch
more or Ices dependent upon his neigh.
bort tor nii that makes ltfd soletahlB
lie demonstrated that, by tho iunda.
montal ptinOiploD oil liberty aud good
gogornmOnt, OvOry man aud woman
was presumed to DO Innocent until tho
contrary was COntly and distinctly