Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1897-11-01

Williamson, 81 Friendly, W. va, which
Is misleading, and does injustice to par
ties residing at Sistersville. By this
do not mean that the author OF the
article. Intentionally made wrong
impression. but he himself has been
mislead through believing what he
saw In the Oil Review. During the
week in which the court of Tyler ounty
was in session the editor of the Oil
Review published an article In which
he stated that all the good people of
Sistersville, including the business
men, church members and ministers of
the gospel, signed a petition imploring
the court to grant license for the sale
of liquor in the county. When the
above statement was made l at once
went to sid editor and asked him to
correct the statement in his next is
sue. This he refused to do, simply be-
cause he did not possess one grain of
manhood. /, and the other ministers
of the city, did not push the matter,
because we thought every person resid-
ing close enough to Sistersville to be
interested in the matter would know
the calibre of the Review. and judge in
accordance. But since individuals have
been misled by the Review. allow me to
say that the statement is false from
beginning to end, and it originated in
the mind of cur noble editor and his
clique. All the business men of our
city Gid not sign said petition, to say
nothing of the church members and
ministers of the gospel. True, there
were a few so-called church members
in the city that did sign said petition.
There is likewise few so-called church
members in perdition, and if some do
not repent there will be few more to
keep them company. Not single min
lister of the gospel signed said petition
or ever dreamed of such at thing. I
myself, was in person before the court
to implore said court to refuse license,
and Rev. Anderson, pastor of the Pres
byterian church, wrote a letter to the
court to the same effect. But as al
ready stated by our friend Williamson,
of Friendly, the men comprising the
court were men of principle and needed
no encouragement to get them to do
their duty.
The present condition of our city is
deplorable indeed. Saloons and gam
bling bells are openly run in defiance
of law Our Mayor and city Council
walk the streets of Sistersville and
drink down the stencil arising from
these places of vice in direct violation
of their oaths to administer law and
order in our midst.
Birds of a feather flock together.
But though our condition is deplor-
able, yet let not the good people Of our
sister towns and cities think we have
given up the fight. No, the Lord has
some here yet who have never bowed
the knee to Baal. There are times
when silence is the better part of
wisdom-To catch a fox you must slip
upon him in his lair. hope this ar
ticle will set the good people of Sis
tersville in a true light before the
public.
Thanking you for space in your ex-
cellent paper, l remain yours in the
interest of truth j. L. PRESSER,
Pastor of the First Baptist Church Of
Sistersville, w. Va.
To the Editor of the Register.
Sir:-I read with interest a COM
munication from Captain Williamson,
of Friendly in to-day's Register con-
corning the license question in Tyler
county. l heartily agree with his SEN
timents, and / trust the outside pub
lie will understand very many citizens
uphold the court in its refusal to
grant license. The captain, however, is
mislead in one particular. He sup
poses that some ministers of Sisters
vile Joined in the petitioning for
license. l wish to say that his senti-
ments are all right if any ministers
did sign any petition for license. But
l think l am safe in saying for my
brother ministers, that not one of them
signed any petition whatever And for
myself l never was asked to sign
I never did sign, and never shall sign
petition to license the sale of intoxi-
cants. If my name was on such petit
tons, / denounce it as a forgery, and
am ready to prosecute the perpetrator
thereof. We ministers have enough to
bear in Sistersville without being put
in false light before the public. I
simply wish to nail this lie about the
ministers before it goes any further,
and in justice | ask simply the truth
for myself and brother ministers.
REV. T. A. ANDERSON,
Sistersville, October 80. 1897.