Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1899-11-18

TENDANCE-ADDR MADE
BY MR.. ]. III. HOLT AND THE
REV. r. R. BIGGER.
The fourth of the series Of mass
meetings in the interest of the good
citizenship movement. was held last
evening in the English Lutheran
Church, which contained a fair-sized
audience, the ladies preponderating in
numbers.
The first speaker was j. Howard
Holt, Esq, the well-known attorney of
Moundsville, who has always been ac-
tive in the temperance movement. Mr..
Hollis address was devoted almost en-
tirely to the saloon question. He re-
ferred to intemperance as stream, en-
tered through the open door of the
saloon. He severely criticized those
who advocate high license as means
of lessening the evil. He declared that
the law originally placed some safe
guards about the saloon. which are
now totally disregarded, all saloon
keepers selling to minors and drunk
ards Every protection Ior young men
has been taken away from the door
of the saloon.
He called attention to the absence of
young men from the good citizenship
meetings. Canvas the saloons and the
churches" he said, "and you will find
ten men in the saloons to one in the
churches" Results cannot be hoped for
so long as this deplorable condition
exists. These young men will be the
rulers of tomorrow. If they receive
their education in the saloons, instead
of the schools and churches, what will
be the fate of the republic?
Mr.. Holt declared that the licensing
of saloons engenders disregard Of the
law. He had seen scores of liquor
cases tried, and his experience taught
him that if he secured ten witnesses in
one saloon, all conversant with the
facts, he could not rely upon more
than one in the ten swearing to the
absolute truth. This condition, he said
is inherent on the business itself. He
had never known any saloon-keeper he
would believe implicitly on oath, with
regard to the conduct Of his business.
1t seemed to him that when a man
forms the drinking habit, the habit of
telling the truth departs. There appears
to be an expressed CT implied agreement
between the saloon-keeper and his vic
tim.
The saloon is the great coadjutor and
protector of all other evils. Drive
away the saloons, and the criminals
will follow.
Mr.. Holt next took up the political
phase of the matter, and denounced
corrupt methods in municipal politics.
lie declared that the purchasable vote
is the product of the saloon and the
saloon boss dictates city government.
The liquor traffic stands on the ap-
petite of the drinker, the avarice of
the seller and the high license advo-
cate. 1--WE accept the license fee," he
said, "as an anesthetic for cur own
consciences."
Mr.. Hollis method of closing the
saloon is to scatter it's forces, prevent
ing them from getting together and
conspiring, and thus relieving officers
Of their fear of the saloon power 1t
can be accomplished by attending
party caucuses, and primaries, by de-
handing the insertion Of anti-saloon
planks in the platforms, and then by
the nomination of men of integrity to
stand upon it.
The second speaker was the Rev.
r. R. Bigger, pastor Of the Third
Presbyterian Church, whose address
was brief on account OF the lateness of
the hour. He began by referring to the
fact that Wheeling paper has been
Stating that luOTe WOMEN imam men al
tended the meetings. This was not
true. Tonight" he said, 81 am sure
there are four or five men to one wo-
man in the meeting" He regarded
these publications as evidence that the
enemy is being stirred up. If you
throw a rock among pack Of hounds,
and you hear yelp you know you have
hit one, and so he thought they had
hit the saloon-keepers.
Mr.. Bigger deVlred this to be an
age OF applied Christianity. Manufact-
urers, commercial houses, railways, are
demanding Christian men for respon-
sible positions. Likewise, there is
demand throughout the country for
men Of Christian convictions and clean
character for public Office. Party poll
itics should be disregarded in munich
pal elections. The good citizenship
movement is not an attempt to form
new party. 1t is non-sectarian and
nOn-nartisan Good citizenc hold the