Virginia free press. (Charlestown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1832-1916, 1911-04-06
Eeho,. q The M.rti..burr Election.

ECn00I OF nc MA7A AA0A1AAA8 A-C~-A-N--F I
The decisive majority in Martinsburg |
for prohibition indicates one thing at
least very clearly; that the people OF
that city are dissatisfied with. the sa-
loon as the agent for the distribution
of LIQUOR. The chances are that the
saloon keepers themselves are largely
responsible for the result. 1t Is very
difficult for many saloon keepers to
realize that the law was made for them.
1t is equally difficult for them to>real-
ize that the people will no longer per-
nit their active interference in poll
tics. Winchester Star.
The election result last Monday
was a decisive victory for the dry
forces. The moral condition of the
town has been must deporable. The
saloons have been in control of the
town and have had great influence in
the affairs of the county. In politics
the saloon has been most dictatiorat.
People of all parties have bSen afraid
to declare themselves on any question
which affected the saloon business or
their friends. Every candidate had to
wear the collar of the saloons or he
stood no chance of election. This is
one of the principal things which so
aroused the people of the town and
brought down the destruction of the
saloons
The saloons have really sinned their
day of grace away. as the brilliant
Senator Carmack said. Their existence
has only been by the grace of the peo-
pie, and yet they have assumed the POI
sition of dictator to- the very people
. whom they were supposed to serve.
The law has been set at defiance and
the people have been at last aroused to
e the point of determination of the law
lessness which has been so prevalent.
o The man who above all others, per.
haps, who stirred the people was the
inimitable Hobson. Captain Hobson is
a wonder. He is strong, logical, force.
full and especially eloquent. 1t was nc
unusual thing to hear people remark
that his addresses were the creates
they ever heard even after hearing
the eloquent Hdnly and the convincing
. Wright. There were more people
! turned away at each of his lectures
than could possibly get into the build
- ing, and when he had spoken for tw'
= hours and more, the audience urged hin
to go on.
y The orators togethr with the excel
~ lieut. newspaper campaign stirred tn
people as they were never stirred be
&c fore. The people would pour out t
al the meeting and at each of the meet
= ings at the opera house, which woul
ie hold more than thousand people
~ there would be nearly as many turne
- away as would get in.
- The people of the town are arouse
Is and are determined that she shall b
ol dry. That there will not be the decei
. and fraud practiced which has bee
- prophesied by the wet. people. The
y are determined that the. blind tige
., shall find no footing here.
II There-was no one agency which work
= ed more effectually than the W. G. J
a. U. They were the ones who starte
he the ball to rolling, and at first in a
" humble way, but it soon gained mt
II. meutum and size until it became MOI
strous rolling mountain, irressistib
~ aud overwhelming all before it. Th
- good ladies deserve chief praise f
their devotion, their zeal and the
ne energy.
ng One evening last week there was
1t. boy IA years of age picked up on Il
ne street blythe police drunk as sailt
y, and was put in the bull pen to sob
up. Of course nobody sold such chi
liquor. He must have gotten it fro
twenty miles away.
The matter of license or no licen!
has been long ridiculed and made fl
~ of by the opposition in this city. Evel
~ time man expressed 1himself-in fay
VI of temperance he was treated as jok
:. called crank and fool but it lool
% now as if there were a reality in tn
:, matter and the joke idea has vanishe
% The dry people of Martinsburg owe
n' special debt to the committee of pu
licity and literature; headed by Re
40 John s Douglas. rector of Trim
% Episcopal church. The commit
y, started off with very small guns b
I'll a.os,l,,nII,, ;,,oxooood 4bo oo1;ho,. mn
gu the last few days when they were US
the Krupp rapid fire guns of about
ok ~ inch caliber.
We The literary campaign neverJagg
I'll and we had the better of it from sta
nd to finish. III
so Hon Richmond Pearson Hobson W
! a great surprise to the people of Il
~. city. They thought that he was mel
AN Iy the hero of the Merrimsc and tn
lar found in him a wonder hey fou
that he is an earnest Christian man,
orator of the highest class, fairly aft
l9 with zeal for the cause of temperan
- and warm hearted patriot. GU Pc
: pie love Hobson and he can have ar
ny thing he wants at their hands.
a4 A broad gauge educated, scienti
I'D man with warm Southern heart.
ms Hurrah for Hobson.
~ The most exciting campaign eyer &C
Quoted in this city came to close L.
- Monday when the polls closed in t
no election held for and against license
he The city council had operated I
i'd election as a test of public sentime
re- on the question of licence or no licer
!: and the result was SO decisive til
~ members of the city council have wit
M - ho,;ta+;o. aaolorad +hot +bora u