Virginia free press. (Charlestown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1832-1916, 1912-09-26
Woodmen Are For Amendment.
Woodmen Have No Use For Licensed
Saloons to Debauch the Homes
and Wreck the Lives
Of Men.

e. The West Virginia camps OF the
Modern Woodmen, one of the largest
fraternal orders in the world, are tax.
ing a lively interest In protecting the
homes Of the state against the raw
ages Of the licensed liquor traffic
They have good reason to do this
because Section 5 Of the policies is.
sued by the order reads
IF the member holding this certifi-
cate becomes Incorporate in the use
of intoxicating liquors or in the use
OF drugs or narcotics, or IL his death
shall result directly or Indirectly from
the Incorporate use of intoxicating
liquors, drugs or narcotics or shall he
become engaged in the manufacture
or sale Of malt, spiritUous, fermented,
vinous or any intoxicating liquors to
be used aa q beverage In the capacity
Of stockholder, proprietor, agent or
servant this certificate shall become
Rull and void"
Marlinton Camp No. 1856 Is taking
the lead in this matter and Is sending
out copies OF an address by A. Dennis
Williams, one Of the most prominent
members Of the order on What Wood.
craft Stands For" Mr.. Williams WAS
one of the delegates from West Viz
ginia to the Head Camp at Peoria In
1898 and was an alternate to the Head
Camp at Buffalo in 1911. He was a
member Of the legislature In 1909 and
was leading factor in the passage OF
the Fraternal Insurance Bill which act
has been helpful to fraternal organiza-
tons generally In this state.
In his address, Mr. Williams says:
we stand for the protection Of the
home, for the elevation OF our neigh
bors, for the protection Of their NOR
Rls, for relief from suffering and woe
to all mankind.
Like mighty oak, shedding Its
shadows over the little grasses that
stand under its great bows, the Order.
Of Modern Woodmen of America
stands as protector over the mem
bership and their families, and each
member of this camp and each mem
Der of each camp within the jurisdic-
ton, Is one Of the branches of the
great tree that sends forth Its great
protection.
1--WE have seen the clouds Of despair
and misery closing in around the home
of neighbor as the silencing hand Of
death paled the cheeks, stilled the
voice and stopped the pulse Of the
breadwinner and protector of that
home. We have seen the wife and
mother stagger beneath the load Of
grief while her babes wrapped In the
folds of her apron pleaded for bread
I'VE have likewise beheld this same
scene in another home where the IA
Their, husband and breadwinner was
not member Of Woodcraft or any
other insurance organization because
an uncontro liable appetite that had
seized him and thrust Lin into the
list of alcoholics where he could not
get protection from the organization
and his family was left to the mercy
of charity.
"No true Woodman who Is mindful
Of his obligations to his fellow men.
can fail in the great struggle which
eonfronts US in West Virginia on the
question OF the Prohibition Amend
ment to the Constitution to do other
| than vote to eliminate the intoxicating
traffic from West Virginia.
Ninety per cent of the criminals
Of the country trace their crime direct
| " or indirectly to the use Of alcoholic
beverages. In Maine there Is one
criminal In the state prison to every
l,020 population. From Mcdowell
county, west virginia, there II one
criminal to every 284 population.
| The responsibility rests on rs. We
/ must be men. We can not, PLATE ike,
wash the blood and tears Of innocent
children, wives and mothers from our
hands by trying to dodge the issue.
Let Us as Woodmen be true to each
other and being true to- each other We
viii do the thing that will relieve our
families and our neighbof's familiel
4 from the danger that ID threatening
them