West Virginia argus. [volume] (Kingwood, W. Va.) 1877-1946, 1915-10-21


Ing Convention
The convention assembled promptly
at 1880 y. IN. on Tuesday, I'm Marilet
street auditorium. This is q magnin-
cant convention building. a credit to
the city, with its main floor ana bal
cony. giving room for the thousands
assembled.
No language is adequate to the task
OF describing the meetings. I shall
not go into details In attempting TO
describe them. They were brim-full
OF enthusiasm from start to finish. All
were semi-religious. Each session be-
ing opened with prayer for guidance
and that followed by a song service,
led by that Incompatible chorus leader
L. o. Excel, who. always good, was
here at his best There were four ses-
sions and your scribe attended all OF
them. Who could afford to miss, with
each meeting replete with every thing
in the superlative degree?
Tom Hare, whom we all know SO
well. started the ball rolling and he
gave 1t such an impetus. that, contrary
to all natural laws OF motion and rest,
the thing never checked throughout
the entire time of the convention.
And how could It. with Sam Small
TO boost and spin IL along. Just at the
psychological moment? Sam. with
his wide experience and educated and
cultivated mind. Sam knows his sub
| ject, both sides.
The next speaker was our own eff
cient Crabbe. Now here is a misnom-
er. III you think his name implies
that he goes backward, you have sever
al thinks more coming. That fellow
Is progressive, all in capital letters,
and anything he touches is bettered.
Prosecuting attorneys hour was
earnestly responded to by some pros
ecutors who showed ability and zeal
in law enforcement.
Nothing in the two DAYS SURPASSED
the Hall and Summers debate. They
do not leave a single prop for the
| saloon and its traffic.
And 1 might go on and mention the
god things said by Governor Hatfield.
Hon. Jim White OF Ohio, Judge ]. c.
MWhorter, Fred o. Blue and Wayne
u. Wheeler. also of Ohio. But this
article would be too elaborate. and I
must stop, only to say that while there
was determination manifest in every
speech, there was no vituperation or
calumny, but rather pity and sorrow
for the fallen. fallen from the high
estate OF their creation, only "a little
| lower than the Angels"
But or the parades, for there were
| TWO OF them, l must speak. On the
| evening OF the second day. a portion
OF the delegates to the convention met
near the old State House and proceeded
| by odd Glory" and brass brand.
marched over Market sti eet and Main
and to the convention hall. ouietlv
thoughtfully. orderly, they marched,
ana ten thousand of Wheeling's citi-
zenship stood on the sidewalks and
| looked, and anon. some would recoe-
nize and give approval by waving
handkerchiefs.
Not man in that parade but would
lead brother by act or other helpful
way to better life. They were there
In the interest of humanity. In the
interest OF men and women and chill
dren, who are down and out. Not the
biggest parade in point Of numbers.
but oh the motive that prompted and
the character of these who paraded
therein was the bigness.
And after this parade, another Door
old booze-guzzling, rum-soaked. mar
cotic-ized Wheeling. This second pa
rade was much larger than the first.
and instead of being opened by an in
vocation for help and guidance. It was
opened as beer key or whiskev bar-
rel is usually opened, with dams and
cusses"
The personnel of that parade.
III there were buns and thugs and
anarchists in Wheeling, they were in
that parade. If there were men guilty
OF arson or rape or burglary or muir
der In Wheeling, they were in that
parade. If there were men who defv
the law, men who would tear the
heart from a woman or little help
less child, and trample it under foot
and grind 1t with the course and bru-
tai heel of the demon crazed by rum
men who regard neither God nor man.
II there were such in Wheeling they
were in that parade.
In other words, there were in that
later parade the scruff and scum of
wheeling, with no leaven of rigbte-
BUSINESS or saver OF salt. Not satis-
ned with this pitiable. ignorant. souaI-
ID denounced mob of DRINKS, there
was imported for the occasion from
Ohio and Pennsylvania, hundreds. To
swell the throng, and they made night
hideous with red flags and red fire and
rafting Of COW bells and honking of
automobiles and blare of horns and
rattle OF drums, and marched round
and round the convention hall, wherin
was being held the final session of the
convention, with all this demonstra-
ton OF anarchy and defiance OF law
and Wheeling's police permitted Il
and by permitting 1t, evidently sane
toned IL.
But we sincerely trust tbot &. g..