Mineral Point weekly tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1859-1868, 1860-10-30

custom handed down by non-intervention.
Aye, they have been alIured from sep
10 step 10 drink through courtesy, they
have thus been led on BY generous hearts
10 do false honor with friends, to govern
ment. and powers, and Offices, and men,
and families, and marriages, and births,
and the like, until unexpectedly they
have felt their feet TO slide from under
them and themselves pIunging into the
awful abyss of drunkenness. The road
10 this point is exceedingly gentle !;
treacherous and decei,ful Here lies
the difficulty, Ladies and Gentlemen, Of
arrestlng the evil. Il is vain to 90 to
work with fans and wings and hand
shovels 10 drive off the pestiferous
breath of marshes, and brooks and lakes,
that noiselessly and unseen steals its way
10 the hearts Of the surrounding inhabi
tants to their utter prostration, if not
death. Ii is i'll to blow the fire caught
in ones dwelling with the breath of the
mouth to prevent it consuming the whole
house. 1t is idle to attempt to prevent
drunkenness except we go to the source
whence il proceeds. This is the great
question, fellow citizens, for all who en-
gage in the enterprise. How can we
reach the root of the matter and destroy
the pesiiferous upas root and branch. No
one can doubt, that if there was no tenn
perate drinking, there would be no in
temperance of this kind Men do not
begin drunkards at once. The decen, is
gradual, it is made in.ensibly TO the
victims. Draughts are increased and
taken more frequently, by them imper-
cepibIy, until 'lhe functions of the body
are diseased, the system is set on fire.
and morbid appetite IS created that too
often refuses to be bridled by any re-
straints of the nobler powers Of the man,
or the affection and kindness of interest
cd friends, And we assert without fear
Of contradiction that tins is the legitimate
result Of moderate drinking. Temper
ate drinking" says an accurate observer
Of men. Islands as the condition prece-
dent Of that which is Incorporate. Dis
continue one, and the other becomes I'M
possible" AID why do men take aIcho-
holic drinks at ali as Il beverage Is it
because that they in the first instance
and for some time. have taste for it,
lhat they are inAamed with impassonate
thirst for stimuIents2 No, Ladies and
Gentlemen. Few, if any, Of all that
unfortunate class will tell you that they
ever had 4 natural thirst for stimuants
They created il by moderate drinking
out of respect or courtesy to friends ac-
cording to custom and habits OF men.
Time has been when alchohoic stimu-
lants have been considered as almost
necessary exponent Of good fellowship,
though it is At least a false show of pow
er. Time has been when it was thought
there could be no generous hospitality or
warm friendship where the falernian
wine or foaming bowl of stronger IL
quors did lot grace the table of the host
And this false idea of hospitality and
friendship is FAR from having been en-
tirelv dissipated. It is still lingering
among those Of the old line of gentlemen
+ OF their generous sons but more espec-
+ iallv among those in the humber walk
I Of life. wh0 lave looked up to them for
example in the practice SO called gener-
/ Gus as far as their limited means would
allow. The custom indeed has indeed
been Of long standing, nor Is it easy to
dissuade men Of generous hearts from
this false idea Of generosity, so long as
the educated and the rich use stimulants
in the drawing-room and dining-room
and social gatherings, even in moderate
drinking And how much less easy IS ii
when this class of people use them in inn
moderate drinking7 Hence it is. that
the cup of some one Of tn many stimu-
Ian,s now in use, though adulturated with
the most deadly poisons, become almost
a necessary element Of manliness and
+ generosity in every grade Of society.
mus, stand upon the side table, and cen
ter table. and dining table, of the affluent
All lips indeed of those who frequent
the public rooms of hotels, saloons, OF
any place Of refreshnent, or assemble
in social gatherings, n the haryes;-ield
or IL the workshops, must Be pu, to the
po.eu, draugh.. Il became next TO an in
SUI 10 refuse Fashion had become 2
lyraul that made the moral courage OF
the uotlest men to quail. And ever
now among a large portion Of our citi.
zeus it bears is iron rule. Many hos.
many an employer, many a young man
shriuks as though he was doing some
thing mean TO exchange The kind Offices
OF friendship as neighbor companion
d" without the aid Of intoxicating drinks.
And why Is this They have been edu
cated under the long Established usage
OF what IS falsely called courtesy. They
have a false view of honor,a false view
OF what true kindness or friendship con-