The New York herald., 1875-12-13
CAUSES OF INTEMPERANCE.
HOW THEY ARE PRODUCED AND HOW TO CON-
QUER THEM.

HOW THEY ARE PRODUCED AND HOW TO CON-
QUER THEM.
Mr. Prentice Milford delivered lecture last night at
Trenor's Hall the underlying Causes OF Intempcr-
ance." The gentleman did not look at his subject be-
narrow Ines but took broad and humanitarian
Of it. In the very outset he disclaimed any pre-
tension TO dogmatism. The suggestions he
about 30 make were, he said, simply
brought to the audience miner
brings his to the assayis and the audience TO
decide whether they were true or base metal "The
very opinions advance tonight he said al myself
will combat six months year hence, should be-
como convinced Of their error do not for tho
sake OF benig what some people call
sistert preach tho same doctrine always.
He was not in favor OF total abstinence but
oftemperance That word indicates power-the power
to control appetite Aaron Burr remarked that SELF
control ia the means OF indulgence because II gives
man opportunity to give his appetite greater rein
Total abstinence the other hand. evidence
OF weakness because IT showed that man could not
trust himself in the face of dangerous pleasure.
The underlying causes OF ntemperance, he said,
principally improper food, lack OF pure air and
proper exercise and overwork. In the nufacturng
towns of England pale, emaciated badly developed
men and women crowd the mills; and when they get
chance the ale houses ALSO The air Of these in
the north of England is surcharged with metallic
gases so that person accustomed to pure air cannot
breathe II ior nfeen minutes without nausea the
work people are obliged TO stimulate themselves with
LARGE QUANTITIES.
and when Saturday night comes they geek relief by
crowding the ale houses and drowning misery in
drunken debauch In the southern part that country
the agricultural abOrers work sixteen hours day in
harvest time, and support life upon bread potatoes
ana little salted bacon. They drink to excess every
time they get a chance From these facts the lecturer
inferred the lack OF strength induced by want
Of nutritious food is cause Of temptation
to indulge IN stmulants Coming to this
side OF the Atlantic he referred to the sewing women
OF this city, who toll IRON early dawn till late at night
20 make upon an average seyenty-hye or eighty cents
q day. Living principally upon bread and tea, they
break down every two or three weeks from sheer ex-
haustion. Yet pNese women are the mothers OF the
race aud children developed IN that condition come
into the world bearing upon them the effects Of that
exhaustion throughout their lives In the shape OF weak
constitutions and continual craving for that strength
which should properly have been theirs; and they
naturally seek 10 supply It's place with stimulans In
this country too, he said wo have class Of small
farmers that have lived upon their land Tor genera.
they can be found lfty or one hundred miles
from New York city. They live upon salt meat
potatoes and bread twothrds OF the year and what
tho result7 When you look At them narrowly you
find they are scrofulous that they afflicted with St
really fast dying out as Is shown by statstics The
children OF these people, weak aud undoveoped. are
very apt to fall into ways Of drinking Another i'm
portant point made by the lecturer was this-We are
now turning ont OF our common schools a class OF
HIGHLY DEVELOPED CHILDREN
well educated and with strong artistic Lastes They are
tho children mainly, OF poor parents They 20 out
into the world and meet with the competition that
lists IN trade They cannot bear the coarse low associ
ations amid which they are thrust They suffer the
most dreadful Of all deprivatons-lack OF sympathetic
companionshp Thoy are unified for such work, and
the result Is that having no occupation she world
has no held for them, they become discouraged and
great number Oi them driven to drunkenness
There IS 70 day he said fiction that all honest labor
s honorabe but II is only fiction, because there
certain trades and occupations to which stigma 10 at
tached-such as the barber the booblack the hoster,
tho cook, &c, Now, these trades are indispensa.
bly, necessary, and they are honorable, and this
stigma is part Of an old prejudice that has hoated
down 70 us from feudal times The speaker claimed
that the lawyer, the merchant and all those ~ the
uuDer walks Of life dependent ihese eiasses