The weekly clarion. [volume] (Jackson, Miss.) 1863-1882, 1878-04-10
Debt. one Cause of Inuemperance.

While the subject of intemperance i.
being discussed, anu its horrors brought
| before the mind. would it not be we'll to
examine into the matter, and seek to
/ know the cIu<e, before we can hope to
/ find remedy? ST. Paul exhorts US to
be temperate in al! things. Not only in
the use of alcoholic liquors, but il all
/ pleasure and all expenditures.
Debt, We belive 10 be one great cause
of intempcrance To man OF integrity,
there Is nothing more Calling than them
ability to pay what he justly owes. Many
thousands have made shipwreck of hap
piness and life itself on this very rock,
debt, and that never sleeping, ever-work-
ing agent. interest, puts out the last spark
of hope, by proving to them their utter
inability to cope with them both.
How often do We read of fraud and
embezzlement, nearly every week we
read In some paper the defalcation of
some one who enjoyed the confidence of
the public and was supposed 10 be honest,
When l read such things my sympathies
go out to that one Poor man. What
caused his fall. Did he embark in some
unfortunate speculation? He may have
laid his plans and thought them good,
but mau is not omnicient, but short sight
ed at best, and they ended disastrously.
Was it the constant demand made on
him for money by his fashionable wife
and family which wrought his ruin
Was it the great and crushing weight of
debt upon him, and his total inability to
meet the demand upon him, which
brought him to do the hishonorable act
God only knows. The Bible says "Cursed
is he that putteth the bottle to his neigh
boris lips" Will not curse fall upon
the fashionable and extravagant wife
and mother who knowing the condition of
the husbands finances, yields to the die
tates Of extravaganza and fashion, trains
her children to look on fine dress and
extravagant display as the highest ambi-
ton Of life?
How often do we see men toiling un-
ceasingly day after day to provide for
the ever returning wants of their families,
when they know these wants are ever
increasing, and they feel the impossibility
of ever paying because their incomes are
already exhausted. Pride induces many
to live beyond their means, and ina.
bility to pay what they owe forces them
into dishonesty to the wine cup and
ruin.
Extravaganza is national curse, and
those who follow the dictates of fashion
are driving many into disgrace--and to
ultimately fill drunkard's grave. Poor
tempted man, anxious to do justice to all,
beset on every hand, tormented with
fears as to the ultimrte result or his en-
barrassment, conscious of his inability to
pay, he loses his independence of thought
and action and turns to the wine cup to
drown his miseries.
Who are the Incorporate and the I'M
fortunate in this respect? Seldom the
close listed, the narrow-hearted and PEE
nurious man, he may like whisky well
enough, but he generally drinks it at the
expense Of the genial, the generous, the
whole souIed man, who, if he did not
''put an enemy to his lips to steal his
brains away" would be the true friend,
the devoted husband, the tender father,
and an ornament to society. But often
feeling the cares and crosses of life more
acutely than those of phlegmatic tenn
permanent, he flies to the intoxicating
bowl to drown his troubles; and happy
are his friends if he does not at last take
by his own hand his unhappy life.