The Lake Charles echo. [volume] (Lake Charles, Parish of Calcasieu, La.) 1876-1898, 1880-02-07

Tscrihnerla Monthly, for Februu,, !

be aaopted in any school I'M the nn,,r-
4 try that does not competentiy treat rs
the alcohol question. 1t Is a crn.s
firing TO send "a boy out into the world
untaught that alcohol in any form !.
fire, and viii certainly burn him If b
/ puts it into his stomach. 1t is d cruel
thing TO educate a boy IN such wrp
that he has no adequate idea Of The
dangers that beset his path. Itisa
mean thing to send "a boy out to take
his place in society, without under.
standing the relations of temperance
to his own safety and prosperity. and
to the safety and prosperity of society
OF course, the great barrier between
the youth and correct Rnowledge.--
the great nsystifer and misleaaer,--,;s
respectable society. This lis practically
saying to the youth, pretty universal
| ~, that wine is q good thing. Fine
dinners are never given without NJ
and good men and women drink Il
daily. They do not get drunk, they
may be conscientious aud religions
and mary of them NOT only do not re-
gard wine4arinking as harmful, but "a
positively beneficial. The boy ana
the Young man see all this, and fhink,
naturally, that those who have experi-
ence in drink should know hotter
about its results than those who LEI
drink alone.
Now, what we want to do in ouf
schools is to do away with the force
of a pernicious example, and a long
cherished error, by making the CHI
dren thoroughly intelligent on this
subject of alcohol. They should be
taught the natural effect of alcohol
upon the processes of animal life.
lst). They should be taught that Il
can add nothing whatever to the vital
forces or to the vital tissues,- ii
never enters into the elements of
structure, and that, i'm the healthy or
ganism, ii is always a burden or o dis-
tnrbing force. (2d. They should be
Taught that it invariably tlisturbs the
operation of the brain, and that the
mind can get nothing FROM alcohol Of
help that is to be relied upon. fsd).
They should be taught that alcohol
infames the baser passions, blunts the
sensibilities, and dchases the feelings.
(4th) They should be taught that an
appetite for drink is certainly develop
ed by those who use III. which is dan
gerous to life, destructive of health of
body and peace of mind, and in mill
ions of instances ruinous so fortune
and to ali the high Interests of the
soul. (5th). They shonEd be taught
that the crime Of pauperism Of society
flows as naturally from alcohol as any
effect whatever naturally flows from
its competent cause. (6th). They
should be taught that drink is the
responsible cause OF most e8 the poy-
erty and want of the world. So long
as ak hundred million dollars are
annually spent for drink in this coun-
try, every ounce Of which was made
by the destruction of bread, and not
one ounce of which has ever entered
into the sum of national wealth, hav-
ing nothing to show for ito cost but
diseased stolnachs, degraded homes.
destroyed industry, increased pa,lPer-
ism, and aggravated crime, these boys
should understand the facts, and be
able to act upon them in their faFst
responsible conduct.
The national wealth goes into tho
ground. If we could only manage to
bury it without having it pass tliither-
ward in the form of q poisonous tAiid
through the infamed bodies Of our
neighbors and friends, hapI should've
be. But this great, abenAnable curse
dominates the world. The tramp re-
minds MS of it as he begs for a nlgllt's
lodging. The widow and tho father
less tell us of it as they ask for bread.
1t scowls upon us fron'the novels and
lhaunts of the poor everywhere. Even
the clean, Woodworking man of proc
perity cannot enjoy his earnings ne
cause the world is full IF misery from
drink. The more thorongllly we can
instruct the young concerning fllA
dominating evil of our time, the better
will it he for them and for the world.
Let us use the s'temperance acssop-
book wherever we may. Let per.
lents demand chat il shall be need, apa
particularly let all writer's upon phy-