Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1881-08-31

SuCn sentiments rs he expressed are pro
motive of drinking habits DR.. Crosb'
may denounce drunkenness as much rs h
pleases, but every rumseller in the Ian,
feels little more secure for his influence
and has less bubbles of conscience abou
dealing out the deadly dram.
The influence of the advocates of moder
alton simply in the use of intoxicanls i
upon the side of rum first, last and alwavs
Their influence helps to point the weiu,
which Satan drives, which afterward sep
arates the young man from virtue an,
sObriety and allows him to fall with tn,
crime of drunkenness upon him.
Every argument used in the home Oh
anywhere against total abstinence from al
that can intoXi"ate, every barrel of elder
rolled into the cellar, every ounce o
brandy used IN pie or cake. is helping tc
shape some boys character and to mold
MS mind. 1t may he your boy, or the son
sven of your total abstinence neighbor
but remember that when the time come.
when that young man for any reason
wants TO drink he will make your exampl,
m excuse for so doing. We cannot grI
too far over on the side of total abstinence
in this matter. We should clear it out a
our homes. We should aid SO far as Dos
| Slbe to clear it ont of the community.
Public sentiment should encourage ant
sustain vigorous prosecution Of law
Men who dare to sell either in hotels.
drug stores, saloons, or who peddle it by
the bottle should feel the strong clutch nf
the law until they reform their manners.
believe that much has been gained in
temperance work, To-day it is concedeI
| that drunkenness is bad, and that the
strong splrituous liquors ought not to b.
used as beverage, and in the course cI
events, if this is Gul's cause, the lime
will come when temperance paople will
banish wine, beer and cider and refuse t.
cOuntenance the use of intoxicants AS a
medicine We must take high ground
What if for years we stand alone and in
advance of public sentiment? 50 it has
been in every reform. For the fifty years
preceding the abolition of slavery, abo-
IitiOnist1 suffered more than tongue can
ell of rrproach, and Of persecution, but
to-day no one advocates slavery The
time will come when alcohol will have
less friends than to-day, and when it will
not he prescribed for evey i'll, real or
imaginary to which the flesh i, heir The
Two deceptive ideas which seem to con
front us in temperance work to-day are,
first: The harmlessness of moderate
use of the tighter beverages, as beer, wine
and cider; and the beneficial influence of
alcoholic liquors incidentally
do not say that there never was Il
case when liquor proved blessing medic
inally, but high medical authority saws
that it has never yet been proved to be
medicine, and some of the worlds fore
most physicians have taken the ground
that it never should be thus used. | GER
tanly know that after all has been admit
ed that perhaps ought to be concerning
the little gooi it may do incidentally, it
vet remains true that the use of alcoholic
liquor incidentally makes drunkaris.
One of the saddest cases | ever heard
OF came under my own observation three
years ago. A man who some eight wears
ago was converted to God, had previously
been Il ditch drunkafd. He Joined the
church and lived for time and then fell
through the influence of liquor. When
became acquainted with him six years ago
he was Il poor sot. The church had not
cast MIN OIL but hoped he might be re
claimed. Five years ago last autumn he
came back to God, found forgiveness and
peace, and for three years lived noble
Christian liu. Ogs,.. i.,.-U t.-...a I.....
tell his experience. He used to say that
he was saved from his appetite. He could
pass by the liquor saloons and not feel
tempted to drink. Every one marked the
change in Rim. His wife also became Il
Christian; they had five or six beautiful
children; and there were no brighter or
more intelligent children in town. They
seemed happy family then, etc Three
years ago this summer that man was taken
down with Il severe sickness; his life was
despared of; finally the doctor brought in
Il boltle Of whisky and told his wife how
TO administer 1t. " But, said the wife
"doctor,I dlre not do it; you know doctor,
the life be has led. d" Well,n said the
doctor, " he musl have it. He went
away and the wife dpi not use the whisky
The next day the doctor after learning
the circumstances said; You may have
your cho ce, give him the whisky or he
| will be dead man What could the
Door wife do? She gave the whisky; a
| few weeks after the husband was able 20
I be out; Il few DAYS later he was drunk
again After becoming sober he asked hi,
wife what it was that The doctor gave him
| in his sickness. aud she told him. " All,
said he, " as soon as | got out | felt the
old craving upon me, and | could not help
it," We rallied around that man and
tried TO save him, but shortly after he got
able he went away to work. While away
his baby was taken sick at home. Ii
rapidly grew worse; they sent dispatch
to the father to come, and that night that
baby died. When ii was gasping in the
embraces of death, that father staggered
into his home drunk. No WORDS OF mine
caB paint the misery of that home; the
almost crazy mother. the weeping heart
broken children. pray God may never
know the ike OF 1t again. To-day that
father is confirmed sot. The little h.
earns goes for rum. His family would
starve but for the heroic efforts of the
mother and the aid of kind friends. How
much better that he should have died when
he was at peace with God. Men are
mistaken in the estimate they place upon
alcoholic liquor rs II medicine. They are
mistaken in the suppostlon that it is always
best to save the sick regardless of conse-
quences. Better is it that one die few
years earlier than that he should die drunk
If he must be raised up by this Internal
agency at the risk of being eternally
damned, better it is that he should die.
Physicians will find other remedies when
the people demand them, and if they can
not then let us conclude that in the good
providence OF God " The time of our de-
parture is at hand.
The idea is abroad that if one would be
welcomed in polite circles he must hold
easy notions, and not scruple about glass
of wine; but what if this is tue? IL is all
the worse for polite society. The idea is
abroad, too, that the leading and most in-
tluential men of the world drink; but is
this trueP Now and then man of great
national ability is II drinking man, but he
is the exception. | believe that the rank
and file of the drinking men of this nation
are men whose brain power is below the
average. Do you remember the disgrace.
ful scenes of drunkenness enacted in our
congress few years agoP And do you
remember that the United States never
had congress of smaller mental capacity
than that oneP 1t is mistake to suppose
that the liquor drinkers represent and
embody the brain power of earth. They
represent the lower numbers in the scale
of intellectual worth. Look to-day at the
Is. lhou ara rnOSt