Orleans County monitor. [volume] (Barton, Vt.) 1872-1953, 1882-08-28

tacks, but who, under the influence |
Of pride or some kindred motive,
have abruptly ceased drinking for
years or permanently. The whole
testimony of temperance orators and
societies supports the view that
the ability to control the appetite is
dependent entirely upon the will, and
if this is not exercised it is because
the man prefers his excuses to any
thing else. AS to the drllnkard's
will, DR.. Todd exclaims: ''Put
dlunkard in circumstances where it
is difficult for him to get liquor, and
see how weak his will is There is
no man of such desperate determina-
ton and force of will as the drunk
ard who is bound to have his dram.
The very difficulty with the drunkard
is that his will is so strong. If his
will were weak, it would be easy to
influence him not to drink. It is just
because he is so determined to drink,
that it is impossible to save him."
Likewise, says DR.. Todd: There is
meaning in the universal uncon-
scious testimony of drunkards. When
they come out of their spells of de-
bauchery, if they have any moral
sense at all left, they are always
ashamed, penitent, remorseful.
What on earth are they ashamed of,
or remorseful about, if they have
only had a disease? Men are not
ashamed of having had the typhoid
fever, or penitent for having had the
rheumatism. All, the drunkard
knows that he is guilty and not un-
fortunate.
On the point of inherited tendencies
to drunkenness are furnished some
facts which, if capable Of substantial
ton, prove conclusively that the pop.
ular ideas on this subject are very
far astray. In the last annual re-
port of the New York Christian
Home for Incorporate Men there
were, it seems, out of 176 confirmed
drunkards, classified as treated il
the institution, only % who ha(
: Incorporate parents. 1t is claim
ed that ''medical testimony is precis
) and abundant on this point, that in
herited tendency to drunkenness i
comparatively rare and slight %
" Arrangement which this author ha
given the drunkards, the persistency
r force, and sarcasm, with which b
scouts that maudlin sentiment whic
is often poured out upon these ur
fortunates, because they are suppos
ed to be of ''peculiar temperament,
is well illustrated by the followin
E admirably graphic and concise pie
L ture of the mean estate Of the volu1
7 tary victim of alcoholism "He hs
N poured poison down his throat to tt
E loss of health, property, respectable
ty, influence, honor, manhood, min
and soul he has brought untold SUI
: fering and misery upon his famil,
grief and shame upon all his friend
a pernicious influence upon the who
community he has made a wor
than beast of himself, shipwret
of time, and hell of eternity; al
he has done this for the sake of a Ii
tie sensual qualification, deliberatel
knowing all the time what he is d
ing and, certainly until the very la
stages, perfectly able at any time
change his course. There is no co
fidence to be placed in such mar
professions or manifestations of 10
to his family. No doubt, when
comes to himself he processes a gre
deal of contrition, and manifests
great deal of tenderness towards
family, and sheds a great ma
tears drunkards are apt to be sen
1 mental, emotional, demonstrate
snivelling, soldering, slavering, S;
py; and this they call-lovel I
men who really love their famil
= don't get drunk. Gifted, brillia
witty, lavish, genial, agreeable, f
} cinating, the men often are,
- doubt, who become victims of C
VITALITY and good fellowship;
their excellences are apt to be SUI
IN fetal and false, their generosity
often an nnmeaning demonstrate
"a ness; they are often to the center
the soul utterly selfish and heartl'
And they invariably have some W
/. streak, some radical defeat in the
DIR. Todd's plain-spoken and