Union County courier. [volume] (Elk Point, Union County, D.T. [S.D.]) 187?-1913, 1883-11-28
Thsspsritnal E6scts o. Drunk.

on; tie number Of men whose labor
u worse than wasted il producing
md 10 vending them the number Of
lives destroyed BY them; the num-
ber Of paupers and insane persons
Whoes woes ere traceable to this
source; the effects upon the health
of individuals of the habitual use Of
intoxicants,-all these things are fire.
quently set forth with sufficient full
ness in impressive rhetoric. Some
allowance must Be made for the over
statement Of jealous advocates; but
there are facts enough Of m appall-
ing nature, IN these representations,
70 call for the most serious thought.
But tho worst side Of drunkenness
i not that which appears in these
familiar figures. The most frightful
effects Of the drink-habit are not
thoqsywhich en- bsNabuiksed + -
tissics and reported Ia the census.
II is not the waste Of corn, nor the
destruction Of property, nor the loss
Of life, which most impresses the
mind Of the thoughtful observer Of
inebriety. II i tho effect Of this
vice upon the characters Of men, a.
it il exhibited TO him, day by day,
iu his ordinary intercourse with
them. It il in the spiritual realm
that the ravagcs Of strong drink are
most terrible. Body and mind are
20 closely related that when one suf-
fers the other must share the suffer-
ing; and the injury Of the physical
health resulting from Incorporate
drinking must, therefore, be accomp-
anied BY similar injury Of the men,
tai and moral powers. But the in
clination Of the popular thought is
strongly toward the investigation
ofphysical phenomena, that the spir-
itual consequences Of drunkenness
are overlooked. Degeneration Of tbs.
sue Is more palpable than the degen.
eracy Of spirit; . lesion Of the brain
NA
more startling than : breach Of faith
but the deeper fact, Of which the SEN
ses take no note, il the more import.
ant fact; and it would be we'll il the
attention Of men could be fixed up.
on il.
The phenomena to which we have
referred, often report themselves To
the quickened perceptions Of those
who stand nearest the habitual
drinker. Many a mother observes,
with a heart that grows heavier day
by day, the signs Of moral decay in
the character Of her son. It is no,
the flushed face and the heavy eyes
that trouble her most; it is the evi.
dence that his mind is becoming
duller aud fouler, his sensibilities less
acute, his sense Of honor less com.
manding. She discovers hal hi
loyalty 10 truth is somewhat impair.
ed; that he deceives her frequently,
without conjunction. This effect
is often observed in the character Of
the inehriate. Truthfulness is the
fundamental virtue; when it is i'm,
paired the character is undermined
and strong drink makes a deadly
assault npon it. Coupled with thii
loss is that weakening Of the will
which always accompanies chronic
alcoholism. The man loses. little by
little, the mastery owe himself; tn.
regal faculties are in chains. How
many Of his broken promises ars
due TO a debilitated will, and how
many TO a decay o fhis veraciousness
it would be impossible for the vic
tim himself to determine. Doubt
less his intention to break off hi
evil habit is sometimes honest, ane
the failure is due 70 the paralysis Of
his will; doubtless he often asserver
ates that such is his purpose at thu
moment he il continuing how b.
ehall obtain the next dram. It i
pitiful 70 mark the gradual decay o
these prime elements Of manlines
in the character Of the man who j
addicted to strong drink.
This loss Of selErespect, the lower
ing Of ambition, and the fading GU,
Of hope are signs Of the progress o
this disease in the character. II j
q mournful spectacle-that Of tn
brave, ingenious, high-epiritsd mai
sinking steadily down into the deg
radiation Of inebriety but how man,
such spectacles are visible all owe
the landl And it is not in the char
acter Of those alone who are notori
ous drnnkard that such tendencie
appear. They are often distinct,
seen in the lives Of mon who u
never drunk. Sir Henry Thomr
sons testimony is emphatic TO III
effect TINT athe habitual uss Of fes
mented liquors, to an extent e.
short Of what " necessary to produc
intoxication, Injuries the body an'
diminishes the mental power"
IfM he testifies, . large proportio,
Il vi = - &EHNE HE &&a . - ANMH $500