The Brookhaven leader., 1883-11-01
Temperance.
THE TEMPERANCE QUESTION IN
THE PUBLIC SCHOOLS.


tent. The slaves that compose his
army arc inflamed with avaricc and ap-
petite. There can be no hope then of
ovcrthrowing him by daShing charge
or driving him forth by some brilliant
stroke of policy. The war against in
temperance has been and viii continue
TO be long and weary one. So the
sooner we make up our minds and con-
vince the people that the Temperance
reformers have ''come to stay" the bet
ter it will be for us and for them.
Years of experience in the work have
shown that when once the drunkard is
enchained by his appetite for drink the
bonds that bind him are so strong that
nothing but the special grace Of God
can save him. To prevent is easier and
better than to reform. And while no
effort should be spared 20 reclaim the
fallen and remove temptation from the
path of all, | hold there is another and
by far more hopeful and productive
work, mean that of Systematically in
structing the young in the first princi-
pies of Temperance.
That grand old Greek, Socrates, was
not so far out of the way when he de-
clared that he who fully knows what is
right will do what is right. In spite of
the doctrine of total depravity | can not
but believe that there is something
splendid in human nature, especially
child nature, which will instinctively
shun evil when once the folly and SIN
are shown it, and love and cherish
truth and right, if truth and right are
clearly taught it. The people perish for
I,,,I ftnxr
know more they will do better.
Our laws are our sentiments crystal
ized; and laws ahead of public opinion
can not be enforced. Hence, it is all
important that public opinion be edu-
Gated in the direction of right. We can
not save the seventy thousand human
beings who yearly stagger into drunk
ard S graves. But we can train their
children so that they will shun and de-
spise intoxicating drinks. and work for
the total suppression of the traffic in
them. Ii we rightly educate the young
they will soon create public opinion
strong enough to make Prohibition pos
sible. Better than this, they will exert
a moral force irresistible and more eff
fective in itself than all the Prohibitory
laws ever enacted.
The work already done by Temper
ancc schools, Bands of Hope and other
organizations has been both great and
encouraging; the influence of such So
cieties, however, is of necessity limited,
and complete results can never be
brought about till a thorough and scien-
tifc Temperance education is given
each of the ten million pupils who at
tend our public schools.
This can be done by enacting laws
making the teachings of Temperance
principles compulsory. Popular op.n-
ion should be intelligent enough to de-
mand prompt action toward such legis-
it ought to begin 10 be so now.
Our public schools were instituted to
train up, not mere scholars, but good
citizens, pure women and true men.
Our Pilgrim Fathers, building, not in
the gray twilight of dawning expert
ence, but with the beams of all the
centuries pouring upon them, laid deep
in religion and morality the founda-
tons of the American school system.
In one of the old Massachusetts laws,
and it has the ring of sound educational
doctrine, they declared: 1T shall be
the duty of all public instructors of
youth to impress ON the minds of pupils
committed to their care the principles
of piety and justice and sacred regard
for truth, love of their country, hu-
manity and universal benevolence, So
briefly, industry and frugality, chastity,
moderation and Temperance, and those
other virtues which are the ornament
of society, and the basis upon which a
republ can government is founded"
To give a healthy development to
mind and body, right purpose in life
and sound morality, these are the OBJ
jects of our common schools. If we
train the intellect only. chemistry and
penmanship will be as likely to become
the tools of the forger and the dyna-
mite plotter as to become the support of
law-abding citizens.
When our institutions of learning are
confined to imparting certain branches
of knowledge the State will cease at
once to have the right of levying pro
rata taxes for their support.
Since these things are SO, it follows.
logically, that it is our right, it
is our duty, to teach the bene-
fits of Temperance and the evils and sin
of inte nperance. This may be done di-
rectly by recitations from special text
books, charts, blackboard exercises and
object lessons; or incidentally by means
of papers, simple experiments and
familiar talks. All that is necessary is
that the work be thorough and the facts
firmly impressed on the minds of the
pupils. In regard to textbooks, speak
ing from my own experience, | would
recommend Colman's "Catechism on
Alcohol > for primary classes, "Alcohol
and Hygiene" for higher grades, and
DIR. Richardson's Temperance Lesson
Book" for those still farther advanced.
We should impress the facts that alco-
hol is a poison, and enfeebles, disar-
ranges and destroys every bodily func-
ton, and does the partaker no good in
return; that every dollar spent for it is
wasted; that it is the chief cause of
poverty and crime; that it robs men of
energy. ambition, honor-every thing
dear and valuable, and prevents them
from rising in the world to places of
wealth. trust and distinction.
All know the lasting effects of early
impressions and how eager children are
to be taught any subject which is new
and attractive, and no teacher with tact
can fail to make the study of Temper
ance interesting. 1t need not interfere
with other work, and the teacher should
not rely entirely upon repetition of
the horrors of intemperance, nor pour
ing unlimited invectives upon liquor
!. e