The Kenosha telegraph. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1860-1888, 1884-10-10

Recently writer in the London
Times made an elaborate defense of the
use of alcoholic drinks, trying to
prove that they are not only harmless
but necessary to the highest physical
state, and that only in excess and to the
incapable and predetermined" do they
become injurious. Contrasting the
number and character of those who use
Intoxicating liquors moderately" with
the half million or so of (mainly) dis
reputable people who use them immod-
erately, he contended that the great
majority could not Justly be expected
to give up an agreeable and whole
some beverage for the possible refor-
nation of the small minority. The
EUening Post, of this city, says the
moral question which is involved in the
problem whether ''Those who can
drink in moderation are bound to give
up drinking, for the sake of those who
can not drink in moderation" is one
on which ''it is not possible to throw
much light by experiment" This is a
very queer doctrine. Experiment does
show the force of example in drinking.
The Post, having conceded that the
zone thing about alcohol which seems
to be settled is that it is the most po-
tent, direct cause of poverty, crime
and disease" it must logically main
tain that the good of society requires
that this cause be removed, and the
moral question has a great deal to do
with it. 1t may be true that mo man
can make sure that, by excluding wine
from the table, he will save his sons
from becoming dru1kards;" but he can
make sure that his example is against
and not for drunkenness. He knows
that the tendency of drinking is toward
drunkenness. If he uses wine, and his
sons become drunkards, can he be sure
that it was not his example that made
them so? And if he can not be sure
that the force of his example will not
help to make drunkards of his sons, is
he not very selfish father to insist on
gratifying his own wishes at such cost
to his sons? The general good requires
this sacrifice from the strong for the
benefit of the weak.
The force of good example in Tenn
perance seems to the Post to be largely
wasted, because there are so few oppOr-
tunities for exercising it. This is very
singular statement. ''Most of the
drinking IN America" are its words,
lis done in bars, in which nobody can
set a good example at all, and very lit
tie of it in places in which total abb
stainers can exhibit their abstinence"
If drinkers lived entirely in saloons,
completely shut out of the world, they
might possibly be inaccessible to the
influence of example; but there is not
drinker alive that does not see and con-
trast the effects of sober and drunken
life. No abstemious man can hide his
example. The most that can be said is
that influences do not always save, nor
do they have the same force on all men,
but they do work q vast amount of re-
formation. The Post doubts the eff
cheney of prohibitive legislation, and says
that drinking in Maine appears to
have been very great despite the law, "
and that there seems to be no ''fxed
and certain connection between prohi-
bition and consumption; but its closing
sentences imply a strong reliance on
law in opposing the ravages of intem-
perance. Speaking of the great in
crease in the use of ''ardent spirits" in
France and Switzerland, it says: 1.-The
reports on this subject arc alarming
and indicate the need of very decided
restraints of some kind, if on no other
ground, out of regard for the public
health. IN Y. independent.