The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1885-10-24
THE TEMPERANCE QUESTION


a View from an Every-D Day, Practical and
Common-Sense Stand Point.
In the discussion of the Temperance
question there is usually but narrow
view taken of it. Usually it is the NOR
al side that is presented, and every
other point is lost slight of There is
no question that has greater variety
of important sides; and vast deal of
support to the Temperance question is
lost because it is not more broadly pre-
sented. Thousands of people regard the
question of morals as something that is
wholly divorced from practicablity.
Even men of moral lives often think
that the preachers of morality had bet
ter be engaged in more practical mat
tiers. 1t Is of no use to find fault with
such men, and certainly they ought not
to be ignored because their notions are
below the proper standard. 1t is to the
interest of the community to have every
man a sober citizen, and the reforma-
ton of a drinking man is desirable bv
whatever means or argument it may be
secured. In our experience we have al
ways found that the average man will
listen much quicker if you can show him
that the immediate results of some act
of his will be unmistakable than he will
if he is shown that an indefinite future
result will be much greater Rather,
it is much easier to get right down to
the everyday practical affairs of life
and make an impression on men that it
is to make the impression through
something that they are not all the
time coming in contact with. A revival
list who labors among the ignorant
classes has said to us that he never be-
gins by promising these people eternal
life, Heaven, happiness beyond the
grave. He says he has difficulty enough
to induce these people to think of to-
morrow, let alone thinking of an indie
finite future that is no nearer to their
conception than million Of years
hence. But ne says he begins by tell
ing them that he is prepared to guaran-
tee them better food, better clothes,
better homes and a greater degree of
happiness right now and here. Then
he says they begin to listen. And that
is very true of the vast majority OF peo-
pie.
1t is thus that it is better to begin the
presentation of the Temperance ques-
ton. Get down to everyday reasons
for being a Temperance man, and when
they are all presented it is time enough
to take up the moral aspects of the
case. We all know that there is no
surer way of arousing Il mans interest
upon any subject than to touch his
pocket and there is no difficulty at all
in showing a man who drinks liquor
that his habit is terrible drain upon
his pocket-book. We may not like to
admit it, but it is a fact nevertheless.
that most of us make money getting the
principal object of life. We are all
after money. The millionaire is after
more than he has; the prosperous bust
ness mar watches his growing bank ac-
count with the livelieet interest; the day
laborer wants to become rich and the
lOafer chafeS because the more indus.
trious are the more prosperous. The
drunkard wants money as badly as
anybody. But his difficulty, and the
difficulty of many others, is that they
fail to see the necessity of saving. A
man takes three drinks of liquor day,
and pays thirty cents for the "enioy-
ment." The most that he can claim in |
the way of return for this expenditure
is temporary qualification of an APP
petite that is not legitimate The in
diligence brings him no permanent ben
eft, but as surely harms him as he would |
be harmed if he dropped alcohol |
into the eye. The instant the alcohol |
touches the sensitive membranes of his |
stomach and the instant it touches his
brain, he is a permanently injured man.
If he never drinks but one glass he may |
never be conscious of the injury. but |
the injury is done ali the same. And to .
iniure himself and without the least
benefit the moderate drinker, who
drinks three glasses of liquor q day,
spends thirty cents. In a week he
spends 81. 10; in Il year SlO9 20; and in
twenty years ~, 1874. Add the interest
TO this, and he win have enouph tn Inv