The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1885-04-04
TEMPERANCE READING.
MODERATE DRINKING.

DRINKING customs OF Soclety-A rev SCI
entific Facts.
The following extracts are from a re-
cent sermon by Rev. John II. Barrows,
D. D., Chicago:
The argument against moderate
drinking is twofold, and is more and
more appreciated by wise and beneyo-
lent minds 1t is, i'll the first place, an
appeal to wisdom, to far-seeing pru-
dence. Is it safe to continue habit
which confessedly does no good, ex-
cept in few and those temporary cases,
and may make you slave and posi-
bly, at last victim? In what are called
the best circles of Chicago are hundreds
of men and women who are drunkards
occasional or well-conlirmed. Stories
are told to my ear that would soften a
harder heart than Nero's. The Ian
guage of Shakespearean tragedy is not
too strong and intense to describe the
sorrows which drunkenness has brought
into Christian homes in this city. Not
one of these drunkards became such at
a bound. The deadly habit may have
been twenty years in fastening its fet-
ters on its victim, and at last unman-
ming him by paralyzing his will. A
friend of mine once said to a temper
ate drinker: please tell me if you find
that you care to have your daily drinks
any more now than six months
ago" A man wrote me q letter last
year, in which he confessed that his
moderate tipping had been increasing,
gradually uniting him for clear think
inc in his business. What multitudes
do not question themselves as to these
tendencies! The evil of a dethroned
will diseased body, ruined life, a
broken family, lost soul, is such that
wisdom says: "Do not begin walking
in that way which leads in thousands of
c.SSS to such dircful ends" 1t should
be remembered that habits which are
comparatively safe in Europe are found
not to be safe in the dry, exciting, elect
trical air Of America. But why should
speak Of the habits Of the continent of
Europe as in any measure safe? Has
not the prophecy of the last French
King that the vine would prove the
great curse of France been already real
lied? Even the French Government
has become alarmed by the dircful in
crease Of drunkenness. The light wines
have prepared the way for stronger
drinks, and there are few cities of the
world where these stronger drinks are
more GENERALLY used than in Paris. The
French have way of covering drunk
enness and other vices from general
| knowledge, but Government reports
tell us the awful facts
Secondly, the argument against mod
crate drinking is an appeal to benevol-
ence. Is it becoming in you as one
well-disposed toward your fellows, to
continue a habit which strengthens the
drinking customs Of society and thus
indirectly binds the letters of drunken
mes, on weaker men? 1t should not be
forgotten that there is q solidarity in
/ human society, and that social customs
| work downward, and indeed in all di-
rections. Do you not appreciate the
Biblical, the Pauline teaching, which,
while insisting on the right of each man
TO decide for himself, plainly points out
the Christian principle Of renouncing
what may be permissible to you for the
/ sake Of not iniuring, as Paul says, the
/ brother for whom Christ died? 1t has
| been the folly of some of our Temper
ance speaking that it has heaped male
! dictiOnS upon the moderate drinkers,
/ instead Of appealing steadily and low
| ingly to the Goblest instincts of human
nature and asking them to make sac
ritice of what they deem a liberty for
the sake of others, it may be members
/ of their own families. | know of rich
man in Providence whose only son had
been brought home to him intoxicated,
and he remarked to him, saying: Il
/ have done everything for YOU. Eyes, "
said the son, land you taught me TO
| drink Wine" and he struck his father
to the earth
Listen to the appeal Of DIR. John
Hall: "Fathers! do without it for the
! reason. How can you tell but relat
their swift feet may trip to that de-
stfuction on this side of which your
slower feet have been able to halt?'
The Christian principle should per-
suade YOU to leave off drinking for the
sake of the weakest and the lowliest.
and certainly for the sake of those in
/ your own household Let the Young
men of your families do as YON may
think it right for you to do, and what
fearful probabilities loom up before you,
DR.. Mott used to remark how those
Young men who 1T college persisted in
the use of Intoxicating drinks soon
sank into ob>curity and often into
drunkard's graves.
1t is hazardous, then, to form habits
which are so frequently fatal, and it is
becoming in all Christian and well-dis-
posed people to exercise by their exam
pie Il commendable, salutary and re-
straining influence over men generally.
These are the principles which made
the early temperance reformation so
mighty. These are the principles which
have swept the use of Intoxicating
drinks out of three-fourths of the pros
porous, respectable and intelligent fam
lilies of America.
To-day occasional or moderate drink
ing is very great evil. While literary,
political and business clubs exercise
their liberty of drinking wine, they
help paralyze the efforts OF more earn
est men to crush out the wasteful and
deadly rum traffic. But very respect
able and influential men will not be
won into better ways by the puerilc fall