Clarksville weekly chronicle. (Clarksville, Tenn.) 1873-1890, 1885-05-30


OF the boy, whose voice at length came
to him from the distance, aLook out,
papa. I'm following you. Then he
bethought himself that he should
measure his pathway by the standard
OF his child's capability.
Would that every day there might
sound in your ears the words, which
even though not uttered, are yet true,
Look out father, mother, teacher.
preacher. man OF business, man of
Office, elder in society, we are fol-
lowing you" and 5e careful to take no
steps in the pathway which proves so
fatal TO so many of the growing child
rem oil every generation. They simply
see you enter the tavern, stand at the
bar, take the glass at the social board,
and they say IF he drinks why cannot
~
How many a mothers heart near
breaks with awful anxiety as she OBJ
serves how her boy chafes under her
restraint and pleadings as he answers
every plea with, But mother, Mr.. B.
drinks, and he is perfect gentleman"
How many wife's hopes grow dim
and faint AS all her expostu!ations with
the husband she loves are met with the
ready reply, "Yes, dear, but there is
Mr.. A. who takes his wine, and is re-
spected and prosperous, surely / can
follow his example
Please just sit down and think if
any child OF yours, any friend, anybody
that comes in contact with you is be-
ing led by your example to taste and
love the drink. You can do without
il and be far better Off in health and
pocket. Then do so. and give no oc-
casion to stumble or fall to any one in
your way
Do not drink at all; then no one
who follows your EXAMPLE can be in
jured.
4. Because in drinking you help
support and perpetuate the traffic.
And what is this traffic Behold it
Millions of bushels of food are by il
annually wasted and turned into a
subtle poison. Millions of dollars of
capital are kept by it from productive
business, and turned into an engin-
cry of waste and ruin. Idleness, dis
content, poverty, misery, crime and
death, crowd together in its wake.
The homes it destroys, the hearts it
breaks, the lives it sacrifices, the hope
il qoenches, the immortal happiness it
destroys, are simply incalculable. 1t is
foul, dark, devilish blot upon our civ
ilization. There is no good thing it
aids, there is no evil thing it does not
render more evil.
Every dime you spend for drink
goes to build up and keep this mon
strous system OF evil. Why should
you help it with your money? Every
time you darken the doors of dram
shop your influence is given to the
traffic. The more respectable you are
the more help you are to it. Why
should you lend your influence to this
dark system of wrong?
Every time you put your money or
influence at its back, that act is known
and noted by many. The example
tells. Others do as they see you do,
your custom brings other custom. and
thus by EXAMPLE you are bringing
grist to the fatal mill. Why should
you draw custom for such an awful
business?
And the traffic has the benefit of
your endorsement. Whenever the
drunkard's shame brings tile blush to
its face, whenever the earnest, honest
denunciation makes its conscience
uneasy, whenever the tears and expos
tulatiOns of the wife or widow softens
its heart for the moment, whenever
the terrible ghastliness of the ruin it
works flashes before It's vision, it finds
support and comfort in your sanction
and influence and name, and wrapping
itself about in the robes of your re-
spectability forgets the shame. stiles
conscience, denies the prayer of the
heartbrOken, and fortifies itself for the |
continued work.
As Il moderate drinker you injure |
your health, you play with an awfully |
fatal temptation, you lead others astray
and put your money and influence at
the back of most vile and destruct-
i've traffic Can you afford to do that |