The Manning times. [volume] (Manning, Clarendon County, S.C.) 1884-current, 1886-12-15
AN ESS.iT NE DRINK.

Drink makes man fCol. lake the
wisest man and make him drunk, and lie
is rs big ga fool as the most illiteratc and
silly is in the same condition. IN fact,
the wiser the man the bigger tie toos--
fo2 more reasons than one. Men, /; tic
flash of their young manhood, w!lc
would not stoop to anything beneath the
dignity Of gentlemen when sober, have
been known 10 borrow lnorcy when
drinking, in or;ier to .Set more OF the
very stuff that was even then making
them lose their se:f-respcct and forget
their manhood, With III 1.-The true. the
beautiful and the good and become
troublesome to their friends and the
community and liable 10 violate the law
and be punished Cor their recklessness.
While Slightly under the influence OF
liquor, and rot enough to be detected by
others, acts have been committed and
words uttered, unconscio1lsly through
the effects of the stimulant, which would
make any sober, sensible person think
the ::guiity" man must be either tight O.
'';s natural boru-iool. . Al owing to
the mean liquor showed OF on him.
\ man who takes but one drink de-
serves DO more credit than he who takes
two. The principle is the same I'll the
way through; the ca';se and eject the
Same in the one case as n the other. i
one drink satisfies one 2la!i and II takes
more for another. both should be held
equally guilty, On the principle that II
one drink did not satisfy the former lie
,1,,,nl, +ha I..tt
1t is a weakness TO drink, 10 the sense
that it is weakness to gamble, etc. 1t
is habit, passion. We are al weak
creatures of habit and passion. One has
a londness fo3 one thing, and one for
another. What suits one, does Iot 81
ways suits another. In may cases the
gambler does not drink; IL many cases
the midnight thief does not drink. Their
rulinS passion is not the cup that III.
toxicates; they are Intoxicated With the
love and excitement OF their aTocatloGs.
Often the man vino drinks he's no other
fault-his fault is more hurtful to him.
self than to others. Free from the
effects of drink, he attends TO lis buSi-
ness and minds his own affairs; but un-
der its influence, lie neglects his busl-
ness and speaks and acts as lie would not
be guilty Of doing when sober. \ man
whose refined nature and cultivated taste
would shrink from the very thought OF
evil, losses his better self when under
the control Of drink, and he deliberately
commits those very sins from which lie
recoils in his soberness. He gets into
bad company all becomes involved il
ugly scrapes.
1t is easy enough for tie free man TO
say he could quit drinking. Let him
contract the habit and he will find then
that if he abandon it he will deserve
more credit than if he had never begun
the habit. The grandest exhibition OF
human Will that can be, is recorded when
9 slave breaks lis bonds and stands firm.
Why don't You take one drink and
quit? Yes, yielding 10 the temptation
to take one drink and quit has been the
prime cause OF the loss OF Alanya mighty
and magnificent mind that could have
made its future as grand and glorious aS
its past Lad been infamous and lIglorl-
Gus. Edgar Allen Poe oncc thought he
was strong enough to take one drink and
quit. But in the lriliiancy OF his intel
Iect, bright in the circle OF Letters as tie
evening star III the circle above him,
found to his cost that he could rot take
one drink and quit. frent;ss, the
matchless NIississip Undcr tic pow
er OF whose gigantic mind concen-
trated Congress s'sayed ior consecutive |
days; once thought lie could take one