St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1886-04-08

: the whole domain of nature. 1t is TIL
}. product of the vat and the distiller,
1t is born of vegetable decay. Go
made the golden corn to nourish an
sustain his mighty family, but distilla
ton throws the golden grain into vi
: of rottenness and presses ont of tn
> rotting mass the fiery juice of alcohol
God also hangs out the purple cluster
! on the vine to gladden. the human ey
) and palate, but fermentation turns tin
pure blood of the grape into a mad
dening intOxicant. No, God neve
made alcohol.
Science holds her inquest over tn,
bloated, disfgured body of a drunken
man, and then brings in this verdict
"The man is poisoned" AlcOhO
pOisOns the blood in every vein. /
assaults the very throne of our mali
hood by poisoning the brain.
The fact that two and half ounces
of alcohol injected into the stomach
of dog will kill him about as quick
as a rifle ball, and a pint of its dilutioI
called rum, has about the same effect
on man, adds interest to the subject
under consideration.
Alcohol has no power to digest
food. Put a pound of raw beef into
alcohol for twelve hours, and it is said
that it loses four ounces of water, and
the beef is simply hardened; not the
least approximation toward digestion
has been made.
The famous athlete, Tom Savers,
was once asked by a gentleman,
"Well, Thomas, suppose that when
you are training, you use plenty of
Beef steak, London porter and pale
ale ~ The boxer replied, ''In my
time | have drunk more than was
good for me but when / have bust
ness to do, there is nothing like cold
water and the dumb bells" After re-
firing from business, he took to drink
and died sOt. Cold water made him
Samson, alcohol laid him in the
grave.
Science recognizes alcohol as an en-
envy to the human body. 1t says that
alcohol does not feed the body, but
impOverishes it instead of warming
the body, it first scOrches, and then
leaves it to freeze; instead of building
it up, it tears it down; instead of pro-
longing life, it breeds legion of dis
eases and, with the smile of pleasure
on its face, it yields the red dagger of
me O-day the millions of human forms
that are SCARED, defaced, disfgured
and diseased by strong drink yea,
could | summon from their putrid
graves the myriads upon myriads who
for forty centuries have been murdered
by strong drink, and put to them this
question, ais it scientific to drink 2"
the voice of the living and dead would
be, No.
Such is the testimony of science, and
no man can dispute it's word. When
alcohol invades the kingdom of man,
digestion, assimilation and growth
nearly or wholly stop, that the foe
may be expelled. Swallow needle,
and the system puts it out the nearest
that way; through the foot, the farth
crest way, if it points in that direction
but it puts it out. Now swallow alcO-
hOl, and the system puts it out in ev-
cry possible way. The blood carries
it to the lungs, and scents the air for
hours with pure alcohol. The whole
skin exudes it. The whole man smells
like distillery. 1t is a foreign sub
stance, and nature will have nothing
to do with it and why should man
muscles; harms the nerves; is al
ways and everywhere a poison, in
sickness and in health, and the vital
powers try their utmost to throw it off
even to the extent of pershing in the
attempt.
shall put only one more witness on
the stand,-the Bible. To the law and
the testimony! What is the general
- 4
No one will dare deny that the aim of
this book is to elevate man, not to de- |
grade him to purify him, not to pOis
on him; to keep his soul and body I'M
defiled, not to make them Il den of un
cleanness. The whole trend of the |
Bible is toward sObriety and self-cOn-
troll. 1t eniOins watchfulness, the |
keeping of the body under and the
crucifxiOn of all sensual lusts. God
gave us this blessed book to lead his
frail, sinful children mp toward heaven,
not to mislead them down towards
drunkenness and damnatiOn. | assert,
therefore, without the fear of success
full contradiction that from the first
syllable i'm Genesis to the last note of
warning in Revelation, the whole spir-
it of the word of God is in favor of alb
stinence from every practice which
tends to disgrace and destroy the hu
man body or soul.
Hear the testimony of Habakkuk,
''Woe unto him that giveth his neigh
Dor drink, that putteth thy bottle to
him." | wish that this thrilling pass
age could be posted over the door of
every dramshOp, and also over every
table on which false hospitality ever
places a decanter.
Now let Solomon, the wisest of men,
speak. He says, "WhO hath woe 7
Who hath sorrow? Who hath con.
tentionsP Who hath babblingP Who
hath wounds without cause? Who
ry long at the wine; they that go to
seek mixed wine. Look not thou upon
the wine when it is red, when it giveth
his color in the cup, when it mOveth
itself Alright. At the last it biteth like
serpent, and stingeth like an adder"
Is there anyone who can twist this
passage into an apology for drinking 2
NV next witness is Samson, that
stalwart deliverer of Israel, that mus
cular hero for whom God, when he was
sore athirst, wrought miracle to give
him drink and that drink was not
wine or whiskey, but pure cold water.
AS this man of giant strength comes
before us, he testifies that he never
touched wine or strong drink, or even
ate anything that cometh of the wine.
Nor did his mother before him. He
thus escaped the danger of an heredi
tary appetite for strong drink, which
is the fatal secret of the drunkenness
of thousands. Samson was a Nazarite,
Good Templar of that age of the
world.
| might summon other Bible wit
naSSoS yvhn Hvnnl1 foil nna and tho