The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1888-08-15
Effects of Strong Drink.

Most of the misery, want and suffering the
human family endure to-day may be justly
attributed to our non-conformity to the will.
and design Of the Creator. Mankind Is ever
too ready to contract habits that are evil and
vile, habits that are productive OF misery.
foolish fashions draw hundreds down to want
and beggary where monopoly and capital do
one; and, Of all the habits that ever cursed
the human race, the habit of using strong
drink as beverage ranks first That alone
has produced more misery, want, wretched-
ness and crime in the land since the Christian
era than war, pestilence and famine COM
morals and impede the prosperity Of our
country than any other cause.
This old King Alcohol Is one OF the most
cruel and heartless 6espots ever known, one
who imposes the heaviest burdens on his sub
jects, and, no matter how loyal and devoted
they may be to him.. they never get any act
of kindness or favor from him in return fore
their menial servitude; and as soon as one
enlists in his service he begins to brand and
family and friends, and he soon destroys every
thing Of value to the poor man. Above all,
he ruins or destroys that great and price.
less gem, the talent or intellectual power Of
the mind, that enables him to bring out and
utilize all the blessings given us by the Gre
ator, the germ that makes him 80 superior to
the brute. The continual use Of alcohol In
any form soon destroys qualities that are
pure and noble, and arouses passions that are
vile, british and dangerous. Authentic sta.
tistics show that very large percentage Of
the misery, pauperism and crime In the land
is directly or Indirectly the result Of the use
of strong drink as beverage.
We can hardly take paper In our handsi In
which is not chronicled one or more bloody
k,J tol hry o0vVnn
drunken fend who has been fitted and pre-
pared for this cruel and bloody work by some
avaricious landlord or druggist who some
times seems to care little or nothing for the
safety or well-being Of the poor suffering
wife and helpless children at the home Of the
drunkard, ,as long as the business brings them
in good profit. The greatest sufferers from
the evils Of intemperaDce are the poor and
destitute wives and families Of drunkards,
who are at home in some lonely hovel with
out necessary food, fuel or clothing, shiver-
ing with cold and hunger, and the little inno-
cent children huddling around their poor
heart broken and grief ef-stricken mother, beg.
ging and crying in vain for bread or some
thing to soothe or allay the pangs Of hunger
and cold. Perhaps this same mother once
faithfully labored early and late with her
the near future when she should sit in the
midst Of plenty, where she and the partnar
of her life, surrounded by children, could en-
Joy the highest type Of earthly bliss and hap
piness; but ere she was aware this monster
intemperance laid bis ruthless hand upon her
once fond husband, and transformed him
into brute, and now her burden Of poverty,
shame and wretchedness becomes SO great
that in her frenzy and despair she takes her
own life or the lives of her dear little, ones
whom she would gladly have laid down her
own life to protect before this monster in
temperance invaded her once happy home
Oh! have the mind, talent and energies OF
our American people become 80 dwarfed that
they are unable, or the avenues to the heart
so closed, or the heart itself 80 calloused, or
eyes so blind, that they cannot be made to
feel, see and realize the fearful RESPONSE
bilities resting upon them?
Very often, in stating events or clrcunl-
stances, the subject IS exaggerated and en-
larged, but in portraying the evils of intem-
perauce it is impossible for the greatest artist
to overdraw the picture, as his greatest
efforts and gandest results come far short OF
the reality: No pen can write, or pencil
this monster; it must be experienced to be re-
allied. Let no one think or feel himself
guiltless who treats this thing lightly or
turns these things one side as Of no account.
This vile curse, with its sad effects and re-
suits, has become thing of so common oc-
currence that it fails to excite in US that de-
gree of horror that it otherwise would. Some
Of the brightest and most aspiring youths Of
our land, those who bid fair to rank high in
intellectual ability and usefulness, ere they
are aware Of any danger, are environed with
the powerful meshes Of this vile curse and
have begun to descend the drunkard's ladder,
which is made for descending but never to
ascend. The rounds or steps in this ladder
are named in the following order, commenc-
ing at the top: Evil associations, tea, to-
bacco, rum, crime, delirium and death. The
evils Of intemperance are not so common out
in the country as in our large towns and
cities, where you will often find the depraved
of both sexes joining in drunken carousals.-
George W. Cooh, Il: the "Battte ACE Of Tenn
perance."