Idaho news. (Blackfoot, Idaho) 1887-1891, 1888-06-30
TEMPERANCE COLUMN
EDITED BY ". CTR. or nLAcKFoor.

every force brought to bear on the
future of the boys must be consecrated
to the great work Of developing hlm
into good and sober citizen. First in
Importance Is the influence of home
Here the seeds of character are sown
Home should be to them the most
pleasant spot on earth. The boys
room should be the best room There
should bc found the books and play
4 things suited TO his years. Work,
study, and play should be equally en-.
joyed. The boy should not feel that he
is of no Importance or that he is in the
way anywhere. The parlor should not
be too good for him or his company.
Suitable companions should be selected
4 for him, and be always welcomed as
the mother welcomes her own friends.
Ii you do not choose companions for
your son do not wonder when you see
him in the company of the vicious?
The boy must have friends, and he is
not capable of discerning the true
character OF many who wear the garb
Of gentlemen or gentlemen's sons; they
will ask your boy TO smoke and drink.
say, become acquainted with your
sons playfellows. Our parents are too
careless here. A mother recently said
to me: II never even dreamed that
Charlie could become drunkard. /
never talked to him about II, or
thought much about where he spent
his evenings, for, OF course, my boy
would be good boy"
Oh mother, do not take il for grant
ed that your boy will be good just
because you want him 10 be. More of
our boys are on the road to ruin than
are ambitious to reach the highest
and best in life. While the first work
must be done in the home, the church
must supplement and continue the
work, and, in many instances, 70 II
must we look FOR all the instruction
the boy will receive. The church must
see that all the young who come with.
in her influence are instructed, not
only in the cardinal principles OF the
gospel, but in the great rital truths
that underlie this gospel Of temperance
Special instruction is needed where
special temptations are liable to be'met
The church has not half done her
duty, Our boys are stepping right
from Sunday school and Christian
homes into the very Jaws Of hell.
The saloon is swallowing up It's victims
by the thousands. and the church has
been looking quietly on and voting to
perpetuatc the cause Of this wholesale
slaughter of husband, brother and son.
Again, our boys should be protected
by the strong arm OF the law. Every.
thing else seems to be protected. Our
domestic animals are protected from
cruelty; the birds IN the air, the fish
in our streams; the game in our woods
arc protected by law, and shall our
boys be left TO the mercilcss clutches
of the rum powers? In all our fair
State, not one boy is safe. To be sure
there is on our statute books the
semblance of a law, but placed there
to deceive, with the intention that it |
should never he executed. Consequent.
~, provisions were attached which |
makes its execution practically i'm
possible. If the law forbidding the
sale of liquor to minors was so fran.
ed that It could be as easily executed
rs other laws, against murder or theft,
intcmperance would practically cease.
You will know that our boys became
incorporate before they reached the
age Of Fl. Show me the boy who has
lived clean, pure life until that age,
and ] am not afraid to vouch for his
future. Our parents see their boys
sinking daily deeper and deeper into
vice, and they are powerless TO pre-
vent it, or punish their destroyers. II
there ever was curse to this fair
land of ours, it is our loose laws upon
this subject.
Every boy has a right to demand
protection as well as instruction.
Greece became q powerful nation by
caring for the physical, mental, and
moral training of her youth No nation
can became great In any other way
IL we would fulfill the evident destiny
assigned TO ms by the God Of nations,
we must guard our boys from this
a A.