The Warner sun. (Warner, Brown Co., Dakota [S.D.]) 1885-1???, 1888-08-03
Mnine Teachinr Temneranoe.

Maine Teaching Temperance.
The experiment about to be tried in
Maine of scientific instruction In ten. n
perance will be watched with a goo5
deal of interest all over the country.
In theory 1t is perfectly sound. A geu-
GRAFTON thoroughly taught as to the
terrible results, physical, moral and
social, of intemperance ought to grow
up with a bias in favor OF temperance.
which will be a stout SHIELD against
temptation. Apparently the people
of Maine intend that the teaching shall
be thorough. A special committee Of
the State Pedagogical Society, intrust-
ed with the duty of suggesting meth
DDS, has zee earnestly considering
the subject and have reached some
general conclusions, They have de-
cided, for instance, that the teaching
shall embrace so much of hygiene and
physiology as to show fully the effects
of StimuIants and narcotics on the
human system and that the ~instruc-
tiOns shall be progressive and continu-
Gus in all the grades, Other matters,
such as whether the instruction shall
be oral or from text books, have not
been settled; but they will be thorough
ly discussed and decided before the
plan Is put in operation, to the end
that the system may work smoothly
from the first.
What the prospect of success is it is
difficult to forecast. As already said,
the theory is sound; but so is the
theory of prohibition. To prevent alb
s~Olutely the sala of intoxicating drinks
ought to be the most effective prevent
i've of MODIFICATION or intelaperance.
Unfortunately the paactice does not
accord with the theory. The whole
country at n time or an other has
followed Names example in adopt
ing the theory and the greater part of
the country has been compelled to
abandon it. As a consequence Maine
does not occupy the highest position
as a teacher in temperance matters
and the fact that she has been first to
adopt this new experiment is not
specially in its favor.
Some doubt as to the probable value
OF the system springs from the knowl-
edge which is very general that ac-
quaintance with the evils of intemper-
ance very rarely operate as ID safe
guard against the excessive use of
sUimulants, The victims of the vice
are not found exclusively among the
ignorant. They include some Of the
brightest and most intelligent Of the
race and not a few of those whose pro-
fessioaaI education has been of charac-
ter to enlighten them thoroughly as
to the effects of alcohol. when we con
slider how Intellectual are all pleas adj
! dressed to the man with a craving for
ardent spirit, it is not worth while TO
put too much confidence in the results
of intellectual training.
Few men who have not felt it or had
it specially impressed upon them have
any conception of what this craving
Is. Said a gentleman in this city, not
long since, to a drunken wreck who
was q few years ago one of the bright
est and most promising of Detroit's
young men: "Why don't you quit this
life? Don't you see that you are ruin
ing your family, that you have lost
your social position, your property.
your health, and that yon are going
down to a drunkard's grayep"
And the wreck responded; "Do
you think you have told me anything
newPDo you suppose there is anything
in domestic happiness Or social posi-
ton or health even that / have not
thought of a hundred times to your
once or that | do not know the value
OF as well as you do? / have had these
things held up to me aud held them up
myself hundreds OF times. / have got
them by heart. But they have ceased
to mean anything to me-. | know
what domestic comfort is, but | don't
-a-. - -. -. - fx.
/ don't want the respect Of my fellow
men. | don't wan money. | don't
want health. | want RIM. 1t is the
only thing | do want; and when you
offer me all these other things you do
not tempt me a Bit"
1t Is against this sort Of an appetite
that the Maine temperance teaching
is to oppose itself.-DetroH Free Press