The Monitor. [volume] (Woodstown, N.J.) 1884-1892, 1889-08-30
w. C. T.U. DEPARTMENT.


thick pates that prevention is better than
cure, and fight against permitting habits
to be formed in childhood that will prove
ruinous in age, what a world of woe it
would save. | was not brought Up under
the Sling system, nor have my own
children been subjected to this Eighty treat
ment, and so none of us have taste for
whisky
Indeed. could not tell brandy from beer,
nor old rye from champagne, for | have
never tasted or scarcely seen any of them
and the rest of the family are no wiser.
But we are happy in experiencing that
where ignorance is bliss, it is folly to be
wise, p" and will waste no time cultiyating
deadly beverages which are sometimes used
as medicine. 1t is high time that doctors
were taught to know better than to be 60
ing around forming damaging habits in
their patients that they cannot overcome.
In my limited experience can count scores
of cases, from the infant with its soothing
syrup, to the drunkard in the ditch, where
direful consequences have resulted from
the unwise prescriptions, not only of al
coholic stimulants, but of morphia, chloral,
bromide and other anesthetics; and know
of countless young men who have been
started on TIE downward road that ends in
ignominious death, by the drink habit,
formed at home from their fathers cellar.
or sideboard, or bottles secreted in the
haystack, or mothers comforting drops.
After the deed is done the doors usually
want to repair damages. 'sShall give it
to them and get them drunk or punish them
for drinking?' said the father of the boys,
who brought home rum for a sling
Why, man, it is you who ought to be pun
ished and suffer all the torment of deliriuna
tren.ens for bringing the enemy into the
house. Strictly temperate" are you? Sup
pose you try being strictly toetotal for
awhile. Never let those tender boys see
Intoxicating drinks again. IL they are sick,
employ physician whose knowledge of
materia medica is extensive enough to know
of other less harmful restoratives to admin
lister. They may forget or outgrow this
appetite, being SO young, if it is for
ever abolished from the home. When they
are old enough to read and understand,
have them taught the evils of intoxicants
upon the human system from a scientific
standpoint, as is now taught under the law
in public schools. Take them to hear some
of the gifted temperance evangelists, who
are going up and down the land trying to
persuade men to put away this evil forever.
Gas the twlg is bent the tree is inclined, !"
and it is largely the work of the parent to
guard their tender offspring, and they can
best do this by setting an example of total
abstinence from ali harmful things
But you may say good parents children
often go astray. So they do-whie write
word comes to me of the suicide ola young
man, the son of wealthy and respected par
ents, and strong drink is set down as the cause
of the dreadful deed. believe those broken
hearted parents did all that seemed to them
world is full of snares; think of the great
city of New York with its ten thousand
saloons, saloon for every one hundred
and sixty persons, and church only for
every four or five thousand inhabitants.
And SO all over the country, as rum ad-
vances religion recedes, and no one can tell
which of their best beloveds are to be swept
into the current. But parent will not be
held guiltless who does not do all that in
him lies in the work of roofing out this
greatest scourge of America. Parents are
too often sadly indifferent on this question.
They are above reproach themselves and
cannot be made to realize that their chill
dren may be tempted into sin, and SO drift
along in a happy-go-lucky sort of way
until it is too late, until habits have been
formed that are past their power and influ-
ence to eradicate.
There is a wall gong up from the wom-
en- of the land for better times; for protec-
ton from the rum fiend; and men are hear
ing it and saying eyes, we'll have to do
something for them; we'll close up half or
more than half of the saloons by high IL
ceDSe lUdJ VIII De very VlrCuouS ACT
and they'll be satisfied" But we will not
be satisfied with any such half way mea-
sure. This doctoring of sin instead of
destroying it is mans device and not Gods.
Who was it said sit is not the will of your
Father which is in heaven, that one of
these little ones should eiish?" and who
declared "Woe to that man by whom
offence cometh?" He did not say that a
few might perish, or several offences might
be permitted, or that you might bring ten
cents worth OF temptation home to your
children, but stamped his seal of condemna-
ton upon all.
Oh, husbands and fathers. are yoa Chris
tians and yet tolerate men and measures
that waste time regulating and looping off
branches of this poisonous upas tree, in
stead of laying the axe at the root and end
ing its deadly work.
How the words of exhortation come
crowding into my brain, but | hear the
warning voice of the Editor saying
Enough is enough; there must be limit
even to woman's word. ''-JHary Sidney
In Farm Journal.