Wessington Springs herald. (Wessington Springs, Aurora County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1891, 1891-04-03
THE CURSE OF DRINK,
HOW THE APPETITE FOR Lto-
UOR is AROUSED.

UOR is AROUSED.
Tho Rev. Martin NIahony ON tho Evils Of
DRINK and Drinlsins-How America Is
Educating tho Reathen Temperance
Topics in General
Aicohollc drink is the hay, turf, wood
and coal OF hell on earth. Those that
drink and cause such suffering drink be-
cause they saw others drinking. Every
body drank. and they keep on in a great
measure because many more drink also,
and want to have, or anyhow are willing
to let, the drink within reach. Ever
since Noah stumbled on what made such
fool of him, the genesis of drinking is
first FASHION and then appetite; fashion
starts the practice, and along with fash |
ion appetite keeps it up. The preceding
and passing generations are responsible
for the drinking fashion as we have it
among us now, and in the same way the
passing generation is going to be, if it
does not look OUT responsible for the
same habit in the generation that is
coming on and in ali the coming genera
tions that Shall feel it's influence. And
to be actual and practical, l want to say
that the passing generation means me,
and you, neighbor, and the next man.
Apart altogether from Christ and the
church, merely by our common human
nature, by the solidarity of the race "we
are all members one of another we
learn from one another language, accent,
notions. manners, and among the rest
this deluded notion and most mischievous
practice of the drink. This incontesta-
bic natural law has made and makes
every man that has drunk or drinks
q professor, o teacher, promoter
OF drinking, with all that follows.
And, further, with the prevalence
the drink fashion has had and has,
every one that does not take pains to
be counted out is counted in and acts as
q silent but conSenting partner. This is
what vast numbers have been and are,
"ignorantly," unconsciously If the
evils resulting from the use of drink
were, as they doubtless We're in some
places and times, and may perhaps be
even now, comparatively few and trifling,
there would be no need of special efforts
to reform them: sic ,ni,einnis non curut
lca," "parDltln pro niltilo reputat,tr," but
actually these evils, even to overlook the
sins (and drink is second original sin(
and crimes (and drink is the cause of
most of our crimes), only the sufferings
it occasions are immense, incompatible,
ubiquitous, continuous. The sufferings
relieved by all the anodynes and all the
alms-giving are as nothing beside all
those caused by the drink alone. Where
is our pity? Where is our show to claim
good nature and benevolence if we will
not do what We fairly can to stop al
this pain? What generous compassion
there is aroused for a few sufferers such
as those of Johnstown! Here are suffer-
ers by the hundred thousand. If to re-
lieve them men had to do some very
hard thing, had to reduce themselves or
their families to poverty, had to risk
reputation or health, or life; if they had
even to practice some considerable,
standing self-denial, there would be
some excuse for doing nothing. But
actually all they need to do is these two
things: First, they should quit patroniz-
ing the fashion, should cease and let it
be known they cease, to use drink. And
then, of course, further, man being, as
Thomas Carlyle says, COMPATIBILITY a
proselytisive ANIMAL" they would natur-
ally and rightly wish to get others to do
to do, and withal very good thing, is to
help to swell the attendance at every
temperance meeting, to pass around
|
hard drinkers or get some competent
person to do so. Drink is no inherent
want of our nature, but as plain and re-
pugnant a violence done it as is the
tightening of females feet among the
Chinese; then it's fashion power is
enormously offset by the strong and
growing public sentiment against it, So
to renounce it entirely and forever,
| whether as habitual nip or conSttu-
tional pick me-up, or social treat, really
no great punishment or self-denial, or
hardship and soon ceases to be any at
all, especially when set beside the
accompanying glorious "luxury of
doing good" The man who finds
it too hard to quit drink for
others sake, ought on that very account
to quit for his own and his posterity's
sake, before the grip of the tyrant appe-
tite has forever strangled his free-will.
Secondly, not only as a safeguard of
| their own resolution to abstain; not only
| as safeguard to other mems like reso-
luton; not only as an aid to the weak of
the passing generation and to the
thoughtless of the coming one, to be free
| from means and reminders and occa-
sions of continuing or learning the drink
habit, but particularly as a means of
plcN0uUlIIS uSouNl VI PAoSPSS-
tive, from recklessly inhicting unmerited
suffering on others, they should do what
they can to keep away the temptation,
to bar out the par. Here again few
topers would be denied their luxury and
temporarily afflicted, but millions of
men. and still more of women and chill
dren, would be saved atrocious suffer-
| ing. This would be justice among citi-
zens, humanity among men; 'twould be
also most effective cooperation with the
grace of God and fair-play given to His
! desire to save all men. To vote for pro-
hibition and the enforcement of it one
only needs to do some thinking and be a
sensible and honest man. Alas, that
many nominal Christians are not such.
Tracy (It1ae.) Trumpet
AmcrIca's Shame.
In the Herald and Presbyter, Margaret