Herald and news. [volume] (West Randolph, Vt.) 1878-1943, 1891-06-04
TEMPERANCE NOTES.
A GROWING EVIL.
Victims of the Drink Demon Constantly
Increasing In Numbers.

| AS everyone knows, the cities OF the
I United States are the strongholds Of
the rum power Our largest one, New
| York. has a population of 100000. Its
LIQUOR traffic each year is over $50. 000,-
900. while the support of its churches
/ of all denominations costs but $1,000
600 year With a reputation OF g.
600. 900 in the whole country. we spend
about 5000, 600. 600 year for rum, and it
costs $500. 600, 600 year for the support
of our prisons, poorhouses and asy-
lums. three-fourths of whose inmates
are there from causes directly or re-
motely dependent upon the use of rum
During the past twenty years, the
temperance reform has made great
progress in the United States, and the
proportion of those who abstain entire
ly from the use of rum in any form is
much greater now than ever before.
Yet in these twenty years, the manu-
facture of intoxicants has increased
more rapidly in proportion than the
population, and there is more liquor
used per capita than there was score
of years ago. This shows that there is
InOIG tACtcS nON tlidh bhtAC 0do ~
that time, that those who do drink,
drink more freely than was then the
case.
Nor is there anything in the situa-
ton which promises speedy amend
mept of this condition The curse of
the saloon is more potent than the eff
forts of the workers in the temperance
cause The increase in the amount of
liquor consumed is not lecause our peo-
Pile like it any better. nor because it is
more palatable, but simply because
the 10000 saloons of the country are
doing more active PROSECUTING work
than are the advocates OF temperance.
The evil Of the saloon is not the harm
1t does to those who are already the
victims of the drink habit its worst
feature is its effect in creating that APP
petite in young men. The youth with
a vigorous. healthy body and good d.
gestion does not like the taste Of rum.
He does not begin to drink from any
liking for fiquor in any form. As we
have already said, il is the social
feature OF the saloon which draws
these young men within its doors.
Once there. somebody promptly offers
TO treat to refuse Is TO appear un-
duly straightlaced, and 10 lack good
fellowship; the young man drinks. al
though he does not care 10 do so. and
then feels it incumbent upon him TO re-
ray the obligation by treating" in
turn This is the first step in the down
ward road
He very soon gets accustomed to the
taste of strong drink, and from drink
ing only when he is invited or when he
treats. in his turn. he soon comes to
drink for the excitement which fol-
lows: and once he learns to drink from
this cause, the way is open TO drunk
enness and all the woes which follow
in its train Take the 200 600 saloons
in this country. and it is but mod
crate allowance to estimate an average
of Twenty young men per year who
learn to drink in each. Hence the
fact is not overstated when we say that
the saloon system of the United States
is destroying no less than 100000
young men per year.
The vice of intemperanee does not
tuu Will It's NANAlAA hui AAOtS ~ emu
with his becoming a sot II is the
prolific parent of vice and crime. There
is not a pambling-hell in the United
States which does not furnish liquor to
unsteady the nerves and ambulance the
Judgment of the poor fools who fire.
quent them. There is not house of
ill-repute in which rum Is not at hand
to infiame the baser passions of its Wis
itors. There is not one infraction of
peace and good order in twenty that is
not largely or entirely due to rum.
These things are the natural outcome
of the career which the young man be-
gins when he first enters a saloon to !
meet his friends
II is safe to say that no young man
ever starts out with the determination |
to become a drunkard, or the slave of |
vice, or a criminal; yet look around |
you in any community. and see the vast |
who are confirmed .drunkards. |
Visit large prison and you will find that |
the great majority of its unhappy in
mates are there from causes which can
be traced directly to the drinking |
habit. Visit a poorhouse and inquire |
into the history of the unfortunates
who find that their only home, and you
will learn that in the eases of the ma
jority rum was the initial cause of |
their being there. 1t was the careful |
Judgment of a former superintendent of
the Toledo insane asylum that fully |
three-fourths of the cases of insanity
within the establishment were due di-
rectly or indirectly to intemperance
The condition of things in regard to
Drunkenness in the United States is
grave enough TO cause alarm to every
thoughtful person. The condition can
not be improved so long as the saloon
is allowed to exist; and so long as the
saloon is in existence our condition re-
garding intemperance will grow worse
instead of better. But the saloon can
not be suppressed until public opinion
IS strong enough, not only to demand
its suppression. but to enforce that de-
mand when It is enacted into law.
The obvious place of beginning any
; e. Il. IL !