The daily state chronicle., 1891-02-25
AN IMPORTANT SUBJECT.
TO TWpART SCIENTIFIC TEN
PERANCE INSTRUCTION IN
THE SCHOOLS.


Legislation.
The CHRONICLE has often adyerted 10
the fact that the only way to secure
reiga Of temperance vas TO educate the
children upon the evil effects Of alcohollc |
drinks. In many States there is such |
law, and the North Carolina House OF |
Representatives on Monday night passed
Il law requiring such instruction with |
practical unanimity.
Mr.. r. D. GILMER ESQ, of Haywood,
Chairman of the Committee on Educa-
ton, made speech in favor Of the bill
which we are glad to present to our read
ers. He said:
Since the beginning of the present
session of the General Assembly, nume-
rous petitions signed by leading citizens
| of our State have been forwarded here
asking for the passage of a law providing
that scientific temperance instruction
shall be impaired in the public schools
of North Carolina. These petitions
come bearing the names of our best and
strongest men and cOnsecrated by the
prayers Of the Christian womanhood OF
this State. This bill presents question
of paramount Importance. 1t effects the
destiny of North Carolina. It provides
! that the nature and effects Of alcoholic
drinks and narcotics shall be taught in
the public schools of our State, in
order that the rising generation
may be lifted into brighter
and purer realm. The scheme is phil
osophical and practical. 1t does not
attempt to force any one into habits Of
sobriety, but seeks by educating our
children as to the effects Of intoxicating
| drinks to tnrn them from an evil which
lnenaces onr nation. The question Of
dealing wi: b intemperance has for years
vexed the law makers Prohibitory
laws have been passed from time to time
and the evil has been oniy partially
remedied This bill deals with the
question II such a way as to inspire the
confidence Of every man in the ultimate
success Of the objects sought to be ac-
compiished by the measure 1t proposes
to instruct the youth Of our. land Ill re-
gard to the poisonous nature Of intOXj-
cants and their effects upon the system.
lie grows into manhood with these
effectual are early impressions? History
furnishes numerous illustrations showing
how the character OF q natlOn has been
formed by lessons taught the children
The Grecian mother taught her son to
glory i'll war, and Greece gave to the
world a race Of warriors renowned in
the worlds military annals. The Roman
mother taught her son before he was
twelve years old to recite the ten tables
OF the law, and Rome gave TO the world
q system Of jurisprudence upon which
that of England and our country was
founded. Teach the youth Of our land
the ieie' esi0us effects ofssaiooh0ic drinks
, and narcoJics upon the human system -
lat our boys grow into manhood we'll
furnished in instruction of this
. character, and our State aud
| Nation will rejoice IN citizenship re-
deemed from the drink habit and the evil
f and misery which follow in its wake
! We are legisiatiug tonight for those who
f are TO come after US. For the boys who
are to preserve the oracles of liberty in
5 North Carolina when this generation
). shall have passed away. We may net
live to see the fully matured fruits Of this
0 legislation, but it will GO on working
f out its grand results silently as the dew
and the sunshine.
Edmund Burke said: "Education is
the chief defense Of Nations" The far.
mers Of cur Constitution knew this
f and hence they provided for a system OF
a public schools in which our children
: might be educated It is through these
schools that the State can discharge the
| Mt I bo r;c H.
Q matter Of furnishing an education that
= will be to them a defense against the
9 evils of the drink habit, aud the Way
whic this habit wages against the pub
r lie peace and the security Of the common
IS wealth. Is it not the duty of the Legis
e lature to furnish this education? The
e scheme has the endorsement Of the best
|. men in North Carolina. Read the peti
e tlons that have come up to this body
: from the noble women of our State
They are the heart pleadings of those
d who have the best interest Of the oil,
North State at stake. They
plead that their children may no
be sent out into the worll
ignorant Of the effects Of intoxicants
upon the system, when this education
n can be so easily aud effectually obtained
i The petitions were from the pures
"a women in North Carolina, freighte(
a with the love that only a mothers hear
ID can know, in behalf of their homes, thei
% altars and their firesides.
If beg to call your attention to the fac
To that this is no new scheme. The inhap
Or itants in evory state in this Union, excep
ID ten, arc living under law similar t,
ID that which this bill proposes to enact
ot Does it not seem a little strange ira
North Carolina, who struck the frs
blow for the liberty Of her people upol
the plains Of Meck!enburg, should hav
been left among the last Of her sste
ie States to strike the blow for the emanci
W patton Of ouc people from tyranc,
- more calling than that OF King Gaorg
@' In 1886 the Congress of the Unite,
- States passed the same law we are seek
70 ing to have enacted here The Recor
y shows that it passed the Senate Wlthou
u a dissenting voice and the House of Rer
resentatiyes with only eight vote
against The measure. l desire to rea
an extract from the report of the Com
n mittee on Education in the Unite