Herald and news. [volume] (West Randolph, Vt.) 1878-1943, 1891-01-08
TEMPERANCE NOTES
IlnAAppY MARRIAGES.
why ssnsib Girls should r"'
Men Addicted to Drink

To tho snecialist who makes study
of inebriety, nothing can be more un-
pleasant than to advise in reiatoh y
marriage with these drink victims
Very often the advice OF the physician
ia final. both parties agreeing to aDlde
bv his decision, and in most cases ooth
narties blame him. either openly OF III
secret. and suppose different result
would have followed from different ad-
vice. Two parents OF much wealth anu
rood position in society consulted me
as to the marriage of an only son 70 an
only daughter The son 5eing agenteel'
periodical drinker the parents OF Inc
daughter hesitated. family pnysi.
clan urged the marriage as means OF
saving the young man. Both parties
appealed to me and my decision was
adverse. The young lady married
poor Clergyman, and was early let
widow in feeble health. The young
man drank to great excess and dled by
his own hands. Both parents are firm
in the conviction that my counsel was
in error.
Appeals are constantly coming 10 me
from ladies who are engaged to drink
ing men: from mothers and fathers OF
such daughters. asking advice giving
histories OF talented. brilliant inc
briates, who have every qualification TO
make home. except this tendency to
use spirits to excess Not unfrequent-
ly clergymen and physicians urge such
marriages, and my opinions are con-
4 Il al lint most
fortunately for The parties. the result OF
the experiment is sad confirmation OF
what should have been realized at first.
] do not hest tate TO advise most emphat-
ically against all marriages with inc
briates, or even moderate, or occasional
excessive users OF spirits. The reasons
for this position may be grouped as fol-
lows:
/. A moderate and an occasional ex-
cessiye user of spirits is like a person
who has a hacking cough and occasion
al night sweats, or slight hemorrhage.
He may recover and never have con-
sumption, yet there can be no doubt
that he has strong tendency. and IS
threatened with consumption. There
is every reason TO believe that some
time IN the future he will die Of this
disease. In the same way the moderate
user a spirits may never be any worse.
but there is q strong tendency, and
stronger probability that in certain con
ditions and surroundings Chat can not
be foreseen). he will become an inebri-
ate All experience proves that the
persons who use spirits in so-called mod
Grafton, and 10 not become inebriates,
are so from accidental circumstances
and conditions beyond any will power
to shape or determine The reason is
beyond their control or knowledge, and
they are the few exceptions that only
prove the rule. All such cases have
the early symptoms Of grave and fatal
disease, and no human foresight can de-
ternine what the future will be. 1t is
certain tnat no marriage association,
no sentiment of love or duty, can be de-
pended upon as a remedy.
.. Persons who have been or are per-
iodical drinkers. and who promise to re-
form or stop drinking at marriage Such
persons are always defective, especially
in the higher brain centers. Tie high
est faculties Of the brain, conscientious
ness, sense OF duty. and right and
wrong, and noral obligations, are dulled
and more or less palsied. Alcohol Of all
otAer drogs, attacks the highest and
last formed powers of the brain, break
ing down aud dissolying from the very
pinnacle OF life. This failure OF The
higher brain powers is apparent when
the man is under the influence Of spir-
its but is covered up when sober, and
concealed, but exists just the same
The brute. when drunk. may seem like
an angel when sober, yet the brute
qualities are all there, and may come
out any time from the application of
the proper forces. The angel nature is
only the shadow of what he could or
should DO, and every drink excess de-
velops she brute and destroys the angel.
The man who has been intoxicated has
more or less permanently injured the
best powers of his brain, and his future
is unknown to himself, and can not be
determined by others. To marry such
man, and expect him to be cured by
this means. is as irrational as to hope
that broken bone or diseased lung can
be healed BY this method. Confirmed |
inebriates have married. and continued |
temperate after, but there are no rea-
sons for supposing that marriage was |
the cause or means of determining who. |
and what conditions OF life would end |
In this way. While the inebriate MAY
never drink from the time OF marriage, !
he will always be weak. broken-down |
man. His brain and nervous system can
never act along healthy ranges of life.
3 There is no fact more certain than |
that the weakness and disease Of the |
parents will go down to the next gem
GRAFTON. The sin of bringing into the
world diseased and defective children is
almost objectionable. and the sin of /
marrying an inebriate and having de-
scendants tainted, and switched off on
the side track of rum and dissolution.
is literally crime that can never be at /
toned for. My advice is always. never
marry an inebriate or moderate drinker /