The Newtown bee. (Newtown, Conn.) 1877-current, 1891-12-11

Christ AID the Temperance Question

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/ read with interest the article Of DR.
Lyman Abbott in the issue of the New
town BEE for November 20. Everything
that DR. Abbott writes and says is to be
treated with respect and is to be consid-
cred carefully. am led to make the fol-
lowing remarks on the absorbing subject
with which his discourse dealt, after
perusing it twice.
In the first place, believe that the in
telligent Christian public is not aware of
the enormity of the evil which is includ-
ed under the word intemperance. One
of the first things to be done is to impress
or be impressed in our minds with the
Importance and significance of the sub
ject with which we deal. Now, intem-
perance is not confined to the lower strata
of the population, as great many sup
pose. Our asylums for insanity and for
inebriates are largely recruited from the
ranks of the upper ten," among whom
the drink habit and other secret sins are
on the increase. The highly nervous
temperament of the American people,
moreover and especially of the educated
classes, expose them to the dangers of
intemperance far more than the hard
working and comparatively i'll developed
orders of society. 1t is too late in the
day, therefore, to charge the burden of
intemperance upon the lower orders. [
will mention one fact going to show that
secret habits of indulgence are spreading
among the upper classes, as we'll. 1t is
said that opium is being taken by wom-
en-, to-day, to the tune of over 100000
pounds year! Think of that. The
drink evil claims as its victims and devo-
tees the highest and the lowest. 1t is a
social evil.
A few figures will help to establish in
our minds the Importance of the evil.The
drink bill of the United States is now ST.
100,000,000 per annum and is increasing
at the rate of $50,OOO,000 per annum.
That is to say, we are, as a nation, being
taxed to these amounts ON one commodi-
ty alone; in every dollar of which the
householders and property holders of
this country have some part, whether
they be drinkers or not. Why, it is ter
rible to think of ! DIR Strong, whose book,
'Our Country" sounds a ringing note on
this question, states that, if the saloons
of this country were placed side by side,
they would reach, allowing % feet 'front.'
age for each, from New York to Chica
go.
Besides this national aspect Of the sub
ject, in which [ am ashamed to say Eng
land shares, the saloon, as an institution,
represents a capital of nearly $500, 00O,-
600, which is organized and protected for
all practical purposes; which can COM
mand 10000 voters in New York city at
any time and which has its agents in all
the Hobbies of the land. Legislation can
be Influenced by this organized evil and
can, if allowed to run on, not only influ-
ence but control the administration of
any State in the Union. 1t has SPLEEN
didly connected net work of appliances
whereby temperance legislation can be
''blocked' and laws in favor of liquor
successfully passed. AS much as $780,
WV DO bSSh Spun w oiS hiabh ihCClCcoCO
in the liquor business, to secure the ends
of prostituted government. No measure
is safe whilst this organized evil, with its
capital of millions of dollars, can exert
this power. Here, then, we have, in the
evil of intemperance, not only a national
and continue its business upon its own
lines.
Let US take in the significance of these
facts, first to the people and then to the
nation. Everybody should acquaint
themselves with the physiology of tenn
perance-a subject which is happily be-
ing taught in the schools. The worst eff
feet, perhaps, of the evil of excessive in
diligence of drink is the destruction of
mans reason. | can conceive of nothing
worse for an individual than to be depriv-
ed of the power of reasoning clearly. Is
it not for this reason, because we value
this sign of the divinity of man, that a
lunatic is such sorrowful picture? Sol
orous effect which the lunatic's actions
and ideas have upon US. Loss of hear
ing, loss of sight have not prevented our
possessing Milton; but such treasure
in an earthern vessel were inconceivable
had reason been blotted out, with the
sight or the hearing. But it is precisely
this spot that intemperance affects.
| say, it destroys the spiritual capaci-
ties-reason, memory, will, imagination
all that makes the life of human be-
ing Godlike and sublime. Do we remem-
Der the power of the saloon in doing this
kind of work? Do we remember that
though, possibly, in the eyes of our law
legitimate business, intemperance is
the destroyer of manhood? That is to
my mind the worst feature about this
question. For, take in the significance
of this fact ard see what it accomplishes,
when it is full grown. Man is a social
animal. Whatever he does is bound to
affect the person nearest to him. The
law of action is offset by the law of reac-
ton. One glass of liquor, though harm
less, has a physical effect or reaction,
rendering two, three, four more and more
easy. And the influence of the act does
not stop with the man who imbibes, but,
by thellaw of reaction, the effect of in
temperance rebounds upon society, upon
the home, the state, in every direction.
1t reappears in the offspring and is visit
ed unto the third and fourth generation.
Do we remember that for every drunk
ard, there are probably five predisposed
toward this evil by social and physical
influence against which they are almost
powerless to contend? There is no doubt
but that the fall of Rome was due to the