The Newtown bee., 1892-04-08

country where drunkenness is never seen, but whose people, high and low, believe in a moderate use of light wines and have been brought up for years in that belief.
 But, as I grew older, I began to apply reasoning to my principles. Being early thrown into business life and among men older than myself, l naturally matured quickly. I was about 16 years old, if I remember rightly, when I began attend ing public dinners and assemblages in the capacity of newspaper reporter. Wines were more freely used then at din- ners than now and I soon saw that must make up my mind whether at these gath erings 1 should partake of wines or de- cline them.
 1 had been trained to the belief that it was always best to err on the safe side and as 1 sat down at the first public din- ner 1 ever attended-a New England din- ner in Brooklyn-I turned down all the wine glasses set before my plate and this I have followed ever since.
 At first, my principle never to touch liquor or spirits of any kind directed to me the chaffings of my friends. I was told it looked babyish, that I could not expect to go out much and keep to my principle, that I would often find it con- sidered as discourteous to refuse a sim pie glass of wine rendered me by my hostess. But I made up my mind that there was no use having a principle, un- less one stuck to it. And l soon saw that people respected me the more for it. And just let me say right here to all my young readers who may see these words: I never lost one friend by my refusals, but 1 made scores of friendships, s,-of men, from one who has occupied the Presidential chair, down-of women, among whom are the best and most fla nous in our land to-day.
 1 honestly believe that a young man who starts out in life with fixed princi- pie, whether it be that he will not drink, smoke or indulge in anything which in his heart he feels is not good for him, or in which he does not cOnscientously believe and adheres to that principle, no matter under what circumstances he may be placed, holds in his hand one of the most powerful elements of success
 in the world to-day. There is a great deal of common sense abroad in this world of ours and young man with a good principle is always safe to depend upon it. The men and women in this world whose friendships are worth hav- f t1o o,oI ,bn boxy principles themselves and respect them in others, especially when they find them in young man.
 Another thing which led me to make up my mind never to touch liquor was the damage which 1 saw wrought by it ; upon some of the finest minds with : which it was ever my privilege to come ; into contact and I concluded that what , had resulted injuriously to others might prove so to me. 1 have seen, even in my few years of professional life, some of } the smartest, yea, brilliant literary men ; dethroned from splendid positions, owing to nothing else but their indulgence in = wine. l have known men with salaries : of thousands of dollars per year, occu- f pying positions which hundreds would strive a lifetime to attain, come to beg gary from drink. Only recently there applied to me, for any position l could offer him, one of the most brilliant edi- torial writers in the newspaper profes- siOn-a man who, two years ago, easily commanded $100 for a single editorial in his special field. That man became so unreliable from drink that editors are now afraid of his articles and, although he can to-day write as forcible editorials as at any time during his life, he sits in a cellar in one of our cities, writing newspaper wrappers for $l per thousand. And that is only one instance of several 1 could recitc here. 1 do not hold my friend up as terrible example; he is but one of a type of men who convinced me, and may convince others, that a clear mind and liquor do not go together.
 l know it is said, when one brings up such an instance as this: oh, well, that man drank to excess. One glass will hurt no one.' How do these people know that twon't? One drop of kero- sene has been known to throw into flame an almost hopeless fire and one glass of liquor may fan into flame smouldering spark hidden away where we never thought it existed. The spark may be there and it may not. Why take the risk? Liquor, to healthy boy or young man, will never do him the least particle of good; it may do him harm. The man for whom 1 have absolutely no use in this world is the man who is continually asking a young man just to have little. One glass, you know A man who will willingly urge young man, whom he knows has a principle against liquor, is a man for whom a halter is too good.
 Then, as looked around and came to know more of people and things, found the always unanswerable argument in favor of young mans abstinence, that the most successful men in America to- day are those who never lift a wine glass to their lips. Becoming interested in this fact, had the curiosity to person. ally enquire into it and of 2S of the lead ing business men in the country whose names I selected at random, P never touch drop of wine of any sort. I made up my mind that there was some reason for this. If liquor brought safe pleasures, why did these men abstain from it? If, as some say, it is stimu- lant to a busy man, why did not these men, directing the largest business in terests in this country, resort to it? And when I saw that these were the men