Orleans County monitor. [volume] (Barton, Vt.) 1872-1953, 1892-02-01
:, G.. T. u. COLUMN.
,rro: ..God and Homo and Native Land,
4 NEW TEMPERANCE PHASE.

Not long since one of Boston's prom
MT clergymen, in sermon on tenn
rance. told his congregation that
lille intemperance in drink was a
Ice that called for vigorous action,
ley must not forget there was intern
erance in other ways.
State laws require that temperance
u all be taught in our public schools,
meaning alcoholic temperance; teach
Is. however, should RENE mber there
other temperance. There exists in
N higher grades of schools in city
nd country IAN intemperance of read
|ng, potent, vigorous, growing. 1t
Exists in the feverish reading of insip-
"a novels, "family story papers,"
ftboys' papers," dime and halfd dime
libraries. Alcoholic intemperance
Bhould not overshadow this fact. One
III physical dram drinking; the other
a present reality. The processes of
he one are open; of the other secret.
|Ehe results of the one are generally
Recognized as injurious, the results of
Die other are discussed with many a
HoubtfuI shake of the head, and
Enany an 'sI don't know Par
knts rigidly opposed to alcoholic in
still feed their children
|on mental rum. Two generations ago
fhtoxicants were freely dispensed;
Heading was guarded. To-day we
witness the reverse.
Intelligent public opinion is arrayed
against alcohol; there is no decided
bubble opinion against trash literature
Ne have state laws restricting the
BaIe of liquors we have no limit to
+he sale of poor publications, except
those of actual obscenity. Our school
children are guarded in a fashion by
the law relating to the sale of liquors
to minors; there is no safeguard pre-
venting the sale of the illustrated po-
lice papers and French novels. We
have 'roca1 option' on bar-rooms;
I'VE have none on news-stands. 1t is
not respectable to gaze into bar-room
windows; it is not discreditable to
gaze on pictures of semi-nudity, bru-
tality and criminality in the news
stand windows. Temptation is in the
bne: direct mental and moral deface
ment in the other.
We teach the physical injuries of
alcohol, the bunting of morality and
the incident evils; we lose sight of
the fact that morals blunted by indie
cent and suggestive pictures and sto-
ries, may lead to the alcohol. We do
not teach all the temperance we ought.
We should teach pure and temperate
reading. Our school duty does not
end when we have taught how to read.
We should also teach what to read,
what to avoid We should send our
pupils out not only with the knowl-
edge how to read, but with the divin-
tng-rod of good taste to point to the
pure water of truth and mortality I'M
der the thickening crust of sentiment
and frivolity.
Teachers generally. are not alive to
the fact that their pupils need guild
ance in the right selection of books.
Many, when approached upon the
subject, give dull ear to the sugges-
ton, and pride themselves that they
are doing their duty by using the best
reading, or by teach
ing their literature classes after the
most approved methods. These are
good, but not enough. A brief ques-
tioning about the home reading will
dispel the illusion. Pupils depart from
the brief influence of the reading hour
to the more potent influence of pa
rental examples; from the perhaps en-
forced attention of some "gem" to
delightful revel in some silly romance
Or blood curdling narrative. A drunk
ard never can be reformed by compel
ling him to drink water while at work
i'm mill, and giving him all the beer
he can drink when he goes home to
dinner. That is the condition of
large portion of our pupils; the work
of the reading and literature classes
is not supplemented al. home. There
needs to be some method devised so
that the teachers influence on this
subject can extend further. The pu-
pills need daily encouragement, per-
sonal guidance, congenial and init
mate associations, goal to work for,
and the way shown.
Originated by physician, Johnson's Ano-
dyne Liniment is prescribed by many regular
doctors.