The Maryville times. (Maryville, Tenn.) 1884-1944, 1892-09-14
TEMPERANCE NOTES.
AS OTHERS SEE US.
The Duty OF Those Who Can influences
the Young.

1ncre is no power more potent imam
that of example in molding human
character. The little child looks up to
its parents with absolute confidence in |
their perfection, and his earliest aspira-
tons are to "be big man" and ''ao
like papa does" If the parental line
of daily conduct and conversation is
what it should be, the child grows up
with his ideal unSullied; but if precept
and practice disagree the iltluence OF
the parent is weakened or lost, and the
model is too often the practice instead
of the precept The child is far more
apt to copy what his father does rather
than to follow what he sa~s. All the
warnings of the latter TO abstain abso-
lutely from all intoXicants will be uu-
needed after the child once sees his
father indulge, or smells the fumes of
the alcoholic poison upon his breath
The principle of unconscious yet po-
tent teaching by example extends much
further than over the period of child
hood and youth. Very many young
men begin the habit of drinking through
the habit of an employer, or of fellow
workman or fellow clerk. Tens of
thousands have eventually wrecked
their lives by assuming that there was
no harm in practice in which they
found their employers or their fellows
habitually INDUCED. Another instance
of the force of example, in slightly
| different way, in the use Of liquors is
seen in the use Of wines upon private
tables. A comparatively few of the
ultra-fashionables set the example, and
the others copy them blindly, in the de-
sire to also be considered fashionable.
This is a striking example of the imi-
tative instinct in our social life. In
some respects we, like flock of sheep,
follow blindly leader, even though
the leap be over Il precipice, and we 60
to our deaths upon the rocks below.
In view of these facts, and the fur
Their one of the terribly insidious ma.
ture of the drink habit, it becomes the
plain duty OF every parent who wishes
his sons saved from the vice of intern
pera2ce; of every employer of young
men; of every one, in sholt, who has
any influence land who has not?) ovel
his fellows, to abstain entirely from al
indulgence in strong drink. Leave i
alone; let it go TO its own place. Tha
erratic evangelist, Sam Jones' once
said that "liquor is a good thing in it
place-but its place is hell" Its place
is hell, because it is part of hell itself
and wherever it goes it takes hell will
it. If it controls your life, it make
your existence hell; if it enters you
family circle, it makes hell for som
of your loved ones, and brings grief +
the others. The example of fathe
may bring hell into the lives of hi
children, and of his children's children
even to the third and fourth genera
tions.
In point of fact, in the unconscou
teaching of example lies one of tn
greatest dangers. The drinking habit
of an employe or foreman. or of a
older workman, may drag doze
younger men about the establishment
down into the mire. The genteel tir
ping of the merchant or banker is
menace to his clerks. The sparlilin
wine upon fashionable table ma
eventually work ruin to hundreds.
will not do for us TO answer with tn
question Of Cain: Am my brother
lleepcr?' 1t will not do to say tina
you can control your appetite, and ma
indulge, if you wish. in an occasion;
glass. The Apostle Paul reminds us {
our duty to each other when he say
But take heed lest by any means tn
, liberty of yours becomes II Stumblin
block to those that are weak" Thi
must be the line of our conduct towar
: our fellow man.
The pulpit too often neglccts its dut
in this, that it does not bring this ma
ter more frequently and more powe
fully before the people. There al
, thousands of protesting Christians VIII
. think it no BARN Go take an occasions
= glass of some stimulant; there al
: church organizations which do not II
quire total abstinence as a condition {
membership. There seems to be
: waking up in this regard. The vice {
:, drunkenness destroys both body an
! soul, and the church. whose mission
. is to save souls. cannot afford to ignol
: this fearful evil. Religion must be a
rayed against the use, sale and mani
, facture of all intoxicants. The evi
= that result from the traffic must be in
:, pressed upon the popular mind. Il
y us bring them to the attention of Il
:. masses, that they may begin to inquir
= "What shall we do to deliver ourselv,
y and our children from this overshado,
ing cursc?' Then there will be rap
:, progress of the movement to overtime
y the saloon, crush out the rum trait
and pulverize the run powcr.-ToleS
= | plade