The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1892-07-22
TEMPERANCE NOTES.
THE SCIENCE OF ABSTINENCE.

1nere was never any science that has
seemed to me so beneficent and so use
full as this very simple science of teach
ing why people should abstain from
strong drink. There is common sense
in science, and when science is not
common sense, it is not, strictly speak
ing, scientific in its character. Science
is all simplicity. 1t is nature speak
ing to man. When we look at the de-
tails of life and consider how they are
put together-so that living creatures
may be brought into action, and may
exist and have power, and may go
through the phase which we call life
we see that, with regard to means by
which living being is brought into
existence and carried through it, there
are certain methods for the construc-
ton of the body, for the supply of it's
wants and necessities, and for the main
tenance of it's power, which remain in
violate Men may change their views
and opinions, but these eternal laws go
on. So when we come to the investiga-
ton of the food and drink of man, we
find that, according to nature, there is
one principle at work, and none other.
There are two things given us to live
upon in nature-things which are COM
bustible and things which go to build
up the body. These we call food.
Then we have something given to
us to carry these solid parts of
food round the body and dispose of
them in the same way in which the
merchant distributes his goods up the
rivers, and so on. The bearer of all
these substances which go to build up
our bodies is fluid, and that fluid is
water. 1t makes up GA per cent. weight
of all our bodies, and it carries like a
mighty river all through our vessels
the food which we require. In nature
we always find this water present.
The smallest as the largest kind of an
imal cannot live without this fluid.
They require no other fluid than water.
1t is not until we come to man, and
then only to very small part of man.
kind, that we see any interference with
this universal law of nature. Man
must at some period of his history have
dropped upon stray kind of product
which exists in nature, and, thinking it
different from water, began to drink
it. He called it wine, and then spirit
when he had discovered the art of dis
tillation. Then serious evils took
place. He was off the line, was not
running with the natural state Of
things, and by and by men began to
learn. Then not learned men, but poor
- = l.
to natural principles. Poor men rather
more than fifty years ago began to
start this great principle that man
should be content like the rest of crea-
ton with the natural fluid sent to
him.
There has been a great controversy
as to whether 1t is not bad to give up
the fluid alcohol. You will ask: Is
this fluid positively harmful? Yes, it
is harmful. 1t changes the natural
order of the body and produces a fas-
cinating effect for the moment It
quickens the pulse and the breathing.
eXcites the mind, leads to the sudden
impulses which make men or women
feel for the time that they are strong
and happy, but in all that it leads them
from the natural course of things.
Everything is ordered as to time in the
human body, and all this is equal, and
if that equality be followed out, there
is long stage of life before every liv-
ing man. Nature will not be interfered
with. Change that order; put into the
body substance like alcohol, which is
foreign to it, which quicllens the pulse,
the breathing, the impulses, and the
thoughts. and you hasten the period of
death. That is the peculiarly of all, or
nearly all, who indulge largely in this
strong drink, that they become prema-
turely old. And SO, is it not common
sense, and common science too, that
when we see effects like these follow
ing from misuse of the substance be-
fore us, that it is better for every man,
woman and child never to vary from
the natural course Of nature SO as to
induce these pleasurabl sensations and
quickened life into the organic life?
think you will all be of opinion that it
is the right and proper view for every
body to take.
We are all born to drink no other
fluid than water. Why should we ever
depart from it? Why break the pledge
which nature has given and which
makes man cease to be what he was in
tended to be? Not one bit of good ever
comes all through the trial. When we
take pledge With nature. there is no
service rendered afterward by breaking
of it. This substance goes to form no
tissue or give warmth. 1t imperfectly
dissolves everything in the way of food
which comes in contact with it, inter-
feres with the digestion and the diStri-
button of food, produces false products
in the body. disease in the organs of
the body, sadness always after a time
whe n it has been taken, alteration of
mind, so that fourteen per cent at
least of the unfortunates in our asylums
are there because of its presence. 1t
makes diseases, some of which are
specifically its own and that are called
after it, and we can calculate by figures
in premature death what will be the
value of life in person who is freed
from this agent and the value of life in
one who continues to take it. This in
common sense should make every one
of US resolve to 20 back to nature if
nature has been departed from, and
that we will let our lives pass from