The Clarksburg telegram. [volume] (Clarksburg, W. Va.) 1874-1926, 1893-03-03

bne slavery Ol pHe alcOnOl naDlt
took place early in the present
century. These efforts were of
apurely moral character, and took
the simplest form of social organi-
zation. Individual reformers had
done some good by personal APP
peals, but in Washingtonian or
ganization for the redemption of
men from drunkenness the move
ment became general and to this
combined effort in America may
be traced the earliest educational
infuences-the promptings which
are to-day eliminating in all
aggressive temperance m o v e ;
mentswhich are working through
out the social organization of the
country.
For many centuries intelligent
medical practitioners all over the
civilized world have carefully ex-
amined and often chronicled the
curious phases presented to pro-
fessional eyes by alcoholic mania,
but it has been reserved for this
generation of trained medical ex-
perts to practically agree upon
the fact that dipsomania 1.-THE ex-
cessive and unreasoning abuse of
alcoholic stimulants as beverages).
lis disease and that it should be
treated nationally with remedies,
precisely like other morbid and
distempered tendencies. The in
cident that dipsomania is an all
mentof the nervous system does
not change the fact that it is an.
actual and veryreal malady. Noone
knows better than its victim that
continued indulgence will impair
his vitality, lay open his system
ito the assaults of oteer diseases,
shorten his life, distroy his useful
ness while living, cause poverty
and disgrace to himself, his fami
Ily, his friends, and finally bring
him to the almshouse or the felon's
cell. While in the very act Of
reasoning thus with himself he
will enter the saloon and pawn
his clothes for the poison that is
destroying him. He may and
does think of the wife and child
rem who are perhaps suffering for
the common necessities of life;
he also realizes the absolute ruin
that awaits all his own business
plans and projects. No matter,
the fit is upon him, and every cir
cumstance and claim of life be-
comes merely collateral side
issue-when compared with the
temporary appeasement of his in
sane appetite.
A large majority of unthinking
people regard this disease as a
disgrace, and with merciless Sc
verify and uncharity proclaim
that the victim of dipsomania has
deliberately, maliciously, inten-
tent1onally, and willfully placed
himself outside the pale of hum
ane sympathy. No thought is
taken of the influence of heredita-
ry tendency or unpropitious in
vironmentwhile the disease is be-
ing fastened upon the victim. The
fact existent alone is noted. The
man is a drunkard. We will class
him with the thieves and house
him with harlots. He shall be an
outcasr, relegated to the shadows
ofperpetual disgrace and obloquy.
And yet all history, all tradi-
tions shows that this nervous dis
order has claimed for its victims
the brightest minds, the kindest
hearts, the ostgenerous natures,
the greatest intellects-the hon
est men of our race.
Notwithstanding the efforts of
the churches, the struggles of con
scientious reformers, and the halt
ing acts oflegislators, all over the
republic, this disease is spreading
with frightful rapidly. The
Capital City of the nation itself
is perennial object lessen for
those who would study the path.
ology of this frightful nervous
disorder in all its lights and
shadows-for those charitable
souls who would seek, find and
apply the remedy. This almost
universal infirmity stalks naked
through the streets, fills the wards
of hospitals, brings daily fuel to
criminal courts, makes paths to
the divorce courts, fills the work
house, the Jail, and the insane
asylum, casts the maturing crop
OF infant infamy homeless and
friendless upon the street. Final
ly, no family or fortune is any
more proof against its insidious
assaults than against consump-
ton, or diphtheria, or typhoid, or
smallpox when the epidemic RACES.
Like an assassin, it strikes in the
dark. Like death, it seeks a shin
ing mark for its shaft. Ii enters