Herald and news. [volume] (West Randolph, Vt.) 1878-1943, 1893-05-24


Itself Is Organized Lawiessness-Th.
Vices of Civilization.
NEW YORK, May 14.-Rev. Thoma.
Dixon, Jr., delivered today the fourtl
sermon of the series ON the s'Gates Of
Hell In Modern Babylon" The subject
was 1.-THE Saloon In the City," The text
chosen was from Habakkuk ii, IS, "Wot
INTO him that giveth his neighbor drink
The problem Of the saloon is so old
and yet ever new. 1t is scarcely posi-.
BILE to treat it thoroughly without re
peating what one has said again and
again. And yet it is a subject upon
which repetition is needed. Truths are
never learned until they are dinned into
the ears of the unthinking multitude.
They must be repeated thousand times
before they are even recognized. Orig
inality is not much Of force in reform
work. The secret of success is, after
all, repetition. The curse of drink
seems to be commensurate with the
progress of the pressure of life. In our
advancing civilization the more intense
our life becomes the more deadly be-
come the power of the saloon and the
ravages of intemperance. The modern
city has brought men into closer rela-
tions than ever before in the history of
the world. 1t has quickened our rate of
living Methuselah lived in years, but
be did not live in thought as compared
with the modern man. Everything tends
10 stimulate and to intensity life in the
city. even TO the point of insanity, in the
reaction of nerves, and the result is the
debauchery of drink.
The paragrapher was wiser than he
dreamed when he recently made an
other joke ON the Indian and his prog
ress. A leading citizen of the village
had returned from trip to the great
west and asked by one of the company,
did you see any signs of civilization
among the Indianssr why, yes" re-
piled the leading citizen hopefully;
mighty nigh all of them drink whisky
and smoke cigarettes. The intenser the
civilization of today the higher these
evils rise and the greater the consequent
curse.
The use of alcohol on the nervous sys-
tenn has not been understood in thepast.
We are gaining light. DR.. N. S. Davis
has called attention recently to the illu-
sions that have been imposed upon the
human mind by the use of alcohol in
both health and disease. He has shown
that by its anasthetic effect ON the nerve
cells of the brain the consciousness of
the individual is lessened, and he is de-
luded with the idea that he has been re-
lieved of the suffering-for instance, of |
cold or heat-when, as fact, he has not |
been relieved at all. but his power to
perceive has been deadened. So in the
progress of disease its use has the same |
anAsthetic effect. 1t does notremove the
exciting cause nor increase nutrition. 1t |
has proved curse in a thousand in
stances, even in its use from medicinal |
point of view.
The enormous extent of the drink evil /
as impossible for. the mind of man to
grasp. 1t is the one deadly shadow that
overspreads not simply the life of the
people in the city, but in the whole ma
ton. 1t is the one curse that touches us
financially, socially, politically and NOR
ally. 1t has concentrated its forces of
late In the cities as never before. 1t has
been shown that the city of Chicago alone
consumes $40 600 900 worth of beer in a
single year. Pittsburg spends $1S, 600, 600
for drink New York spends not less
than 100000 to $4,000, 900 for beer
alone. We have about 5000 licensed
drinking places and about 3, 1000 illicit es-
adjustments where drink is sold with
ont license and the drink establish
ments swing wide their doors day and
night and seven days in the week. As
compared with them the church cuts an
Insignificant figure in the life of the peo-
pie.
On Fourteenth street there is his
toric saloon with its outfit of evil adj
venturers and adventuresses who daily
and nightly throng it. 1t is fitted up
in magnificent style. Its chandeliers
fash with beauty. Its brilliant light
invites the passerby to the late hours
of the night. and even in the morning.
Thousands upon thousands of hurrying
feet cross its threshold daily. Its bust
ness never ceases day or night BY its
side stands a church, silent and grim
anu uiilSuttu Save Ou specidl OCcdSlOUS. a.,
Below Fourteenth street there are Ill
churches; there are 4,065 saloons
The saloon as an Institution slcings
open more doors to he'll than any other ,,
poSrer IN the modern city.
Observation-Disclosures.
First-Because the staple of its COM
merce, the commodity in which it deals,
is deadly poison. The principle of its
over man is the principle of
its power TO poison those who consume ,
it. 1t kills man physically. 1t makes ,
him the prey to every disease that may
attack him in the first place. The man
whose system has been broken by the
power of drink is the first victim Of ev- !
cry pestlence that afflicts the race. A !,
young man suddenly died with pneumo- /,
MIA next door to me the other day. The j.,
Doctor said that the trouble was hedyank.
and the doctor added, "a man who