The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1894-11-22

result in round numbers two million.
Two million boys are required as a
sacrifice of every generation to keep
up this supply. Is it not appalling?
without the two million boys the sa-
loon business would soon die out.
Do you know that to supply this
demon of the rum-shop one out of
every five families in our fair land con-
tributes a boy? Whom will Satan
lay his hands upon? Fathers, moth
ers, will it be your boy? VIII it be
mine? God forbid! Then it is our
neighbours boy that must go. Can we
do nothing to prevent it?
If some epidemic of disease like chol-
era or yellow fever should annually
sweep over our land and carry off such
great numbers we should be panic
stricken and look forward with mortal
terror to the next visitation. Do you
not suppose we would bestir ourselves
to find the cause, and when found do
you not suppose our board of health
would use drastic measures to stamp
out the scourge, and that they would
be supported in their work by every
good citizen? Yet we have become so
accustomed to this Bosom of destruc-
ton, strong drink, that we look upon
1t with comparative Indifference.
Boys Girls, Do you realize how
dreadful thing is this drink habit?
So dreadful is it that if l should at
tempt to picture it to you my words
would give you but faint idea of all
its horrors.
wish | might be able to show you
the stomach of a confirmed drunkard.
Let us look for a moment upon the
effects of alcohol upon the mucous
membrane of the stomach. In healthy
condition the color of this membrane is
a beautiful shell pink, but when large
quantities of alcohol are taken into the
stomach it initiates this delicate struc-
ture, produces congestion and changes
the color to an angry red. If the habit
is continued this infamed condition
becomes permanent, the little cells in
the membrane which secrete the gas
trio juice can not perform their func-
lions properly, consequently the food
is not prepared to nourish the
body as in healthy state, and
the poor creature feels faint and
depressed when he rises in the morn
ing. He has learned by experience
that a drink will for little while re-
move this terrible feeling, so he in
du lges his appetite day after day until
his stomach passes from a condition
OF inflammation to that of liberation
and his days are numbered. But while
this diseased condition is going on in
the stomach there are other equally
grave changes taking place in the
brain and the nervous system. Did
you ever notice how very irritable in
temper many of the confirmed drunk
ards become; and how silly and idiotic
Others seem to grow? This is the re-
suit of the poison of alcohol upon the
delicate cells of the brain and the
nerves, and if the habit of drink is per-
sisted in it will end in insanity in the
one case and imbecility in the other.
Our alms-hOuses, insane asylums and
peuitentiaries are full of such cases.
The most fearful part of this whole
matter is, however, that after this
demon has destroyed the body it casts
the soul into perdition.
There are other things that we
should purpose in our hearts not to do;
things that defile body and soul, but
there is only time to mention one 9TH
er, viz; impure thoughts and speech.
Next to strong drink l believe these
are the most harmful Let your
thoughts and your language be such
that you would not blush to have
mother know about them. This habit
of impure speech is so common that
even the little children upon the
streets use language to each other that
brings the blush of shame to my
cheeks when l hear it. Boys is this
right? No, thousand times no. Will
you not try and do your part to stop it?