The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1895-05-09
DRINK TEMPTATIONS.

wherein Lies the Stronghold of Intern
perance and How 1t Should BE Dealt
With.
Ninetenths of all the articles writ
ten or speeches made on the temper
ance question deal mainly with the
saloons and the drink traffic That
traffic is fed and sustained by the
drinking usages, and a very large
amount of intemperance begins out
side of the dramshop. The habit of
using intoxicants is formed, for the
most part, not in the accursed saloons,
but at home or in social gatherings or
in clubs or at the restaurants or else
where. The saddest fact of all is that
this fatal habit is so often the direct
result of temptations that are either
carelessl y or wantonly presented. The
tempter does not intend to ruin his
or her friend when the intoxicant is
offered;
But evil is wrought by want Of thought
AS we'll as by want OF heart"
For example, the hospitable master
and mistress of a house invite an even
ing company, and spread their table
with lavish provision of meats and
drinks. On that table the lady of the
house, at the dictation of a sinful
fashion, places several choice brands of
wine, and on sideboard stands bowl
of inviting punch. In that company
is young man who is tempted to take
his first glass, which, unhappily. does
1ot prove to be his last glass. Among
the guests is also husband, who has
promised the wife of his early love
that he will never again yield to his
awful appetite and turn their home
into hell. That punch bowl is too
much for him; he drinks, and goes reel
ing home with his shame stricken
wife to awake next morning in the
agonies of remorse. According to the
good old Jewish law, ''if a fire breaks
out, and catches in thorns, so that
stacks of corn are consumed, he that
ktndled the fire shall surely make resti-
tuition" Who kindled the fire in that
mansion where false hospitality put
the bottle to a neighbours lips? The
master and the mistress of the man
sion; and poor restitution" can thew
make for a ruined home and broken
hearts! This is no fancy sketch. Some
time ago prominent Christian gem
tleman in this city gave an elegant en-
tertainment and provided no intoxi-
cants At the close of the evening a
lady came to him, and with tears of
gratitude thanked him for one OF the
happiest evenings of her life. She
said: This is one of the few houses
to which l dare to bring my husband;
here he is safe from temptation" In
some other house that poor wife had
found that very respectable people
could be very dangerous incendiaries.
1t is time that all people who claim
to have a Christian conscience faced
that declaration of Gods Book that
sit is good neither to drink wine or
anything whereby thy brother Stun
bLeth." This means that no one has a
moral right to do anything the infu-
ence of which may work mischief to
his neighbor. have legal right to
attend a theater and witness sala-
cious play; but have no moral right
to go, not merely because l may soil
my own soul, but because l am giving
my money and the sanction of my
presence to what is slaughterhouse
of all purity. On the same principle
not merely of self-preservation, but of
its influence on other people, have
right, as Christian. to abet
the drinking usages. If glass
of wine on my table will
entrap some one into an evil
habit, then am l thoughtlessly set
ting trap for his life. 1 am his
tempter. give the drink customs my
sanction, and to him the direct induce
m emit to partake of that glass, in which
the servant may be coiled.
In discussing the temptations to
drinking we must not confine it to the
vendors of intoxicants in bar-rooms and
saloons who deal out death by the
dram. The custom of treating" is
fraught with enormous evils. 1t is
said to be Increasingly prevalent
among business men who wish to win
customers, or to compliment a GUS
TONER after a bargain, All this is