The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1895-03-24
OUR VICE.

AS there are enough vices to supply
the entire family of nations, there is no
reason why eac nation should moi have
it's own distinct, peculiar and predomi-
nant vice. In defining national vices,
if one wishes to be exact, it may be adj
visable to draw the line between vices,
sins and bad habits. This leads to the
remark that we live, move and have
our being environed by aw. When it
is not divine law it is spiritual or nat
ural law. and when it is neither divine,
spiritual nor natural. it is human. Al
ways and everywhere it is law. Viola
ton of divine law is sin, violation of
human Law is crime. and violation of
natural or physical aw is-well, the
u~p-to-date idea seems to be that it is
neither a sin nor a crime. Just the
same, however, like all violation of law,
spiritual or natural. it carries its pen
atty.
This much by way of introduction.
The text of this discourse does not in
that always follows the vice as the
night the day. The question as to what
is really the American national vice
might be variously answered. One
might say it was gambling. We nave
been called a nation of gamblers, and.
indeed, we do gamble or bet on almost
everything. That is a growing vice.
too, and the text generation is likely
to see it much more pronounced than
it is in this. The omnipresent penny
~in-the-slot machine will max itself po-
tentially felt in the way Of begetting a
taste for taking chances and inducing
the young into gambling methods. An
other, perhaps many others, might say
that ntemperance is our national vice.
There IS room for that assertion. too,
though some claim that we are becom-
ing reformed through the substitution
of beer for whisky. Others, still, would
say that commercial dishonesty is the
national vice. and. considering the
amount of large ~swindling, small ras-
cality and petty cheating in everyday
life, lis claim would be reasonable.
But all these guesses are wrong. Our
real national vice is eating too fast.
This is the truly American, distinct.
peculiar, characteristic vice. Where
there is one man who bets or CANDLES,
or who drinks to excess, or is guilty of
downright dishonesty, there are ten
thousand who injure themselves by eat
ing too fast. A great military author
ity once said that an army travels on
its belly. In like it might be
said tina all mankind travel on their
stomachs. The stomach is the man,
and the woman, too. Whatever helps
or hurts the individual tomac pro-
notes or retards the progress OF the
world and the elevation of the human
race. The stomach is a great factor in
salvation. ood digestion ought to
have been made a tenet in orthodoxy.
The preponderance Of opinion as gath
cred from competent authorities and
from the possessors of worn-out, sec
ond-hand and ruined stomachs is that
slow eating and complete mastication
OF food are OF the highest Importance to
the preservation Of health. This is a
law OF nature. and violation Of it brings
its penalty. The penalty may be de-
| layed, but it will come. The laws OF
nature are Tar more relentless than
those of man. In the Jurisdiction Or
nature there are 10 bills III exception.
! 10 appeals. 20 new trials. no commp: