Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1895-12-02
TEMPERANCE SERMON.
The Rev. Mr.. schwarm Gives Reasons for
Total Abstinence.

Total Abstinence.
At the English Lutheran Church, last
night, the Rev. Samuel Schwarm
preached an interesting sermon, giving
moral, physiological and financial rea-
sons for total abstinence. He took as
his text: Look not upon the wine
when it is red" etc, Prov. 1881.
The Bible may not command the pro
hibition of the traffic in intoxicating
drinks, but it certainly does sanction
and command total abstinence from
such drinks. Besides the words OF the
text we find that it commends the
Rechsbites for total abstinence CJer. 3o).
And it forbade priest to enter the sane
tuary with the smell OF liquor on MIN
Lev. 1879, and the Nazarite must not
touch it { M. 6:24. The spirit OF the
Bible is against the use Of intoXicants
1t excludes the drunkard from the king
dom of heaven and commands abStln-
ence: because of the woes Of drink us.
81, and because it units man Tor the
best service of his God
And there is certainly great need for
the church TO teach total abstinence
from alcoholic liquors. At least IoOOO
men are annually sent TO drunkard
grave because of the liquor traffic IN
the United States And untold woes
are caused by it to thousands, if not mil
lions. of others. The direct cost OF this
traffic to the country is one billion DOL
lars. while the indirect cost is, perhaps,
as much more. And then the consump-
ton of these liquors is continually in
creasing in the United States. The
consumption per capita has risen from
4 little more than four gallons per cap
tia i'm 1910. to more than fifteen in 1893.
And it has not yet reached the limit or
human capacity to beSot itself.
England consumes thirty-three gal
Ions per capita, France twenty-elght,
and Germany twenty-siX. SO 1t certain
" behOoves everyone concerned in the
public welfare to do everything he can
to stem this mania for strong drink,
before it besots and degrades the whole
people.
What reasons can be offered for to-
tai abstinence from intoxicating drinks?
First. any use of them is dangerous.
Alcohol creates in the human system
an appetite or craving for itself, that
soon becomes almost irresistible. NO
one knows how much or how little it
will take to do this in his case. lie
cannot know how soon ne may pass the
danger line. The most cross this line
in the first glass. OF the 10000 drunk
ards that die in the United States
every wear. not one of them started to
drink with the intention OF becoming
drunkard. They were deceived ana en-
thralled by the mOcker.
Touch not, taste not, handle not
Second. No healthy human body re-
ouires alcohol. and the best work of
brain and limb can only be done with
out it. If the prize fighting clan has
served no other purpose, 1t has at least
helped to impress the fact that for the
greatest physical strength and endur-
ance alcohol is a detriment. 1t has
often been said that alcohol, and not
Corbett knocked out John Sullivan.
No man can expect to win any physical
contest that requires great strength
and endurance unless he aDstalns
from intoxicating drinks. This fact was
known also to the Greeks and the Ro-
mans The men who cOntended in their
games had to eschew wine and all IN
toxlcan.s and r.gidly diet themselves.
And vet. in spite Of those facts, there are'
q great many foolish young men. and old
ones. too. who think they must drink
10 make themselves strong. They Tor
GET that the girls who are surprising
them in schools and supplanting them
in business are total abstainers. And
then some suppose that intoxicating liq-
nor will help them endure heat and
cold DR.. Livingstone, the great AFR
can .explorer and missionary, himself
nhys:cian. and who was a prodigy OF
nhvsical endurance, said: Il can stand
any and every hardship best by using
only water" And Capt. Edward Perry,
who spent fifteen years in Arctic eXplo-
r7tions. was asked: Are ardent spirits
necessary to endure the Arctic climate
He said: 4 say decidedly, No! 1t is said
-bev keen the cold out. | say they do
not They let the cold in" And there
are also many who think alcohol in the
form of vine. beer and whisky, good
for health. or in sickness. The testi-
monv of the best medical authority, and
the statistics of life Insurance compa-
mes tldl Insure lOtdl apoe-A-AIAS WASH
compared with those who insure mod
crate drinkers, tells the tale. There is
a difference of from % to so per cent. in
death rates IN favor of the former Ane
vet. in spite of these facts, we find many
foolish mothers who are feeding intox-
.cating liquors TO their babies. and even
some physicians advising people to use
them for health.
Third. they have an especial affinity
for the brain. Different drugs have af-
dnities for different parts of the body.
as for the heart. the spine, etc. Alcohol
strikes for the brain. II has an affinity
for albumen Of which the brain S large
w composed. Il strikes man al the
highest part Of him, the reason, the NOR
al sense. etc. No brain is proof against
it. The more brain the greater and
swifter the ruin. The effects of alcohol
on the brain can be illustrated by pour
ing II on TO the white Of an egg. which
IS also largely albumen, and which II
will cook IN q very short tine.
Fourth-It units man for places of
trust and responsibility. The use of in
toxicating drinks debars one from the
places Of greatest power and usefulness,