The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1895-04-04
A NEvER-ENDING PROCESSION
How tbs Line of Drunkards Is Constant
~ Being Filled.

How tho Line of Drunkards Is Constant
~ Being Filled.
As James, a lad of about fifteen
years, sat reading some sta tistics a bout
the thousands of drunkards in the
United States and the enormous tax
of millions of dollars every year to
Bupport the drink habit, he looked up
to his Uncle John and asked:
where do SO many drunkards come
from?''
"Ohl" said Uncle John, "they come
from all directions; from families in
various conditions in life, the rich and
the poor, the learned and the I'M
learned. They fall gradually into the
drunkard's line, making accessions
every day, and SO form continuous
solid column, moving on in endless
procession toward drunkard's grave"
But" said James, 'they are not
real drunkards when they start, are
they2"
NO Every drunkard in the land
was once sober and innocent child.
All the boys you see every day are as
temperate and sober as you are, but
very likely some of them will by and
by lie an the gutter. Many of them are
now rich, have fine clothes, live in
happy homes, and have an abundance
to make life useful and pleasant. But
&or all this, some of them will fall into
the line of the drunkards. and then
will make unkind husbands and IA
theirs; deprive their children of food
and all home comforts; of good books,
education and good social standing,
and themselves commit crimes and be
thrust into prison. You have seen
something like this, although you are
quite young"
YES" said James, Il have, and what
have seen, with what you have said,
puzzles me. / should think such ex-
amples, and the statistics, such as
have just read, would be such a warn
ing that the line of drunkards would
be broken up at once. l should think
that even after men find themselves in
the downward road, they would break
away before they reach the awful end.
/ wish you would tell me why they
don't"
well, my boy, as you seem to be in
earnest, will try to explain it to you.
There are several reasons for this con-
slant succession of drunkards. | will.
however, now speak of one only.
q power that draws men along
with tremendous force, and that
is the law and power of
habit. But as you are mere boy and
have not studied this subject, let me
rive YOU an illustration which may
he!p you. Do you remember reading
TO me one day description of the
Niagara river; that some distance above
the Falls the water was smooth and
scarcely seemed to move, and how peo-
pie often put out in their boats to have
q pleasant row, and how it sometimes
happened that boat fioated insensibly
down the stream till the occupants be-
gan to notice that they glided along
easily without using the oars, and
then noticed the water began to ripple
and then to boil and rush along rapidly
and with increasing force, and when
they began to ply their oars vigorously
TO regain the shore, found themselves
far down below the place where they
embarked, and to their CONSERVATION,
found they were in the rapids bearing
them down with irresistible power to
the falls below?"
YES" said James, land / remember
how shuddered when l read that the
poor fellows broke their oars, and tried in
vain TO stem the current, which was too
swift for them, and wondered why they
aid not discover their peril till too late.
Now, Uncle John, do you mean to say
that in sone such way men are drawn
on il the drunkard's line, thinking they
arc in no danger, only sailing along in
pleasant ways, and when they discover
their peril, find that what you call the
power of habit, is like the rapids, too
strong ion them to overcome?"
Yes, that is just what mean. lam