The gold leaf. [volume] (Henderson, N.C.) 1881-1911, 1897-04-29
THE DRINK HABIT.
WHAT AN EMINENT WRITER SAYS ON
THE SUBJECT.

WHAT AN EMINENT WRITER SAYS ON
THE SUBJECT.
He Believes Men are in a Measure
HoralIy Responsible for the Conduct
of Their Fellows-For this Reason He
Thinks They Have no Right to Drink.
Edited by the Superintendent of Press
Work. Henderson W. c. Il. U.
An article, by Leo Tolstoy, "a the
drink habit, translated into English for
The New Age, makes interesting reading.
In reading it the word wine must be
understood as applying to all ''strong
| drink
One cannot say in these days that
drinking wine or abstaining from it is a
private matter; that we do not think
moderate use of wine hurtful; that we
, wish neither to teach nor to be taught;
nor that the custom did not begin with
us and will not end with us. This cannot
be said now. The use of wine or absti-
nence from it is no longer Il private, but
a social matter.
All men are now Observation-Disclosures they
against the use of this worthless poison,
it themselves and not entertaining their
friends with it; Others support by precept,
and still more fOrcibly by example, the
use of this poison; and this contest has
now been going on, i'll all countries, for
about twenty years, most actively in
Russia.
"When you were ignorant you COM
mitted no sin," said Christ. But now we
know what we are doing, and whom we
| serve by drinking wine and Offering it to
others, and therefore, if we, KIN owing the
sin of using it, continue to drink and to
offer it, there is no justification for us.
And do not say that one cannot avoid
drinking on certain occasions, such as
holidays, weddings, and the like, that
every one does so, and that our fathers
and grandfathers did it before us. and
that it is impossible to separate ourselves
from them ALL This is not true; our
fathers and grandfathers gave up those
corrupt and injurious customs, the harm
fitness OF which had become evident to
them. SO also must we G i've up this evil,
which has become evident in our days.
That the use of wine has become
dreadful evil in our time there can be no
longer any doubt. How, then, knowing
that the consumption of alcohol is an
evil, which destroys hundreds of thOus-
ands OF men, can offer it to friends as
sembled at my house, at a feast, chris
tening. or a wedding? Every thing has
not been always as it is at present, but
by the agency OF men who have fulfilled
the dictates of reason and conscience.
And now reason and conscience most ur-
gently demand that we shall cease to
drink wine ourselves and to offer it to
others.
| One usually condemns and despises
those who drink in public houses and
restaurants to the extent of losing their
senses, and who have already acquired
such passion for wine that they can
not abstain from it, and drink away all
that they possess. But those who buy
wine to consume at home, who drink
daily and moderately, and treat their
guests on suitable OccasiOns-thOse are
held to be nice, respectable men, who are
doing nothing wrong. But in reality
these men are more b!ameworthy than
the drunkards.
Drunkards become drunkards only be-
cause sober men, by doing themselves no
harm, have taught them to drink. have
tempted them by their example. Drunk
ards would never be drunkards If they
did not see respectable, honored people
drink wine and to offer it to Others. A
young man, who never drank wine,
learns its taste and effects at a wedding
feast at the house of one of these respec-
table temperate men who drink and Offer
wine on special occasions.
Therefore, whoever drinks wine. how
ever moderately, and whoever offers it
to others, however suitable may be the
occasion. is committing 4 great Sin. He
tempts those vho'H we are told not to
tempt, about whom it is said. "WOe to
/! him who shall tr-npt one of these little
ones"
One says, at did not begin with us,
neither will it end with u.s." Not so; it
will end with us if we will only under
stand that it is not an indifferent matter
whether we do or do not drink wine; that
by every bottle we buy, by every glass
we drink, we serve that dreadful demon
that destroys the best forces of men; and
that if, on the contrary, we abstain from
wine ourselves, and cease from the fool
ish custom of using wine on holidays, at
christenings, and at weddings. we are
doing a most important thing-a spirit
ual thing, q thing of God. Let us only
understand this, and then drunkenness
will end with us.
Therefore, reader, whoever thou may
est be-a youth still preparing for life
or all adult already engaged in the work
of life, q master or mistress, or a person
advanced in years, for whom the time to
give an account OF his acts is already
near, rich person or a poor one, known
or unknown, whoever thou mayest be
thou canst no longer remain between
two camps, thou must inevitably choose
one CT two cOurses-either to resist
drunkenness or to support ito serve
God or mamnOn,