The Irish standard. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn. ;) 1886-1920, 1897-10-02
THE EVILS OF INTEMPERANCE.
The Spanish Are the Most Sober
People in Europe.
MODERATE DRINKING INJURIES.
Of More Importance Than ANY
Political Question.

VlklkUl UUS0tAUus
The New World contains an address
on the liquor question by Bishop Spald-
Ing y0f Peoria, from which the follow
ing is taken:
Temperance lecturers sometimes say
that alcohol is not natural product,
but guided by the ingenuity Of man.
This is not altogether true. Fermenta-
tion is as much a work of nature as
growth. 1t may be guided by mans
ingenuity, but it can do it of itself, for
whenever sweet fluid is exposed to the
3r the process of fermentation sets in.
:4he use of intoxicating drink does not
depend on climate or locality. There is
undoubtedly certain truth in the as
seltion of some that the inhabitants of
cold climates are addicted more to the
Use of stimulants than those of warmer
climates, but this is by no means a
general truth. History shows that our
ancient ancestors who lived in the warm
countries of the east were given to
drink-in fact, their religion was one
of drunkenness. Wine was praised and
Nbations offered to the gods. 1t ex-
listed III a degree unknown to us. The
Mohammedan people are probably the
most sober of today in Europe OF Asia.
The use of intoxicating drinks is prohi1,-
tied by the Koran. With few eXcep-
tions they are total abstainers. I trav-
eied in Morocco, Palestine and all parts
of the old world, and so far as my OBJ
servation goes l believe the vice of
1ntoxication does not exist there. In
spite of the fact that they are sober,
yet they are not progressive, but de-
graded, superstitious and lacking in all
the elements of progress. They have no
ambition and this itself is enough to
show that total abstinence is not The
sum of all virtues. The most sober peo-
pie in Europe are the Spanish people,
whose affiliations we read daily. trav
eled through nearly the whole of Spain
and drunkenness is almost unknown,
yet in our day they are not a progress
sive people Brave. heroic and noble
hearted, they at one time controlled
half Of Europe and America, but they
have retrograded and their energy seems
to have spent itself. But the temper
aDce question is one Of the absorbing
questions Of today and these consdera-
tions are nothing to us when we take
hof mt infD
stone, in the house of commons, has as
serted that in this age of ours intem-
perance has brought more ruin, dis
grace, wretchedness and sorrow upon
mankind than all war, famine and pes
thence combined. There is no evil to
be compared in it's dread and fatal pow,r
with the vice of drunkenness. Between
eighty and ninety thousand human be-
ings die in one day and no attention
is paid to it, but if 1900 die in one
day in Spain of cholera everybody talks
about it, and the people become alarmed
thousands of miles away, and city coun-
ellis take measures to prevent its spread,
and newspapers record it everywhere.
If fifty OF sixty people are killed in a
railroad accident the newspapers TEEN
with the news We need something
startling to attract our attention. 1t is
so with intemperance. No notice is
taken of the thousands who die every
day, and this shows that the people
need something to startle them. If you
could bring the men who die from
drunkenness and the blights of human
life In one state to one locality, public
opinion would stand aghast. A kind Of
moral paralysis would take possession
of all. 1t is cancer, an ulcer, in many
a household, paving the way to ruin
Of thousands. 1t works it's way silently.
We lose sight of it because 1t acts like
the slow seed of death-fatally destroys.
but not in an open, startling manner
i suppose there are very few who hate
temperance who do succeed in shutting
their eyes to the enormity Of this evil.
There is no evil which to me is SO re-
rulsive, that affects me in so unpleasant
way. The most complete human
wreck is brought about by drunkenness.
There are other vices that may be worse.
God knows, the most pitiable wreck of
man is brought about by the monster
of intemperance. Whatever destroys
the freedom of mans will is evil The
most God-lke thing in man is free
will. You cannot think of the differ
ence between good and evil without wiz.
Of course there are some reformed
hundred thousands and reform by tens.
Its powers are almost as fatal as the
force of gravitation that holds us to the
ground. 1t weakens the will more than