The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1897-11-19
Instead OF Whisky,
Treat TO HppIeS
Rochester Democrat and Chronicle.

Rochester Democrat and Chronicle.
"well, boys. It's my treat. Let's have
another round of apples" AS a pro-
moter of convlvial JOY, such an invita-
tion would have the feature of novelty.
As an announcement to sobriety and to
tho Introduction of wholesome sub
stance into the mechanism of the human
system, it would be distinct improve
ment on some other kinds of invitations.
Perhaps the time will not speedily come
when men will treat their companions to
apples as a guarantee OF good fellowship,
but why should 1t not? A good apple Is
delicious and harmless. A drink of
whisky is unpleasant to the taste and
pcrnicious in it's effects. A man may eX-
claim, scoffingly, that If he wants an
apple he is able to buy II. May he not
truthfully say the same thing with re-
gard to a drink of whisky? And why
should he scorn to accept the former as
gift and at the same time gratefully
accept the latter? Is there any code of
morals, or ethics. or honor, in which
distinction or a difference Is pointed out?
The treating phase of the apple whisky
question has been selected as a text for
these remarks, because 1t Is well known
that the treating custom is directly re-
sponsible for two-thirds of the guZzling
that goes on in this country, and there
fore Is the main cause of that dircful
afiiiction known as dipsomania. Very few
people, If left to themselves. would ever
contract an Irresistible craving for body
raCking and brain-mudding stmulants.
They get it through slaViSh submission
to the preposterOus function of social
life which impels them to donate and ac-
Cept donations of abominable liquids
which they do not want, but which they
feel under obligations to swill down, and
which no man can take without suffering
damage. Almost every dipsomaniaC will
tell you that this is the origin of his
disease, and will express with unmistak-
able sincerity a desire to be cured of the
malady that is carrying him on to wreck
and ruin.
But what has all this to do with ap-
pies? Simply this: That an announce
ment has recently been made from
scientific source that apple-eating is
cure for dipsOmania. 1t is stated that If
the victim of whisky stomach will eat
apples freely his craving for strong
drink will disappear, and ne will soon
find himself a free moral agent and a
scf-respecting citizen. The remedy is so
simple and agreeable as To be at least
worth trying, and we should think that
every immodcrate whisky drinker wou,L
eagerly put it TO the test. What could
be more innocent and pleasant than an
apple before breakfast as an eye-opcncr
an apple at meal-tme as an appetizer
an apple on the way down town as for
titier for the days work, an apple any
where and at any time as an indulgence
between friends for the sake of cordial
ity and good will? 1t is true that an
apple-habit might thus be established,
but that would be much better than the
whisky habit. 1t would not make wi1c-
bCaters or loaferS or paupers. 1t would
not cripple men for responsible positions
1t would not wreck bright intellects or
blight promising lives. 1t would not
cause people who are decent when sober
to make disgusting exhibitions of them
selves as a result of apple-eatina, 1t
would not promote brutality or Stiffness
or crime or ruffiansm. 1t would not do
anybody any harm whatever. Moreover
it would be economical. A weeks supply
of apples would not cost as much as the
whisky that some people consume in
day.
The best apples in the world are grown
in the United States, and thus the remedy
Is at eVcrybody's hand at small expense.
Probably there is nobody who will deny
that 80 per cent. of the money expended
for strong drink would be better CNpend-
ed for apples, and that such an cXptndi-
ture would work an immense improve
ment in health and morality. by all
means let applc-eating have the greatest
possible boom, so that the orchard may
supplant the distillcry, and the aggre-
gate of prosperity and happiness be null
tiplied many fold.