Republican news item. [volume] (Laport, Pa.) 1896-19??, 1898-01-06
Alcoholic Appetites.

The desire for alcoholic stimulants is
commonly spoken Of as appetite, but wo
deny that its nature is the same as the
cravings of hungry man for food Tho
latter comes alike to every HEALTHY man
as one evidence Of health, but the former
must have other provocation than the calls
OF nature, and it represents disease. We
do not deny that liquor cravings may come
by inheritance, but the example Of drink
ing father gives sufficient explanation Of
the sons drink habit without touching the
question of heredity
without denying the theory of hereditary
appetite, many years of observation and
study have convinced us that we must look
to other causes than that for explanation
OF most of the cases of slavery to drink.
While we do not object to the expression
"drink appetite" we insist that in most
cases the drink habit represents not nor
NAL, but an educated appetite, and, there
fore, we attack the educators, and say that
such disastrous education ought to be sup
pressed.
These educators are chiefly in two classes,
viz. first, those who educate young men
into the path of death for the sake OF the
money that can be gained thereby, and,
second, the devotees of fashionable drink
ing, and the towards who dare not resist
or antagonize such fashion.
AS to the first named class, no sensible
man can believe that the elegant saloon,
respondent with paintings and mirrors, is
called for by the slave appetite. A jug
and tin dipper answers his claims and he
will not even insist upon the dipper. The
saloon is created as an educator, and ex-
lists in that capacity. Go where tho saloon
is unknown, and the young men give little
evidence of alcoholic appetite. The saloon
system is u humbug, as we'll rs an outrage.
AS to fashion as an educator into the
drink appetite, as we have said before, it
is the worst obstacle to public sobriety and
should be held responsible accordingly.
The men of influence who defend it rest
under a fearful responsibility.
Let us not be deluded by the current
sophistry about natural or inherited APP
petite for alcohol; these causes are but as
drops in the ocean.
The causes of drink appetite are mainly
controllable, and therefore ought to be
suppressed. They have been practically
tient attention to duty can be largely re-
duced everywhere.-National Temperance
Advocate.
The Masses, the Boys and the Saloons.
The Lutheran Observer saws: 1.-The
church will never reach the masses until it
first reaches the saloons" This is as true
as it is pithy and pointed. Before ''the
masses" can be brought to Christ they
must be brought away from the saloons;
and the only way to gain that point is to
destroy the saloons. You can no more
keep the boys and young men out Of the
licensed and legalized saloon than you can
keep flies out ofan open molasses barrel on
the street in August. Close the barrel and
roll it into the cellar and then the flies will
keep out of it. So close the saloons and
keep them closed, or a certain number Of
your boys and young men are as surely
doomed each year to be lured by them into
drunkard's grave and drunkard's hell
rs are flies certain to be lured to their
death by the open molasses barrel. Sun
day-schools and young peoples societies.
and Y. NJ. G. AIS and churches, may do all
they can to draw tho boys and keep them
away from the saloons, but 1t will be Of
little or no avail so long as the legalized
saloons exist. Into them the boys will go,
despite the tears and prayers of parents
and the efforts of Christian people. How
do we know? BY having watched the drift
OF things in that direction forty years. In
all those years u regular stream OF boys
have been going out Of Christian homes,
out of churches and out of Sunday schools
into the saloons, down to drunkards'
graves, and the same stream is going on
still, bigger and stronger than ever. Yes,
Christian people. If you would save your
boys and reach the masses, first reach and
close the saloons.-Religious Telescope.