Worcester morning daily spy., 1898-03-07
A TEMPERANCE SERMON.
Some New Ideas Advanced by Rev. tIva
R. Scott of the First Pre- byterian Church.

Some New Ideas Advanced by Rev. elNa
R. Scott of the First Pres sbyterian Church.
Rev. Alva r. Scott, Phi. D., spoke Sun
day morning at the First Presbyterian
Church on the temperance question, TAX
ing his text from Ezekiel xviii, "a.
Much thought, he said has been given. to
control evil and to suppress It's expansive
movement but as yet It has been 20 only q as
forces in the hearts of our American peo-
pie, but as yet they are so little co-or-
dinated that results of all our best efforts
are not adequate for any lasting reform:
In the last forty years crime has increased
five times as fast as the population, and
insanity from two to three times. Note
tramps and inebriates The consumption
of alcohol per capita for our nation has
more than doubled in twenty years
Our methods hitherto have been moral
SuaSion and imprisonment. The former
has probably done much good in drawing
sentiment among friends of temperance,
but it has been too largely mere senti-
ment. Imprisonment has most generally
failed to reform, and has added loss of self
respect to disintegrating character The
change of method in temperance work has
been that now going on in all thought,
theologic, philosophic or scientific. from
speculation to more exact methods OF
study and statement.
There are two causes for the existence of
e. n
business, and the public demands liquor
If it were not for this latter condition the
trade could not exist. why do men want
liquors in eXcess?'' is then the main ques-
ton. The seat Of demand lies in the nerve
and brain conditions, craving not so
much the intoXicant as the intoXication.
Defective nutrition of nerve and brain and
constitutional blood poisoning OF nerves
are the two chief conditions producing an
appetite for intoXication. The chief
causes of these nerve conditions are bad
diet, unfit homes, irregularity in occupa-
ton and heredity. Temperance speakers
have heretofore laid stress on intemper-
ance as the chief cause of poverty, but
poverty has produced rs per cent of the
drunkards and according to the best esti-
mates intemperance has produced but II
per cent of the paupers.
There can be no health of body or nerV-
Gus system without food sufficient in guam
tity, nourishing in quality and all well
cooked. Study will show that the demand
for rum is the greatest where the wages
are lowest, the food most unwholesome,
the homes most unfit.
am compelled to say that so long as
men and women are oVerworked or forced
to be idle and have poor food and unfit
homes, there can be no permanent cure
for intemperance.
Let us look at some proposed remedies.
We must work step by step. To the first
cause, the profit, remedy, temporary but
preparatory to something more final, is in
removing the business from the sphere of
private gain. The state says: This bus-
ness, like the manufacture and sale of eX-
plosives, is too dangerous for private in
diyiduals to handle for profit so the state
controls the traffic, as in Norway, Sweden
and in South Carolina.
Very gratifying results have been &c-
complished by this state control.
The remedies to the second cause, public
demand are as follows Good, pure, true,
healthful lives by all people, especially
parents Every cold, fever, disease, vice
of parents, lessons the chances of the
child for a well balanced nervous system,
and increases the chances that he will be
a drunkard. Good, nouIishing food to
meet all demands of bodily growth and
power. Comfortable clothing and homes.
Bad air, bad sanitation, darkness, are ter
rible causes of sin. The reform in occupa-
ton must be in reasonable hours of labor
with reasonable time for rest improve
ment mentally and morally, with wages
suited to comfortable living. Security of
regular employment is temperance meas
ure. Factory laws protecting women and
children, the abolition of sweat shops, are
necessary. Amusements must be whole
some and elevating. There must be
training to some mental interest to take
pleasure in nature, art, literature politics,
benevolence and religion. There must be
sound and attractive moral and religious
training Homes, churches and religious
services must be cheerful and attractive.
Sermons must have the real gospel of
Christ, and not dogmas, aimed at present
needs.