The Newtown bee., 1898-04-01

loss of almost every thing which makes
life happy,
UNTIL THEIR LIGHT GOES OUT IN DARK
| NESS.
| And there is one fact which should not
be forgotten and that is, Of all the multi.
tudes who have become victims of appe-
tite, and gone down to a drunkard's
death, none expected at the start to
reach such a result. Although they saw
others meeting such q doom, they did
not intend to be controlled by their appe-
tite. They were going to control them
| selves. Of all the thousands and tens of
thousands claim by strong drink every
year, it is safe to say that nearly all
reached that doom by first starting in a
course Of occasional or moderate drink
ing, and at the start few or none expect
| ed to become under the bondage of ap-
petite. The terrible fact meets us that
| of those who commence course of mod
crate drinking multitudes do become the
| slaves of appetite, and that, too, contra
ry to their purpose and expectations.
And no one who allows himself to enter
upon such course knows that he will
escape this result.
And this danger appears the more evil
dent when we consider what classes fall
beneath the power of strong drink. 1t is
natural perhaps to associate this fact
with the lowest classes in society,
with the poor and the ignorant and
| those who are otherwise vicious in
| their character. No doubt there ia a
| strong temptation to such classes to
| less able or make less effort to conceal
/ the fact. But the danger extends to all
| classes Of society. The intelligent, the
wealthy, those In high social positions
become the victims of drink, as well as
| the poor and ignorant. Appetite is no
respector OF persons. Those in the high
est positions Of social and public life
have fallen before this foe and gone
down to dishonored graves. In our in
ebriate asylums are found those from
AALAoSJ CFCAy SNGGphLlouf &DA 1KOuA AI~
most every position In social life, women
as well as men. We find in these asy-
lums merchants, mechanics, farmers,
physicians, lawyers, clergymen, judges
and others. One president of the United
States had q son in an inebriate asylum
while he was filling the highest Office
that the nation could bestow upon him.
Among those who have become slaves
to appetite are found senators, congress
men, generals and others in high and re-
sponsible positions in public life. Among
these have been men Of great intellectu-
al ability, aDle legislators, brilliant
speakers, distinguished statesmen, men
who have been honored by the people,
and placed in high positions of trust and
possibility. But they fell before the
temptation Of strong drink, and some of
them have
GONE DOWN TO THE VERY DEPTHS OF
DEGRADATION.
One instance will illua trate this fact. A
governor of one Of our large states dur
ing the great civil war, greatly honored
for his executive ability, for his patriot
ism and his devotion to the public well
fare, and afterwards United States SEN
ator, went down from the high position
of trust and honor to the very lowest
depths Of degradation until he became a
burden and disgrace to his friends; his
self-respect so entirely gone that he
would beg for pennies TO crafty his ap-
petite. And so he died, and the light of
that able and brilliant life went out in
utter darkness, slain by strong drink.
How many similar cases in all classes of
society. Is there no danger when such
men fall beneath this foe of life and hap
piness? Is there no danger when 10000
in our own country are slain every year
by this enemy and scarcely any of them
expected they would 90 beyond a safe
indulgence? Is there no danger when a
large proportion Of those in our prisons
were brought there by reason OF drink
And yet they did not intend TO no be-
yond safe course of moderate drinking. |
Is there no danger when large per cent |
OF those in our insane asyluma reached |!
their condition by reason or strong drink !? |
And yet none OF them expected to reach
such result. No one knows that he
will escape who allows himself to in
dulge in the use OF Intoxicating liquors..
It is easy enough for one to say that he /
10 safe, and that he will never be con-
quered by appetite. SO the army Of
10000 have said who have
been slain BY this enemy every
year. But saying 50 did not save