The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1899-03-02
ALL ARE INEBRIATES.
Argument and Facts Which Go to
Prove That Moderate Drinkerr
Is n Misnomer.

spirits. Many persons who use spirits
in this way are considered temperate
and of sound mind and body. This
opinion is founded on very superficial
knowledge of the person and his acts.
While it is possible for certain persons
TO use spirits daily for a very long
time, and not seem to be impaired or
changed by the use, it is evident that
they are exceptions; and closer ac-
quaintance and study would reveal de-
generations and changes not suspected.
Thus in one case where an active
banker used spirits for nearly 30 years,
nearly every day, at his death strong
evidence of his enfeebed mind was
clear in his will. and the property left
y second case is that of a lawyer Of
more than average ability who drank
for 90 years in so-caIled moderation and
was found at his death to have been a
defaulter and receiver of stolen goods
y third ease of 4 farmer who died ut
70, after so years of constant drinking
in moderation, without exciting the
least suspicion of mental change, was
found to have had concealed delusions
and to have been maniac for years
In a careful inquiry of many persons.
| have never found an example of
moderate drinking man who was not
more or less unsound in both mind and
body. In many instances the psychical
and physical injuries from spirits may
be concealed and covered by automatic
conduct of the person and the uniform
surroundings and conditions of life;
but it exists in some form OF other.
1t can be stated positively that the
steady use of spirits, even in so-called
moderation, is always followed by
states of mental degeneration also
that no man can be of sound mind and
body when using spirits steadily.
This fact has recently been empha-
sized by some startling disasters which
were traceable to the enfee bled brains
of persons who were so-callcd moderate
drinkers. 1t would seem that the term
''inebriates" would better describe
their real condition.
An engineer, old. tried, and capable,
in commercial language. but who used
spirits regularly in small quantities
and to slow up his train at dangerous
point. AS a result, an accident, ten
lives lost, many wounded the engineer
killed. This was his afternoon run.
after he had used the usual amount of
spirits at dinner. lie was called tenn
perate man; no one had seen him under
the influence of spirits; and yet, I'M
accountably, he had run by danger
signal at full speed into train ahead,
which he could have seen, naturally, in
time to prevent an accident. He was
an inebriate and his mind failed at an
unexpected moment.
A captain of an ocean steamer, with
the helm i'll his hand, ran into a ship
and sank in midocean without an effort
to save himself or his passengers. He
seemed to become imbecile at once and
lose all reason and Judgment. He was
a moderate drinker ami for years HAD
been considered capable, wise, and ef-
ticient. No one ever suspected he had
drank to his injury. On this last voy-
age he used spirits as usual, and seemed
in no way different. He was an
inebriate unrecognized. because his
conduct was uniform, and gave no eX-
ternal evidence of change; and yet he
| persisted in using spirits regularly.
A bank president, of irreproachable
| character, suddenly became a default
cr, ran away, and finally was sem
| fenced to prison. The act was en-
traordinary in its imbecility and stu
! pidity, and was unaccountable. He
| was moderate drinker of many years
| duration, never using spirits except
at stated times, and never appeared t"
be under the influence or to be in
| cured by it in his conduct.
| These instances are illustrative, and
| by no means uncommon. The conclu-
sions point TO moderate drinking as an
exceedingly uncertain condition, a.
| ways associated with mental feeble
Less and states of insanity. The con-
| slant use of spirits may be followed by
more positive brain injury than the
| occasional excessive use, and in all M
stances is more perilous because con-
| cealed.
! Among active brain workers the
steady use of spirits, even in small
quantities, is found by experience to be
followed by more disastrous results
in acts and conduct, than in the period
zeal drinker. The farmer or business
man who uses spirits regularly and
| dies after a reasonably long life, not
manifesting any particular mental
charges, is an exception to the rule
| Accidental circumstances in their ply
steal organization and surroundings
have prevented a recognition of thclr
i weakness. Uniform surroundings and
automatic conditions of life and living
often conceal it, but change this and
the real condition of the moderate
drinker will appear.
To call all moderate users of spirits
tnebriatcs would seem to be an eX.
IRENE statement, and yet a careS.l
study of the best of these cases reveals
many startling facts OF both physical