The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1899-11-23
The international Sunday School Lesson
Proverbs XIII 1895
Nov. 9e PgO
Woes Of Intemperance,

1srael's poet-king and prodigy of
wisdom sets himself to the task of
painting the drunkard's portrait. It is
a faithful likeness, and horrid because
faithful. The royal artist persists in
his undertaking, though his canvas
grows lurid and frightful under each
successive stroke Of the pencil. His
picture has proved a veritable danger
signal, flashing its warning color upon
successive generations for 5000 years.
Its red light has proved powerful de-
terrent to multitudes. Nowhere in lit
erature is the woe. the sorrow. the folly,
the fate OF the drunkard SO powerfully
depicted.
That such a picture could be painted
thirty centuries ago, sufficiently proves
the antiquity Of the vice. Drunkenness
is no modern sin or mere accident OF
our civilization. 1t is as old as Noah,
and older. Intoxicating liquors un-
doubtedly infiamed the race before the
Flood and led to that nameless deprav-
ity which had to be drowned out In that
awful Judgment. And each succeeding
generation has suffered the crushing
weight Of this dreadful woe; each has
been burned, bitten and poisoned by
this vice; from each has burst the sor-
rowful and despairing Intersections,
"ow alas"
Old as 1t is. solomon's picture is the
very sImIlItude of the drunkard of to-
day. Three thousand years have not
suficed to change the causes or effects
Of intemperance. Study the successive
strokes Of this masterful delienation.
Those who tarry at wine by the in
crease Of the powerful and subtle appe-
lite are compelled to seek stronger pota-
tons Cmixed wine). The graduation
from light wine to red wine, and the
highly alcoholized wine, with Its eyes
or beads, is Inevitable. Then follow the
facial signs OF inebriety (redness OF
eyes); next quarrelsomeness, causeless
wounds, and the inhaming of sexual
passion. Finally, inclpient dementia'
which makes the drunkard oblIvious to
personal danger and to IndIgnitIes vIs-
tied upon him by hootlng mob or officer
Of lava dementla in which, however,
the appetite perslstently asserts Itself,
the worm dIeth not, the fire is not
ouenched. All is forgotten, all is lost;
but among the debris of mind, heart
and manhood, the conQueror stalks,
And careth naught
.'For the awful ruin he hath wrought"
This is no pleasing fancy sketch of
genius, nor happy aesthetlcal study
but 1t deserves the close, respectful at
tentlon of every one who loves himself
and his nelghbor. No Christian can
push this picture nonchalantly aside
unless his Bible permits him to say, II
am not my brothers keeper" No truly
phIlanthroplc spirit, Christian or not.
can turn with Indifferent GOODNESS from
this inspired canvas. 1t pictures the
all-embracIng 'woe" making its plteous
appeal to everyone who processes to
love his species. And IL neither Chris
tianlty nor philanthropy is sufficient to
bring this nation to the point of dealing
with this evil In some practical manner.
self-interest, self-defense Will. The
traffic in ardent spirit produces deter
iorated manhood, insanity, pauperIsm.
crime and death. a catalogue OF most
undesirable products!