Daily new dominion. [volume] (Morgantown, W. Va.) 1897-1906, 1900-03-17
TWO CENTS
TEMPERANCE COLUMN.
Edited BY The w. c. T. U,
4 SOURCE or DRUNKENNESS.

Several years ago gentleman ofmy
acquaintance fell into the habit OF us
ing intoxicants until he seldom passed
a day without some symptoms OF
drunkenness, says the Rev Theodem
l.. Cayler He sometimes came home
to his family in state Of beastly In
toxication. Under their piteous APP
peals he consented TO go TO an inehri-
ate asylum, and after few mouths
OF treatment he came back apparently
entirely reformed Sunshine again
filled the house that had long been
Swallowed With shame and sorrow.
He continued sober for several months
but one day an cid friend met him ia
New York, greeted him cordially, and
invited him TO go to down Gown res
taurant and take a social glass with
him. Under a sudden impulse he
yielded, and that one glass aroused the
latent appetite: the chained tiger was
loosed again, and my poor friend went
home that night pitiably and disgrace
fully drunk! During the brief remain
der Of his life he was wreck
The whole wrecked tragedy of a
ruined life was the result OF d single
act which goes under the deceitful
name OF sstreating. That friend who
offered the ensnaring glass proved 10
be a deadly enemy! Grant that he
had no intention TO work fatal mis-
chief; grant he hati no thought OF do
ing a serious harm. He did Ii, how
ever, as surely as II he had been aetu-
ated by a iiendish MALICE.
For evil is wrought by want of thought,
AS well as by want Of heart.
The pernicious and abominable GUS
tom OF treating friend TO a glass
Of Intoxicating liquor is one OF the
most prolific causes of intemperance.
1t often engenders the habit of drink
ing: IL often confirms the awful pro-
pensity; and sometimes, as In the case
OF that gentleman mentioned In the
beginning OF this article, Ii sends a
reformed inebriate back into the mire
The danger of this treating custom Is
that IL wears a guise OF friendship and
appeals TO the weak side of human
nature. s'Come and take drink
with me- says the politician who
hopes to win vote. Won't you take
a social glass with me?u Is the subtle
invitation OF a false friendship that is
too often yielded TO. 1t Is not every
one that has the nerve OF q Brooklyn
neighbor Of mine who, having once
been an inebriate, used to say to any
one who invited him to take a drink,
s.if you ask me To do that again, I'll
knock you down."
This perllous custom OF treating has
spread very widely. When custo-
mer has made good purchase he is
often invited by the merchant to GO
of TO restaurant or bar-room for
bottle or wine to "close up the bar
gain. The drummers for CONNER
cial houses seek very often to win GUS
toners by polite invitations to drink
ing resort, or to theatre, or s0me-
times to haunts too vile to be men,
toned. The various athletic contests
and intercollegiate ball games are att
tended with an enormous amount Of
hard drinking; much Of 1t takes the
form OF creating" by those who have
won their games or their bets. 1t Is
not TOO much TO say that a vast
amount OF intemperance, with It's ter
rible results to purse, character and
immortal souls, can be traced directly
TO that cunning device nof the Devil
which puts poison into mans brain
under the pretense Of putting kind
ness into his heart.